Switch Plates - A Small Fixture That Can Make Or Break The Look Of Any Room

As your eyes travel through your friend’s new living room, you become pretty impressed by what you see, until you come to the switch plates on the wall. As beautiful as everything else is in the room, these fixtures just are not getting the job done. Really, even though they are a small detail, it is usually the small details that make or break a project.

So, to help your friend out, all you need to do is just drop a hint and let her know that with all the switch plates selections out there, she can easily fix the problem and bring the look of her room together. For example, maybe your friend has a traditional looking living room, filled with antique furniture, a paint job to match, and fabulous woodwork. The ones that she currently has on the walls just clash because they are made from plastic and have that ugly cream color to them. Well, those are just not going to work with her motif and ones that will are some that are crafted from copper that have a vintage finish and intricate detailing pounded right into them. Or, another nice option for a room that has an antique feel are ones crafted out of porcelain or ceramic that have lovely hand painted designs all over them.

When it comes down to it, there are a lot of switch plates to choose from and those just mentioned are only a few of the choices. You can get ones made out of wood, like maple or ash, that come in a wide variety of finishes, including plain or cherry. Others that are available include ones made from different types of metal like steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and chrome or silver that can have a brushed, even oil dipped finish. There are some that are even made out of decorative stone and many others crafted from plastic, but instead of just being a cream color, are available in all types of colors and a slew of fabulous looking patterns. You can even get ones crafted out of brass that are hand crafted, featuring eloquent scrollwork and patterns. Really, there are just so many options to choose from and for an easy way to check them all out, just hit the Internet and do some online shopping. You, and especially your friend, do not have to leave the comfort of your home to see what you could get and in no time you can find the perfect one to match the motif of any room in your home.

If you want to bring the look and feel of any room together, you need to make sure that you have everything in place, particularly the little things. You saw how not having them in place ruined the look of your friend’s living room, so do not let the same thing happen to you. Switch plates so happen to be one of these small details, and with all the available options, you can easily find ones that will cap off the look of any room in your, or your friend’s, home.

As an owner of many indoor and outdoor home furnishing and design sites, Jennifer Akre, discusses valuable product information and comments on switch plates and switchplate covers. Learn how to decorate your home or garden with style. Click today - Shop for: light switch plate.

Selecting the Right Ceiling Pendant Lighting Fixture

Pendant lighting is a relative newcomer to the market of home lighting fixtures. Although it has been around since the 1940’s, this type of lighting is just coming into its own as homes are built with higher ceilings. Although there is no evidence of this, the development of the pendant light was probably a reaction to finding a form of lighting that was less elaborate than the chandelier but that served basically the same function and purpose.

The description of the typical pendant light is a single fixture that hangs from the ceiling from a chain or other kind of supporting device such as a metal rod. They are far less elaborate than the chandelier and rather than having its lights exposed (like a chandelier), the pendant employs a shade of sorts at the end which, in fact, is described as the pendant.

One of the appealing factors of the pendant is its versatility. Pendants can often be found in hallways, small foyers, kitchens, bathrooms and hallways. Narrow areas that need lighting are ideal candidates for a pendant light. The pendant itself is generally completely enclosed, hiding the light fixture itself to avoid glare. Because of its simplicity, the pendant is usually made of a neutral substance employing white or opaque glass.

A slight contradiction in design is worth noting here. One of the more appealing uses of the pendant during the past decade, is in the kitchen. These fixtures are often suspended over a kitchen island or other food preparation area and feature an open-ended bottom through which a soft light is emitted. This is a very attractive feature in the right kind of kitchen because of the even lighting it provides. This type of pendant fixture is also finding its way into other areas of the home.

During its earliest days, the pendant featured a blown glass shell, which eventually evolved into a wide variety of styles. Today, the variety of styles used in pendant lighting is as varied as the styles used in other forms of lighting fixtures. Take a look online or at a fine lighting store or even in a home and garden periodical to see the extent to which this type of lighting has evolved.

One of the mistakes some homeowners make is to try and use a Tiffany style lampshade on a pendant fixture. Don’t get me wrong; Tiffany definitely has its place. Floor lamps and table lamps often add a dramatic flair when used with a Tiffany lampshade. The pendant, on the other hand, is designed to be slim and sleek and putting a Tiffany fixture on the end of one defeats the purpose, in my opinion, because you are really mismatching functional styles. I suggest that you stay with the more traditional style of pendant lighting such as something called the Colonial. This impressive fixture features a shade that gives one the appearance of a lantern with a candle inside.

Unlike the chandelier, the pendant doesn’t need a long lampshade and an understated look is what to go for.

With all of its advantages and eye appeal, you may be ready to head out to buy one. They are stylish, have a simple elegance, are functional and provide illumination in hard to light areas. There are some things to think about, however, before you make that purchase.

First and foremost, it is essential that you consider what you are planning in terms of the overall decorating of the home’s lighting. Pendants can be used as stand alone lighting for a particular area or can be used in combination with other lighting fixtures, particularly in larger areas. Many stores and online dealers offer other lighting fixtures that coordinate with a pendant. These include wall sconces, ceiling fixtures and decorative table lamps.

Pendants are an eye catcher in it’s not something you want to cut corners on when considering a purchase. There are tons of styles and configurations available today and with a little persistence, you can find just the right fixture for both your décor and your budget. An inexpensive pendant gives you what you pay for and if it wears out, replacing it can be a chore that you won’t relish.

Because of their increased popularity, the pendant can be seen in many modern homes. Don’t hesitate to pay a visit to the neighbors or to the model homes, etc. in the area (trust me, many of these model units will use the pendant in a variety of attractive and ingenious ways).

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How To Select The Ideal Lighting Fixtures For Your Home Woodworking Shop

Shop lighting is such an important aspect of the woodshop, but rarely given the amount of thought that it needs. Typically the shop owner will go out and buy a couple of strip fluorescent light fixtures and hang them up. That might be all that is needed to light up the workshop. But as you set up the tools in your woodworking shop you might find that you are casting a shadow over the tool or worse there is a dark spot where a fixed tool is sitting. Now you have to reposition the lights or purchase more light fixtures. The most common home woodworking shop light fixture is the tube fluorescent lighting. They are energy efficient, low cost and easy to install.

Before making a plan for the lighting fixtures in the workshop, plan and layout where all of the woodworking tools will be arranged in the workshop. This will make planning the lighting needs much easier and will help prevent dark zones and casting shadows over the work surface of the tool.

The type of tool and the tool's working area will help determine how much light is needed. Table saws need to have at least their table top well illuminated. The out feed table needs some light but not as much. For a table saw a four foot fluorescent tube light over the table saw table will provide plenty of light. A drill press needs much less light, but it needs to be more focused onto the drill press table.

Garage workshop

A woodworking shop in the garage has its own specific needs. The space is multiuse space that is used as a workshop and a place to park the family vehicles. The woodworker's tools must be portable so that they can be rolled out of the way to make room for the vehicles. For a typical two car garage that measures approximately twenty two feet by twenty four feet, two to four two tube fluorescent fixtures will provide ample lighting of the work space.

Celler workshop

Having a woodworking shop in the basement is nice and allows for a more permanent setup of the shop tools. A basement shop does present some interesting challenges. Most basements have a low ceiling height. The typical basement ceiling height is 7 feet. This makes lighting a challenge since suspending lights from the joists leads to potential head banging and being struck when moving material around the woodshop.

Basement ventilation is typically poor at best where heat from the lighting fixtures can make it uncomfortable to work in.

Hang fluorescent light fixtures in between the joists. Attach a light weight chain to the sides of the adjacent joists and suspend the fluorescent light from the chain. Hang the fluorescent light fixture so that it is flush with the bottom of the joists. This will help keep it out of the way and still provide ample light. It might be necessary to use an additional light or two because of the shading caused by recessing the light.

Freestanding shed

The typical barn style shed design creates a large open space. Fluorescent light fixtures are the simplest and cost efficient choice in illuminating the work space.

A typical twelve by fourteen foot workshop two four foot fluorescent light fixtures are more than enough. Additional task lighting may be needed if there is overhead storage over the work bench.

Task lighting

Task lighting gives you the light you need right where you need it. A work light with a built in ten or thirteen watt light bulb is a popular choice. These lights require a hook, nail or something else to hang on. However you are limited to the brightness of the light based on the model. Clamp on reflectors are very effective task light. Use compact fluorescent light bulb in the clamp on reflector. You can use bulbs ranging from thirteen watts to 24 watts. This yields an illumination from 60 watts to 150 watts, with very little heat from the bulb.

Determining the right amount and type of lights the woodworking shop is a very important choice that if done incorrectly will result in frustration and possibly injury from a power tool. If done incorrectly it will require you to redo the lighting to correct any deficiencies.

The wood working hobbyist contains additional articles on the different types of http://www.wood-working-hobby.com/2006/12/08/what-type-of-shop-lighting-should-i-use/">shop lights and which is best for your woodworking shop.

Using Wall Light Fixtures In Your Home

Wall lights or sconces, as they are also known by, are another way of introducing more light into a room. Sconces also tend to be quite a decorative lighting fixture and this can add to the aesthetics of the room decor.

This type of lighting offers an unobtrusive and tidy little way of providing light. Wall lights do not take centre stage like a hanging pendant or the more opulent chandelier. Nor are they big and tall like floor lamps with their trailing flexes. Instead, they are neatly installed onto a wall surface although the wiring aspect can present problems as many homeowners are reluctant to drill into the wall surfaces in order to install the necessary wiring. An alternative is to have trailing cables on the wall rising from skirting board outlets.

What height to hang a pendant light is a frequently asked question. Given that wall sconce lighting can function in different ways, you need to ascertain what purpose your wall lighting will serve. If you intend to use wall lighting as reading light in a bedroom or as task lighting in bathrooms, then the lights will need to be positioned at a height that enables you to carry out those required tasks. If you are planning on having the light from your wall lights bounce off the ceiling then you will have to install the sconces at a high enough height near the ceiling.

A lot of the wall sconces have simply evolved from other types of light fixtures. You can find wall-mounted downlighters in stores and these are simply off shoots of non-recessed ceiling downlighters.

Similarly, most designs of wall-mounted uplighters have come from the normal floor-standing uplighters. They are very similar in design, with both sharing tungsten-halogen bulbs and lamp shades made from thick glass or metal. The only differing factor is how they are mounted.

Because wall lighting is fixed to the wall, it is worth bearing in mind the sort of beam and light pattern the sconce will throw onto the wall behind it. This light pattern can vary greatly simply because there is such a large range of designs and styles of wall lights available. From flamboyant turn-of-the-century Globe lights, so vividly reminiscent of smoky, hot cafes, to the more sleek and sophisticated hemispherical chrome fittings - different sconces will give off different patterns.

Also, if you have a translucent shade for your sconce, this will act as a diffuser for the light emanating from the light source. Otherwise, wall fittings that have the shade placed very close to the wall will mix direct, indirect and diffused light in such a way that the direct light will give a wall washing effect below whilst the ceiling above and the area of the wall behind the light will reflect light back into the room.

All of these factors need to be considered if you want to make the most of the light capabilities of your wall sconces - assuming that you are not merely installing them for decorative purposes.

Wall sconce lighting is a simple way of adding an indoor lighting fixture to your home. Sconces come in many styles and designs and it is just a matter of finding something that will fit in with your home decor.

Lauren Tyler is a writer for LampLightWorld.com.

Ceiling Lighting Fixtures

Ceiling lighting fixtures are primarily meant to hold bulbs in position, directing light in the desired direction. They come in a variety of designs, shapes, sizes, types and ranges. A ceiling lighting fixture should be chosen in accordance with specific requirements like the amount of light it diffuses or disperses, direct or diffused lighting requirements, maintenance requirements, installation cost, overall style of the space, etc.

One should always look for lighting fixtures that maximize the light efficiency of the bulbs. An unwise buy based purely on the exterior beauty might absorb too much of the bulb’s light or emit light to the cavities in the ceiling. Efficiency specification of ceiling lighting fixtures should be considered while making a purchase. Apart from that, one should remember that specific lighting fixtures are meant for specific bulbs and the lighting fixtures should be checked for these criteria during a purchase.

The overall look and style of the space should be taken into account, so that a ceiling lighting fixture complements and accentuates the look. A huge chandelier looks out of place in a small space, just as a small chandelier is easily overlooked in a large space.

Indirect lighting fixtures should be chosen to avoid glare and visual fatigue formed by direct lights, especially in rooms with reflective surfaces and in offices with computers. A ceiling lighting fixture in the kitchen can house an energy-efficient florescent bulb.

Some of the ceiling lighting fixtures include fixtures for chandeliers, recessed lighting fixtures, indirect lighting fixtures, florescent ceiling light fixtures, energy efficient ceiling lighting fixtures, flush mounted, semi-flush mounted and track or monorail lighting. Their style can range from traditional, conventional, trendy and stylish, rustic, Victorian, Tiffany, tropical and many more.

They can present a wide array of finishes. While installing ceiling lighting fixtures it is important to measure the height of the fixtures from the floor. Depending on the height, a suitable lighting fixture should be chosen. Ceiling lightings and fixtures can be used in hallways, patios, foyers, stairways, task areas, and bedrooms.

Lighting Fixtures provides detailed information on Lighting Fixtures, Bathroom Lighting Fixtures, Ceiling Lighting Fixtures, Outdoor Lighting Fixtures and more. Lighting Fixtures is affiliated with Outdoor Lighting.