The Homeowners Comprehensive Guide to Lighting (part 3)

Built-In Lighting

Built-in lighting uses a site built structure (ie. a valance, cabinet or bulk-head) to control the beam and diffuse or focus the light to create a different atmosphere in the room or function for the light.


Under Cabinets:

Want to avoid that pesky shadow while preparing food or using your countertop?  Here is where under cabinet lighting is key.  There are three main types of lamps suited for this application which include fluorescent tubes, xenon strips and led strips.  As illustrated in the photo above, tubes and strips will provide continuous light, whereas pucks, which are less common, will provide more of a spot light feel on the countertop.  You will also want to ensure your contractor mounts the lamps near the front edge under the wall cabinets so they throw light directly on the countertop. 

Above Cabinets, Coves and Valances:

Ideal for soft, ambient lighting, cabinets or horizontal baffles running around the room below the ceiling can hide strip lighting.  Light is directed onto the wall or ceiling where it is diffused and reflected back out to the room.  The illustration below shows how the light will be reflected in a variety of installations.

For more great suggestions and help with your renovation, please contact our team at Interiors With Elegance.  We look forward to hearing from you!

The Homeowners Comprehensive Guide to Lighting (part 2)

Lighting Basics

Rules of thumb for selecting lamps for the right color

Task, Accent and Art lighting use halogen or xenon lamps.  Small voltage lamps such as PAR halogen or MR16 work better for art because they throw their heat back, away from the object.

General Lighting.  Compact fluorescent and PAR halogen work will, but make sure the compact fluorescents have a color temperature of about 3500K (they range from 2700 to 6500K).  If you use fluorescent tubes, choose lamps with a CRI over 80 and a color temperature of 3000 - 3500K.

Dining lighting.  Incandescent lamps are hard to beat for the soft, warm lighting they case on food and people's skin, even though they are not energy efficient.

Lighting Types

The Homeowners Comprehensive Guide to Lighting

Lighting Basics

To effectively light a home enough of the right kind of light for the occupants to function within the space is required.  This can mean anything from highlighting a treasured masterpiece on a wall, enabling the pool shark to line up their shot without shadows, or creating a relaxing mood to unwind after a stressful day.

Through-out this series we will take you through the different terminology, types and functions of various lights while providing tips for you to utilize in your upcoming renovation.  Stayed tuned every Tuesday for the next article.

This weeks article will cover some terminology that will help you understand upcoming articles better.

Terminology

Lighting intensity is measured in Lumens (lum).  In the Metric System, one lumen is the amount of light energy that falls on a spherical surface of one square meter, produced by a single candle.  The American System uses Footcandles (fc), where on fc is the amount of light that falls on a square foot of spherical surface at a distance of one foot from the candle.  The relationship between lumens and footcandles is 1lum = 12.57 fc.  

Color Temperature is an index of how the light source, itself, looks to us, measured in degrees Kelvin (K).  Warm light sources have color temperatures less than 3000K.  Light sources between 3000K and 4000K are considered neutral in color.  Anything above 4000K is cool.

Color Rendition is an index of how the light makes objects appear.  How accurately a lighting source defines objects is measured by the Color Rendering Index (CRI).  The best score is 100, the CRI of sunlight.

Both Color Temperature and Color Rendition are important because sources with the same CRI can produce different moods at different color temperatures and artifical light sources vary widely in their color rendering indices.

New Brushed Oak Series by Kentwood

A NEW BRUSHED OAK SERIES IS ADDED TO THE ENGINEERED COLLECTION (FROM ELEMENTS by KENTWOOD)

Offering a combination of character and texture that is both practical and beautiful, brushed oak is one of the hottest hardwood categories around.  These all-wood engineered floors are more resistant to moisture and humidity than solid hardwood making them an ideal flooring material for below-grade installations where dampness is common.  They are also able to be installed over radiant heating systems which have a tendency to dry out solid hardwood.  Engineered flooring also lends itself to multiple installation techniques making it an installers dream on those concrete subfloors as it can be installed either as a floating floor or direct glue-down.

Some highlights of the line are:
~6 1/2" Wide plank styling
~Variety of designer colors
~Durable low luster polyurethane finish

     
Brushed Oak 'Butte'                     Brushed Oak 'Chardonnay'       


    
Brushed Oak 'Fjord''                    Brushed Oak 'Longhorn'

Ask for it on your next project by us or contact us today for pricing 

View the complete line here

Basement Renovation Tips

Basement's used to be that extra space in a house where items were put out of sight & out of mind. Their main function was for storage; items from your past, things you haven't use for years but await the day you may need them etc. There is a growing trend in the usefulness of basements these days and the following are just a few ways you can change that drab space into something more functional and much more aesthetic. READ:Stop hoarding and start living.

 Create your own at-home 'Dream Spa' with a therapeutic steam system, lounge area & mood lighting. All inspired by the warmth of nature; naturally.

 Tune in to some family bonding with a play room for the mini-you's in your family. Add some color with creative storage places for arts, crafts & board games. Large open areas are a timeless choice for when kids start taking interests in boxing & dancing.

 Or, if it suits you, tune-in to technology and other people's lives with a media room you can really sink into. With the influx of technology in our day to day lives, no one could blame you if you want to dedicate a whole room or entire basement to it.

 Possibilities are truly endless when it comes to this undervalued space. My advice? Find what you love and dedicate a good portion of the area at the bottom of those stairs to it.