If you are planning on renovating or sprucing-up your kitchen, it’s probably a good idea to map out a detailed lighting plan as well. Most people find this a little strange as they feel that lighting in a kitchen isn’t something that needs too much of consideration or planning. It’s just a place where you cook and probably where you have an informal meal after all.

However, the fact is that it’s important to plan kitchen illumination well if you want to make optimal use of your kitchen spaces. Here, we would like to share some basic lighting ideas to create the right balance of functionality and aesthetics.

If you want to get a better idea about what type of lighting would work best for your kitchen, it’s vital to understand how your kitchen spaces relate to the different type of lighting. Let’s start off with understanding what type of bulbs you can use for the best effects:

These bulbs emit a yellowish light and you will now find many artistic versions of these on the market today.

These bulbs throw off a flat, cold light that has a bluish tinge, which lends a very harsh effect to the room.

These have a warm light that makes the place look very inviting and comfortable

These are the latest in light bulb technology and are available in a range of effects including white, cool daylight, warm light, yellow and a range of other colours and hues. Aside from this, LED bulbs are also 80% more energy-efficient than standard bulbs; and most property owners are now opting for these fixtures.

In addition to the types of bulbs used, the style of lighting or the lighting effects are what impact the ambience and appearance of a room. With this in view, here we discuss the different lighting effects that can be used in your kitchen:

This is one of the simplest ways to create the right lighting effect in your kitchen. This type of lighting is designed to help you move comfortably around the room. In most instances this type of lighting comes from grid-style can lighting, widely-spaced, wall and ceiling lamps, semi-translucent skylights or even the natural light that streams in through glass windows and doors. This is the base layer of any lighting plan.

In your kitchen, task lighting would be required to illuminate kitchen counters and food preparation spaces. Since you will be cooking in your kitchen every day, it’s important that the task lighting be planned and installed well. If you have only recessed lighting fixtures in your kitchen, you will feel the lack of focused light when you are cleaning, cooking or prepping in that space.

If you install one-dimensional lighting in the kitchen, it creates unsightly shadows in different areas of the room, while ceiling lighting is ineffective in illuminating spaces like sinks, under counter or cabinet areas etc. On the other hand, if you add special pendant lamps over the counters or even your kitchen island it can prove to be a more practical solution. Under-cabinet lighting can also help in illuminating the cabinets that are positioned there.

This effect doesn’t seem as necessary as ambient or task lighting does in a kitchen space, as the illumination it provides isn’t as functional as the first two. However, it can have a significant impact on the way your kitchen spaces look. If you want to enhance the appeal of your kitchen (regardless of whether you are getting it entirely renovated or are opting for a lighting upgrade), it’s important that you plan your accent lighting well.

Upgrades to your home are a part of life. It can be fun and exciting to add a new feature to your home. It is easy for things to get stale or boring when you have lived in the same home for a long time. You can spice things up by adding a few new upgrades to your home that are easy and inexpensive. In fact, some of the upgrades can actually save you money.

Electrical upgrades should always be handled by a qualified electrician. Santa Monica residents can rely on The Electric Connection’s skilled professionals to handle any job, big or small. An inexperienced person should never attempt to handle electricity. The safety concerns are too great. Always hire a professional.

Light Fixtures

Updating light fixtures can give your home a whole new look, while saving money at the same time. There are numerous ideas you can incorporate into your space to liven it up depending on your wants and needs. Recessed and track lighting tend to be the most popular choices and are relatively inexpensive.

Ceiling Fan

Adding a ceiling fan to a bedroom or living area is also an ideal way to help cut your electric bill while adding comfort to your home. Most ceiling fans are equipped with lights and can replace an existing light fixture. These are great for circulating the air during the stuffy summer months and moving the warm air throughout the home during the cooler months.

Install Bath Fan

A bath fan is essential to keeping wood-damaging moisture at bay in the bathroom, which is prone to mildew and mold growth due to the damp conditions. Today’s market includes numerous styles and varieties that include lights and heaters.

If you are interested in giving your home a bit of a facelift without undergoing a major remodel, call your electrician in Santa Monica today. The Electric Connection is here to serve you and would love to speak with you about your upgrade needs.

Ever noticed a slight spark when you plug in an appliance? Maybe a bittle blue zip of electricity with a hair dryer, or a hand blender. If you’re not especially technology-savvy, this phenomena may give you a little fright! After all, when it comes to electrical appliances, wiring or equipment, everyone understand that when the sparks start to fly, it can be scary. So what causes a sparking outlet? Is it normal? Is it dangerous? Answers to questions like these and much more follow!

At Kolb Electric, we understand outlets to a tee. Allow us a moment of your time to teach you about outlet sparking, it’s causes, and when it’s time to be concerned!

To understand sparking and its causes, it’s important to know a little bit about how an outlet operates. You can essentially think of an outlet as a supply line, doling out the electricity allotted to your home in measured quantities per-circuit. In the United States, our outlets run a high, fast and hot current of around 115 to 240 volts.

The important thing to know about sparking is that in actuality, it always happens when you plug in an appliance. That fast, hot current floods the plug at the moment of contact, and for a split-second the connection is being established. This forms a spark! It’s just that normally, you either don’t see it, or it doesn’t persist.

As an important note, we at Kolb would like to say that any time you feel threatened or concerned about your electricity, contact a professional or the fire department. We don’t want to see you in dire straits, and assisting you is what electricians like us are here for!

Having said that, generally speaking, sparking outlets are a cause for concern if:

To prevent issues like these from arising, keep an eye on your outlets. If they get old (even five years can be reason to have them checked), consider having them replaced or serviced. As years wear on, the connections can loosen, causing arcing and large sparks. If your outlets are located near possible sources of water, have GFCIs (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) installed for added safety.

At Kolb, our primary goal is always the safety and satisfaction of our consumers. You guys are important to us, and if we can help keep you safe, you can be sure we want to do all we can! Call on our master electricians today if you have any concerns regarding a sparking outlet, or if you have any other electrical concerns!

There are numerous different ways in which an electrical fire can break out in the home and a number of ways to prevent it as well. Today, you will find there are a large number of electrical system protection devices on the market and this can make it a little difficult to decide which one will work best for your setting.

One effective installation you can use to prevent electrical fires in your home is an custom solutions to residential and commercial clients across Sydney.