The design process is complete, and the Thronedown Challenge is about to commence.  The votes will be cast and the crown awarded to the champion designer. Capitol Lighting followers can visit our company’s Facebook page to vote, while showroom customers and employees can get a live look at the renovations in order to choose their favorite design and cast their ballots.

This friendly competition between two northern New Jersey interior designers has involved weeks of hard work, resulting in a transformation of  both the men’s and ladies’ restrooms in Capitol Lighting’s Paramus store. The finalists were chosen based on their expertise; they each received a $2,000 project budget with lighting supplied by Quoizel and Feiss.

Before

After

Mannarino’s vision was to create something sophisticated, dramatic and tailored. Her step-by-step design process included:

Museums have a hard line to walk, exhibiting items for public education and enjoyment while protecting those same collections from damage. Today’s museum also carry the additional weight of safeguarding the future of the environment – as well as their financial future – against the dangers of unnecessary energy consumption. What advancements have been made in preservation lighting technology to help accomplish these goals?

Light, including all three types: ultraviolet (UV), infrared, and visible light, causes permanent and irreversible damage to museum pieces. Cumulative and dependent on the intensity and duration of exposure, light affects chemical composition, physical structure, and, the appearance of a collection. There is no conservation treatment that can repair it. Light damage is forever.

Only complete darkness ensures conservation, since exposure to light in any form naturally breaks down items. However, keeping pieces locked away in the dark defeats the mission of the museum – sharing those works with the public. It is thus a museum’s dilemma to find a suitable solution that balances the best of both worlds, in addition to considering energy costs and the environmental impact of its lighting selection.  

In your search for preservation lighting, you will find that a great deal of lighting solutions involve UV (ultraviolet light), the most energetic and destructive form of light. These include natural light, fluorescents, HID, and tungsten halogen lighting. Fortunately, the effects of UV can be controlled with simple filters, offering a greater variety of lighting options. UV filters are hard plastic tubes or soft sleeves wrapped around bulbs/light sources, which filter and block up to 98 percent of UV light, preventing its damaging effects. NOTE: UV filters lose efficiency over time and must be replaced every eight-10 years.

Specific, detailed recommendations for preservation lighting levels based on your collection type can be found from various sources, including the Library of Congress, National Park Service, UNESCO, and more.

On average, over 350,000 home fires take place every year, claiming thousands of lives. How are your smoke detectors functioning? Don't make these mistakes with your smoke detectors:

Make sure your smoke detectors are installed correctly The U.S. Fire Administration recommends installing alarms both inside and outside sleeping areas. At a minimum, alarms should be located on all levels of your home, at least one near each sleeping area and preferably additional detectors in pathways between sleeping areas and exits out of your home. If you sleep with your bedroom door closed, smoke or use heat-producing appliances in or near your bedroom, or have noisy appliances in your bedroom that could block the sound of a smoke detector (TVs, stereos, air conditioners, and more), it is especially important to install one inside each bedroom. Always use a licensed electrician when installing hardwired smoke alarms. Alarms should be installed:

Smoke detectors save lives. Don’t fall victim to these common smoke detector problems or behind today’s recommended standards for protection. Contact Mr. Electric® today to ensure the proper installation and operation of these life-saving safety devices in your home.

Over the last several years, it has become more and more common to see solar panels on the roofs of houses in any given neighborhood across the United States. Although this technology has been around in a form very similar to its current state, why is it just now starting to catch on so widely? There are naturally a number of reasons why, including increased accessibility, government subsidies and rising fossil fuel prices. If you’re thinking about installing solar panels on your home, here are a few reasons why 2013 may be the year for you.

If you have been on the fence about solar power, take some time to browse through our resources (Read More). We specialize in options such as solar leasing, which can make solar panels a reality for almost anyone.

Summer months are beautiful in Los Angeles. The weather is never too hot and tends to be mild, but there are days when things do heat up and things get a little uncomfortable. Your first reaction may be to go for that air conditioner thermostat and crank it down a few notches as you attempt to cool down your home. But, here is a scenario for you; everybody else has the same idea. That means the electrical grid is getting a real workout and it may even lead to sporadic outages. There is a better option, per your electrician. Los Angeles residents don’t have to run to the thermostat, instead look into a ceiling fan installation. The Electric Connection has been helping southern California residents for years and you can rely on them to help you as well.

Ceiling fans are energy efficient and effective. You don’t have to spike your electric bill because there is a heat wave. Fans installed in your living room, dining room and even in your bedroom can go a long way to keeping you comfortable when the temps are soaring outside. Installation is fairly easy, but should always be handled by an electrician.

Fans stir the air, creating a nice breeze. Combined with an air conditioner, you can easily maintain your comfort without touching the thermostat. The fan blades pull the warm air up and away from where you are sitting or laying. What’s even better, the fans are also beneficial in the cooler months as well. They push the warm air down to where you are.

Because there is some electrical work involved, a Los Angeles electrical professional should do the install. In many cases, electrical wires will need to be brought to the place in the ceiling you have decided you want the fan placed. To make sure your ceiling fan installation is completely safely, give The Electric Connection a call today.