How To Select The Right Lighting Fixtures For Your Home Lighting Design

Lighting your home properly is a very important consideration. It can have a lot to do with your overall mood and how easily you can accomplish your tasks at home. So let's discuss the different kinds of lighting that are available, and how you can best use them.

The first step in understanding lighting, is to understand that there are two basic types that are in use in most homes today. The first is incandescent lighting, which is produced by running current through a small wire called a filament. The light that is produced is very bright and warm, and is suitable for almost any task.

The second kind of indoor lighting is called fluorescent lighting, and is produced when electricity passes through a glass tube that has been coated inside and filled with gas. This kind of light is very soft and gentle, but it's big advantage is that it can produce up to five times as much light from the same amount of electrical current as an incandescent light.

Generally speaking, there are three levels of lighting used in the home depending on what task is being performed. For general relaxing and low-level lighting, 40 - 80 watt incandescent bulbs will work fine. For most general tasks, 100 - 150 watts will suffice. But for very specialized type of work, 180 - 300 watts may be needed.

For reading at home, it's good to have a floor lamp that is placed behind you and slightly to the left or right. If you're only going to be reading for a short while, 150 watts should be fine, but for prolonged reading 250 watts will do better to prevent eye strain and fatigue.

To light a desk or worktable, you'll most likely need plenty of illumination for the work at hand. Most often, it's best to actually have a small lamp on the desk itself to provide the best quality light. For these kind of tasks, usually a minimum of 200 watts of incandescent light, and 40 watts of fluorescent light will be needed.

In the bathroom, it's good to have lighting that helps eliminate shadows under your eyes, nose, and chin. That's often best accomplished with fixtures on each side of the bathroom mirror. Sometimes a fixture that has a series of smaller 25 watt bulbs can be used to good effect. You may also want to consider using some fluorescent lights here that employ soft white tubes for lighting that is most flattering.

In the kitchen, you need concentrated light on the countertops and workstations for best results. Fluorescent strip lighting often works very well under kitchen cabinets to light up your countertops. This kind of lighting tends to be even, with very few shadows, and free of the heat that often accompanies incandescent light.

By planning out your home lighting fixtures in advance and positioning them correctly in each room you can be sure to get the best lighting possible under a wide range of circumstances.

You can find out more about home lighting design and discount lighting fixtures by visiting our Home Improvement website.

Bathroom Fixture

Bathroom fixture choice is something that can be done as one of the smallest and most affordable bathroom remodeling projects. It is also one that will add a lot of style to the room even at such as small price. The fixtures in a bathroom include such things as the faucet of the bathtub, shower and the sink. It can also be referring to the light fixtures that light the room and the light fixtures that turn the light on in the room. Any of these elements can drastically change the look and feel of the bathroom when they are replaced.

To change the bathroom water fixtures, make sure that you know a thing or two about plumbing before you get started. If you do replace them and do a poor job, you will always have a problem with them. Or, even worse, you could actually do damage to the floor boards that are under the sink and bathtub area if there is even a small leak. When choosing these fixture options, look for styles that will match and that are easy to use. You should also look for options that add the right style to the room. In fact, the right faucet at the sink can make the entire room go from okay to sophisticated and elegant.

To change the lighting fixtures in a room, carefully consider what you are doing. You will want to insure that you know how to handle electrical wires before removing the current units. Long gone are the days of movie star lights across the top of a vanity and chandelier like lighting or the sink. Today, lighting is done in track lighting, through soffits, and other minimal style light. Of course, you can add virtually anything that you would like to make the bathroom design yours.

Bathroom fixtures can also set the mood. For example, the lighting can allow you to dim the lights and turn on the candles. If you choose the right type of lighting elements for your bathroom, it is easy to relax here.

Bathroom fixtures are simple touches that are like the finishing details on the room. Just do not forget them, because if you do remodel all other parts of your bathroom and leave these, you will not have really changed the room. A faucet can set the tone for the entire room.

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The Use of Light Fixtures as Simple Makeover Ideas

Sometimes a room may need a simple change to bring it up to date or increase its functionality. The ceiling is one wall that is sometimes overlooked. The ceiling can be considered the fifth wall in a room. Tackling the ceiling as a part of your interior home decoration is important. Upgrading or changing light fixtures can also be a practical option for a simple makeover. Just as you carefully choose pictures, paintings or wall decorations for your other four walls, choosing light fixtures that fit into your home d?cor is just as important.

If you are on a limited budget and decide to redesign a room in your home, a good new coat of paint can make a difference. Using your ceiling to accent your new look. Invest in new home interior lighting fixtures for your new rooms. Choose a ceiling paint that highlights the space in your room. You can choose the same color that you use on your walls or use a color that accentuates your room style and design. If you want to bring out the height of the ceiling, choose a color that is lighter than the walls, but within the monochromatic color scheme. This fools the eye into perceiving a higher height. Tips for painting your ceiling:

* Instead of hauling a stepladder which can sometimes be cumbersome, consider using a wooden crate as your step stool.

* Light fixtures can be tricky; painting around them may not always provide you with the desired effect. Unscrew the ceiling roses first but make sure your power supply is off before attempting to unscrew anything.

* Use an extension pole with a roller or a painting pad attached. If you don't have access to a pole that long, you can always improvise. Attaching a roller to a broom handle can work as an extender to your brush.

* Cutting the paint into the wall-ceiling junction is much easier done from the wall side. Therefore if you are planning to paint your walls as well, overlap the ceiling paint onto the wall.

* Use non drip paint or ceiling paint, and protect yourself by wearing long sleeves and cap. Home made drips guards are easy to make.

* Do not load the paint roller too much, which would likely lead the paint to drip down the roller handle onto you.

If you want your ceiling to serve as a focal point, use a tasteful but eye catching color. Don't let your ceiling color overwhelm you overall room d?cor. Light fixtures also can serve as a focal point on your new ceiling. Choose a light fixture that serves to accent your brand new painted ceiling or create focus to your wall decorations.

Light Make Over

Changing the home interior lighting can also be the affordable face lift a room needs. A dimly lit room can benefit from new light fixtures. There are many types of light fixtures to choose from. Track lighting in a kitchen or chandelier lights in dining areas to name a few are examples. Upgrading your light fixtures can be new life to any room especially if your current fixtures are outdated.

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