Experts Convey Trends in Lighting

The top trend in decorative lighting has little to do with style, shape or shade choices. Instead, it focuses on the new mindset of the consumer.

“People have realized you’re not buying just a lamp or a sconce or a chandelier — you’re buying an accessory that lights up,” says designer Sergio Orozco.

Decorative lighting rates today as one of the best accessories you can buy. “If chosen correctly, it is as important to a room as your best piece of furniture,” says Orozco, a New York-based furniture and lighting designer. “It reflects your taste and adds the finishing touch.”

Fixed or portable, lighting has become an all-important interior design feature. “Homeowners are beginning to seek out lighting as decorative elements,” says Jody DeVine marketing communications manager for Sea Gull Lighting Products, the New Jersey-based lighting manufacturer.

According to the experts at the American Lighting Association (ALA), there are three major movements:

CASUAL ELEGANCE continues the creation of warm, relaxed and cozy environments, with casual lighting that is a little more upscale in design.

SOFT CONTEMPORARY is still, clean, modern and simple in style. While architectural in design, these fixtures are no longer cold.

SIMPLIFIED TRADITIONAL removes the excess. “While still a traditional look, this look is not ornate,” says Orozco. “There is now a simplification. Decorative lighting here may still be solid brass, but stripped down and rich with an antique patina.”

In step with home decor trends, the lighting industry is experiencing an explosion of design options and material combinations. “Eclectic is really the word that best reflects the range of colors, styles, shapes and sizes of decorative lighting available,” says Joe Rey-Barreau, educational consultant for the American Lighting Association and assistant professor of interior design at the University of Kentucky.

This season’s savviest styles have common design elements. “There has been a big move recently to more daring designs and material combinations — wrought iron with crystal, polished brass with colored glass,” says Rey-Barreau. “At the same time, traditional product is still available. Today, if you want a Williamsburg polished brass fixture, you can find it. But if you are looking for a Murano glass medusa head with a low voltage bulb to light up a room, you can find that, too!”

Finishes range from rich and refined to lustrously weathered. “We are moving away from shiny brass and china to more burnished, brushed and hand painted finishes,” says DeVine.

Hand painted doesn’t mean simply white enamel with painted flowers. Instead, think multi-toned finishes with depth and texture — layers of color; hand-rubbed, burnished metal; finishes flecked with gold or silver and rubbed so color shines through.

“There is also a move toward heavy iron, and rust finishes are still important as is oil-rubbed bronze,” says Kevin Herdt, Certified Lighting Consultant for Austin Bluffs Lighting, a Colorado lighting showroom. “Amber glass is becoming more a preference for homeowners, as well.”

Other fresh features to look for in decorative lighting include:

LARGER SIZE FIXTURES: “More large-size fixtures is a result of the move to larger homes,” says Rey-Barreau. “Homes with large interior volumes need larger lights and the industry has complied.”

CHANDELIER RESURGENCE: Once confined to dining rooms and entry halls, chandeliers are hanging around almost any room in the house. “The trend is back to light in the center of the room,” says Rey-Barreau. “As a result, you are seeing chandeliers everywhere — bathrooms, bedrooms, closets, hallways — anywhere one will fit.”

QUALITY MATERIALS: The focus shifts to the real deal as consumers opt for true glass instead of plastic, stainless steel instead of aluminum. Look for beautiful marble, supple leathers and tactile iron.

LOWER COST: A benefit of recent manufacturing trends is the deflation of price in decorative lighting fixtures. “What cost $1,500 five years ago may be found today for $900,” says Rey-Barreau. “At the same time, there are incredible lamps available for $30.”

ENERGY EFFICIENCY: From adding dimmers to using the latest low-voltage bulbs, consumers are looking to save energy when they can. Cost-effective fluorescent bulbs become more important in all aspects of lighting.

SIDEBAR

DÉCOR LIGHTING

Few things make as much design impact on a room as the right lighting. Whether you choose a portable lamp or installed fixture, decorative lighting melds the best in home fashion with a function. To help you make the most of your decorative lighting, the experts at the American Lighting Association (ALA) offer the following ideas for illuminating your home — no matter what your budget.

FOCUS POCUS: Put lighting to work creating focal points. Add lights to direct the eye in a new direction by focusing on a piece of art, furniture or the mantel.

MOVE IT: Simply moving portable lighting around to new areas can create dramatic differences. Adding or subtracting light from parts of a room creates drama.

COLOR IT BEAUTIFUL: A coat of paint and well-placed lighting can completely change a room. Fresh paint can give an old fixture new look or create the opportunity to add new fixtures to anchor or complement the color.

DIM SOME: Dimmers are another inexpensive trick-of-the-trade. They help set a special mood in the home by allowing you to manipulate the light. Install them at the wall for ceiling fixtures and even buy them for table lamps.

MADE WITH THE SHADE: Today’s shades are made of a variety of shapes, textures and designs. Top off an old fixture with a smart new shade for a fresh look. Add lampshades to chandeliers, or take off the existing lampshades for a fresh face.

START SMALL: You don’t have to redo the whole room to get a whole new look. Dress up fixtures with accessories like candle sleeves, garland or cloth over the chain.

SPACE CASE: Add more drama to a space with accent lighting — illuminate the top a bookcase, add under cabinet lighting or hang a colored pendant over the kitchen island. “You can create islands of light that bring the grain of wood or the print of the wallpaper or the color of a wall to life,” says lighting designer Sergio Orozco.

TABLE IT: “Table lamps are so important, but often ignored,” says Joe Rey-Barreau, ALA director of continuing education. “They are critical to design, they are at eye level and we touch them daily. Move them around the room. If you buy small ones, you can put them on shelves. They make a room more visually complex.”

QUALITY COUNTS: No matter what your budget, opt for timeless materials like bronze and glass over their plastic counterparts. Timeless designs in top materials will always look right and can become family heirlooms.

TEST IT: Try before you buy. “In most instances, you can take a lamp home, try it and bring it back if it doesn’t work,” says lighting designer Sergio Orozco. “Exchange it for one that doesn’t reflect on your glass table or has a different shade.”

DO YOUR HOMEWORK: There is a wealth of information on the Internet, particularly in lighting and decor.  Review your options–from energy-saving innovation to the latest style trend–research new product information to find what will work best for your home or office design.  Consult with lighting professionals to help customize a plan that will illuminate  and enhance your environment effectively, efficiently and decoratively.

Visit a Capitol Lighting showroom or 1800lighting.com for professional lighting advice or a complementary lighting plan customized to your specifications.

It is virtually impossible that you don’t face electrical problems around the home from time to time. It could be a tripping breaker or a fused bulb, but sooner or later, there will be an electrical problem that you have to deal with. Now, most homeowners are adept at taking care of the small electrician work, i.e. taping up wires or replacing a blown fuse. However, there are certain situations where calling in a professional electrician is the best course of action. Yet, there are many people who don’t consider this an option, usually till it’s too late and they have no other recourse.

The reason for this hesitation is a few common myths about electrician work doing the rounds. It is true that there are some homeowners who have the requisite knowhow to take care of the electrical stuff around the home, but they are a rare breed. For the average Joe and Jane, it is a good idea to leave the work to a professional electrician service. However, since people tend to believe in the common misconceptions, calling an electrician is not a priority for them. They end up allowing time for the problem to exacerbate, which means greater expense, greater risk, and greater inconvenience

Now, surely you would be wondering what these abovementioned misconceptions are and if you perhaps believe in a few of them. Let’s take a look at some common myths about electrician work and debunk them:

As mentioned above, most people don’t reach out for the phone to call an electrician even when they see there’s a problem which requires an experienced hand. The myth is that they feel an electrical service would charge more if they called them over for an emergency. They instead hope that the problem isn’t major and the impact would be minimal. They wait for the sparking outlet to cool down or the tripping breaker to stop tripping before they consider calling in a professional. What this does is allow the problem to worsen, which means they have to spend more money to get it fixed later on.

Now, compare that cost with the charges of an emergency electrician service and you will see you got the short end of the deal. This is why it is important that you call up a professional electrician without delay and deal with the problem there and then. In fact, you give the electrician a better shot at fixing the problem by calling him in quicker

You might be all for the DIY movement and like doing things around the house but this doesn’t you put your safety at risk by attempting to fix electrical problems you have no idea how to deal with. One wrong move and you could end up causing more harm to the system than the actual problem did. Unless you are absolutely sure you know what to do, don’t ever attempt to fix an electrical problem at home. It would only meaning put your safety at risk. Not only this, you might end up causing damage to appliances or electrical outlets around the house. Just because it looks easy doesn’t mean its easy.

Granted, most homes today incorporate wood as a major building material. And you can probably bet your house on the fact that wood isn’t a good conductor of electricity. However, this doesn’t mean an electrical problem can not cause damage to your wooden flooring or fixtures. Keep in mind that a short circuit is all it takes and the entire room could be on fire. Just because your home is ‘wooden’ from all sides doesn’t mean you keep ignoring electrical faults, even if you have insurance!

This one is perhaps the most common misconception people have about electrician work. They aren’t prepared to listen to what the electrician is telling them about. Just because it’s your home doesn’t mean you know more about the electrical system installed than a professional whose bread and butter is fixing electrical problems. You might have your ideas about how the work should be done but you should trust the professional electrical service you have called in when it comes to electrical work.

These are only a few of the many misconceptions people have about electrician work. It might give you an ego boost to be able to take care of handyman jobs around the house but electrical work is intricate and potentially dangerous. So, it is in your best interests to leave it to the professionals

Smoke alarms are an important safety measure to protect your family and home from fire. You should have at least one installed on every floor. Unfortunately, a smoke detector beeping intermittently is a major irritant, disturbing your sleep and alarming your children and pets.

However, you should never permanently disconnect a smoke alarm to stop it from beeping. Instead, figure out the cause behind a beeping smoke detector and work to solve the problem. We can help!

If you just cleaned your fire alarm and replaced the battery yet the intermittent beeping continues, this could be a sign it’s time for a smoke detector replacement. These devices typically only last 8 to 10 years. If you’re not sure how old your smoke detector is, remove it from the wall or ceiling and check the manufacturing date on the reverse side to see if old age could be the cause of the malfunction.

It is a cold October evening and you are preparing dinner. You are in full motion with all your appliances working overtime to get the meal done as soon as possible – and the power shuts off. Not only are you frustrated because you are set behind schedule but now you have to try to fix the problem. This happens to people on a daily basis and is a nuisance that can be avoided with the right electrical usage and correct setup. Lets walk where you should go from here.

As we have discussed in the past, the electrical panel (or breaker) is an integral part of the home’s electrical system. It regulates all incoming electricity and manages it throughout your house. When a breaker shuts a circuit off, or it “trips”, it is protecting you and your home from a potentially dangerous situation. The breaker will shut off that circuit because it has detected high voltage, high temperature, or another internal problem. If the breaker does not trip the circuit that is affected can overload and create an electrical shock or electrical fire.

To get your electrical breaker back on, identify the circuit that is in the off position and flip in back to the on position. With a properly labeled electrical panel it can be easy to quickly identify the affected circuit. If the breaker feels hot the touch or the circuit immediately trips again, do not attempt to turn it back on and call an expert electrician. Sometimes a circuit could trip due to a high amount of usage and may only be a minor problem with no repercussions. But if the breaker immediately trips when turned backed on or it trips regularly, there is a larger cause and the problem should be addressed as soon as possible.

There are a number of reasons why breakers could trip. The circuit that is being turned off could potentially have too much load and being overloaded. There could also be a problem in the wiring itself that is causing electrical surges and shorts that the breaker is detecting. It could also be a problem with the breaker itself. The panel may be old and reaching the end of its functionality. It may be time for the panel to be replaced.

It is not a good idea to keep turning on your breaker if it continuously trips. If you cannot identify a pattern in your routine that is causing the trip you should contact an Expert Electrician. They will be able to tell you if the problem is originating from the wiring or within the panel and even fix the problem for good.

Don’t put up with tripping breakers, it will become more than just an inconvenience. Get the right help and have peace of mind that your home is safe and dinner will get finished on time.