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Match Your Bathroom Lighting to Your Bathroom Style

May 13, 2016

Kichler_Como_45170CH_45172CH_Bathroom_1000x807 You’ve finally decided to remodel and have the bathroom of your dreams. Have you thought about your bathroom lighting yet?  The style of your bathroom lighting should match the style of your bathroom.  After all, it is one of the first things people will notice when they flip the switch on.

Does your bathroom have a modern or contemporary flair?  You can go simple, with clean lines and chrome, or you can still make a bold color statement.

If restoration is what you’re into, you can add a steampunk look that is reminiscent of Tesla or Edison, or go more retro with a downward facing fifties style vanity.  There is also a gas lamp style that would fit into a restorative style bathroom very well.

Traditional more your speed?  You may want to look for a fixture with scrollwork, or perhaps a filigree one-piece vanity.  Traditional style can also include streamlined pieces, so don’t forget to look there if that’s more you than scrollwork.

If you’re going with Victorian, get to the scrollwork for real. Intricate is what this style is all about.  You can also look for copper colors when your bathroom is Victorian.

This is only a small sampling of the kind of lighting you can access.  Contact us so we can help you make the impact you want so people will remember the style of your bathroom.  After all, the lighting is one of the last things they’ll see as they flip the switch off on their way out.

4 Ways to Make Your Patio Lighting Beautiful

May 6, 2016

LANDSCAPE_rail-lights As a homeowner, you want your deck or patio to be a place where your guests feel comfortable. You want them to feel relaxed, grounded, and inspired by the space.

One of the most powerful ways you can create an inviting atmosphere is to implement clever deck and patio lighting techniques. We’re going to share with you four ways to make your outdoor space beautiful with the right lighting.

First, limit the amount of overhead lighting. If you do have overhead lighting already installed, consider installing a dimmer switch so a soft glow emanates in the evening instead of a glare.

You can use overhead lighting to your advantage by installing LED fixtures over potted trees, water features, or sculptures. This brings attention to a conversation piece instead of the entire space.

Accent lights are a wonderful way to define a space and create a cozy atmosphere. Install accent lighting in the ground just outside the deck or patio. Choose lighting that is flush to the ground to emit a soft glow, or enjoy the versatility of a spotlight, which you can direct in different positions to change the look of the space.

Mount wall fixtures to posts and walls to add warm, soft light. Many of these fixtures direct light either up or down, which adds visual interest, but allows the outdoor space to feel calm and inviting.

Of course, every space is different. That’s why it’s great to have professional advice and direction. Yale Lighting Concepts and Design is happy to help you choose just the right deck and patio lighting for your home, whether you want to improve a tiny concrete patio or a sprawling multi-level deck.

Visit our showroom and see what we can do for you.

 

3 Benefits of Landscape Lighting

April 29, 2016

Landscape lighting is an excellent way to accentuate landscaping as well as improve the visibility and aesthetics of the property. A well-lit property will allow you to appreciate your landscaping even after dark. It does not matter if you wish to illuminate house numbers, walkways or the entire property, outdoor lighting will add an extra dimension to any property.

Let’s discuss three benefits of landscape lighting;Kichler_Landscape_Front_Walk

  1. Overall Look of the property: Landscape lighting will highlight the beauty of your building and increase the value of your property as such lighting represents an investment in the property. Well placed lighting will enhance your landscaping and property and give it around the clock curb appeal.
  2. Create outdoor living space: Exterior lighting extends your living space to the outdoors and will allow you to take advantage of the great outdoors after the sun sets. Landscape lighting will also create an atmosphere for entertaining family and invited guests.
  3. Safety:  A property with well placed exterior lighting will deter crime that often takes advantage of darkness. By lighting vulnerable areas of the home such as doors and windows will keep you and your family safe and give everyone a feeling of security. Such lighting provides safety for you and invited visitors after dark by providing lighted walkways and parking areas, as well as sitting and eating areas. Unexpected stairs in an unlit area can cause a fall and injury to your family or invited guests.

If you would like to explore the world of landscape lighting, please contact us and let one of our lighting professionals show you what we can do for you.

 

Lighting Your Way to Earth Day

April 22, 2016

4-21 image Earth Day The first Earth Day (April 22) was in 1970 and was started to highlight the need to reduce our output of carbon and garbage and to take time to remember the beauty of our shared home. The official Earth Day website offers a short history of the movement, noting that “Earth Day 2010 came at a time of great challenge for the environmental community. Climate change deniers, well-funded oil lobbyists, reticent politicians, a disinterested public, and a divided environmental community all contributed to the narrative—cynicism versus activism.” But the reinvention in 2010 helped to reshape that narrative to a call to respond to the current concerns around climate change.

Each year, Earth Day provides an opportunity to look anew at ways we can protect the environment because each year, technology has found new ways to do so. For a quick example, think of the light bulb. We’ve switched from incandescent bulbs to CFLs to LEDs, one of the most energy-efficient bulbs.

The lighting industry is also responding, with the advent of smart phones that can help you manage your lighting systems whether you are home or not. Remember when you used to leave a light on when you left on vacation? Then came those timers you plug into the wall? Now you can use smart applications that work with your phone to either create a pattern of lighting while you are away for long stretches. They can also be activated when you arrive home, providing lighted paths to your house and within your house to assure a safe and energy-efficient re-entry into your home.

When you begin to think about Earth Day and the ways you can help to save energy (and money), contact us; we can help you plan for the immediate and perpetual future.

Ceiling Fans Save Energy in Every Season

April 15, 2016

Most homeowners know that ceiling fans can save energy in the summer. But did you know that ceiling fans can save energy all year?

In the Warmer Months

Ceiling fans have direction switches, so depending on the model of your fan, switch the direction of the fan blades so that when you stand under it, you feel a breeze. Then turn your thermostat on your air conditioner up a few degrees. When you are in the room, the circulating air will make you feel cooler, while not actually reducing the temperature.

The caveat to these savings: make sure you turn the ceiling fan off when you leave the room for long periods of time. If no one is there to enjoy the moving air, having a fan running is wasted energy.

In the Colder Months

When the air turns cool, your fan can still create energy savings. Warm air rises in a room, and without good circulation, that warmer air can end up staying near the ceiling instead of warming the people on the sofa. If you flip the direction switch on your fan, your ceiling fan blades will rotate in the opposite direction (you should not feel a breeze). The fan will begin to circulate the stagnant warm air throughout the room. The result? Warm air mixes with cooler air, and those in the room will feel a more even temperature.

To achieve maximum energy efficiency, there are several other considerations when choosing a ceiling fan. Are the blades at the proper length for the room? Will you hang your fan at the appropriate height in the room?

If you want to make the right decision for your living space, contact us. We will be happy to help you choose the perfect ceiling fan.

How Does Your Garden (and Landscaping) Glow?

April 9, 2016

Spring is a kind of sensorial celebration – vivid colors, sweet scents and the gentle buzz of life reawakened. Now through the end of fall, your outdoor spaces become an extension of your home. What better way to celebrate the return of outdoor living than to invest in some energy-efficient landscape lighting to showcase nature’s beauty?Hinkley Landscape 115_HardyIsland_16022MZ

Today’s landscape and garden lighting options highlight your best garden and landscape features, while using less energy than ever before.

• Honor a favorite tree with strategically-placed, recessed well-lights. They provide seamless up-lighting for a beloved tree and require less energy when powered by an easy-to-install low-voltage system.
• Highlight your best features with landscape accent spotlights. They’re ideal for illuminating large shrubs, flower beds and trees, and can also be wired to a low-voltage system.
• Add a little shimmer to your pond with an LED pond light kit. LEDs offer superior protection against water corrosion and have an extra-long lifespan.
• Step up safety and style with LED-powered step lights. Available in a variety of finishes, they help guests navigate their way safely while adding a distinctive ambience.
• Get all decked out with deck lighting. Rail, post-cap and wall-mount lights powered by a low-voltage system will save you green and extend the use of your deck well into the evening hours.

Feeling inspired? Browse our online catalog for a huge selection of outdoor lighting options, or visit a Yale Lighting Concepts & Design showroom today!

Cool Comfort: Five Ways to Get the Most from Your Ceiling Fan

April 2, 2016

With warmer weather on the way, any opportunity to keep cool without cranking on the A/C is a win. To keep your home comfortable and energy bills in check, nothing quite beats the ceiling fan. Today’s ceiling fans are affordable, easy-to-install and quieter than ever. Plus, they can help you save up to 40% on your energy bills in the summer. It’s no wonder we’re such fans!Craftmade Bedroom SLider CI52BN

Shopping for a new fan? Want to get the most from your home’s existing ceiling fans? Here are some tips for savings throughout the seasons:

1. Size Up Your Fan. Rooms up to 75 square feet, like a bathroom, do best with a fan 36″ or smaller. Medium-sized rooms up to 144 square feet can fit ceiling fans from 36″- 42″. Larger bedrooms and family rooms around 225 square feet are most efficient with fans that are 50″- 54″.*
2. Choose the Right Downrod. Downrods are used to position a fan for optimal efficiency and stability. As a general rule, blades should be positioned eight to nine feet from the floor. That means that ceilings higher than nine feet will require a downrod extension.
3. Enjoy Year-Round Comfort. In the summer, operate your ceiling fan in the counter-clockwise direction to create a wind chill factor. In the winter, operate it at a low speed in the clockwise direction to force warm air near the ceiling down into the room.
4. Buy with Confidence. The key to a long-lasting ceiling fan is a quality motor. Look for one with a manufacturer’s warranty. Blade pitch and construction are also important. Go for more angled blades (12 to 15 degrees or greater) constructed of hardwood.
5. Turn It Off. Ceiling fans don’t alter a room’s temperature; they just create a wind chill that makes it feel that way. When you leave the room, there’s no need to keep your fan running. Turn it off to save energy.

For more on getting the most from your ceiling fans, the lighting experts at Yale Lighting Concepts & Design are here to help. Stop by one of Yale Lighting Concepts & Design’s seven showrooms throughout Central and Southeastern PA, Northern DE, and Southern New Jersey or browse our huge selection of ceiling fans and fan accessories.

* Source – American Lighting Association

Five High-Impact Ways to Illuminate Your Outdoor Spaces

March 26, 2016
Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor Lighting

Spring is in the air. In the not-so-distant future, warmer weather and longer days will beckon us to spend more time outdoors. When it comes to injecting drama and beauty into your exterior spaces, nothing quite beats the glow and sparkle of thoughtfully planned outdoor lighting.

To give your home an instant ambience upgrade that will boost curb appeal and extend the use of your outdoor spaces, consider these five, high-impact ideas from our lighting designers:

1. A warm welcome. Path lights – available in a variety of styles – create a welcoming glow and help guests navigate walkways safely. Bring a sense of balance to your lighting plan by staggering the arrangement of your lights and consider low-voltage options for optimal energy savings.
2. Natural drama. Accent the natural beauty of your property and your home’s unique architectural details with landscape lighting. Place up-lights under a beloved tree to create dramatic shadows and highlights its green foliage. Or install low voltage accent lights to highlight shrubs and other garden features.
3. All decked out. When the sun goes down, the party can go on with LED deck rail, recessed step and post-cap lights. For added ambience, consider outdoor-rated table and floor lamps to bring a cozy feel to your outdoor living spaces.
4. Water feature illumination. Add a little shimmer to your pond with an LED pond light kit. LEDs offer superior protection against water corrosion and have an extra-long lifespan.
5. Timing and controls. Automation is the easy way to ensure your home’s exterior is illuminated in the evening hours. Easy-to-install timers automatically turn outdoor lighting on and off during designated ties of the day and many feature dimmer controls for added energy savings.

Ready for a fresh, new take on exterior lighting? Stop by one of Yale Lighting Concepts & Design’s seven showrooms throughout Central and Southeastern PA, Northern DE, and Southern NJ or browse our huge selection of outdoor lighting including wall-mount fixtures, path lights, landscape lighting and more at YaleLightingConcepts.com.