Although the great bamboo may look more like a tree and its strength and height do measure up, it is actually classified as a grass plant.  It is the largest of the grass plants and one of the fastest growing plants on earth. Bring the natural essence and lucky aura of the bamboo plant into your environment.

New lamp styles weave natural bamboo into ingenious illumination.  Here are some of the top pics to update your home or office environment with the latest nature-loving styles:

•ELK Lighting brings the “Modern Organics” collection to light…

Bamboo rings graceful and light in the “Modern Organics” wall sconce from ELK Lighting.

Bamboo strands present a natural linear elegance to the “Modern Organics” pendant from ELK Lighting.

•Wildwood Lamps emboldens portables with a natural bamboo flair in grand fashion…

“Intricate Bamboo Splits” table lamp from Wildwood Lamps

“Inlaid Bamboo” table lamp, a handsome combination with real wood and bamboo from Wildwood

•Oggetti Luce rocks the bamboo-style with glass hand-screened in Germany…

The “BAMBDRUM” pendant  features elegant shoots of bamboo hand-screened in Germany and available in white or green glass from Oggetti Luce.

The “BAMBOO” table lamp from Oggetti Luce

•Minka Aire’s ceiling fans breeze in naturally with comfort and sophistication…

All-weather bamboo blades make the grade with Minka Aire.

•From Murray Feiss, natural bamboo pendants are attracting major attention…

“Denmark” pendant orbs in natural bamboo from Murray Feiss

•Justice Lighting’s bamboo-embossed series yields the most flattering illumination…

“Limoges” wall sconce features bamboo glass embossed in porcelain from Justice Lighting

•Meyda Lighting’s bamboo chandelier makes a giant tropical presentation…

“Banana Bamboo” chandelier from Meyda Lighting

•Frederick Ramond’s “Zen” series is still growing strong…

“Zen” LED natural bamboo chandelier from Fredrick Ramond is the ultimate in eco-friendly, sustainable design.

Visit a Capitol Lighting showroom or 1800lighting.com to see these and more custom crafted lighting designs inspired by nature.

Halloween is less than one month away! If you’re thinking of decorating your home for the holiday, nothing can help turn your house into a festive sight like lighting. In minutes, you can turn your quaint cottage a ghoulish green, make your bungalow glow orange, or paint your front lawn an eerie yellow. Suddenly, your charming home becomes mysterious and thrilling to trick-or-treaters and passersby.

You Can Be Liable for Unlicensed Electrical Work

07/30/15

Revamping your home's electrical work can be a big headache. You need to find a qualified electrician and write what could be a hefty check for work that might require opening holes in your walls and temporarily making a mess of your home. The last thing you want after a big electrical project is to have to tear it all out and redo the job all over again. That could be the scenario you face, however, if you cut corners and don't hire a licensed electrician to take on the task. Fly-by-night contractors might be cheaper at the outset, but they can cost you big time in the end if they don't follow the local building code, leaving you liable for the faults in your home wiring.

Fanning the Building Code Fires

Some contractors might complain about having to follow local code, but it's in place for a reason – it helps ensure that any work done on your home is performed safely and effectively. Local code standards are particularly important when it comes to electrical work, because faulty wiring and connections can lead to short circuits or even an electrical fire, putting your family at risk.

That's why technicians who do electrical work are required to maintain a license, secure permits and schedule inspections for many home projects. Unfortunately, there are electricians who are tempted to skip the code requirements in order to avoid the time and expense of compliance. They might quote you a lower price, but shoddy workmanship can leave you on the hook for a lot more money overall.

Limit Your Exposure to Liability

If your local government figures out that you are working on an electrical project, they can send an inspector to check it out. If the work isn't up to code, you'll have to remedy the problem before you pass inspection. And if your electrician isn't licensed, you have little recourse to correct the faulty electrical work besides paying out of pocket for someone else to redo the entire thing. Worse, if your electrical system does cause a fire that leads to injury or death, you could be civilly liable for huge sums.

Licensed electricians, on the other hand, have more incentive to follow the rules to begin with, since they could lose their certification if they don't. Furthermore, you may have an easier time recouping your investment in the event of unsafe or incomplete work if you can prove that you did your due diligence and hired a licensed electrician.

Good Work Done Right

To avoid code and permitting issues, hire only licensed technicians for your electrical work and ask them to show you all the relevant permits. Protect yourself and your home by holding out for competent contractors so you know the work is done right the first time.