electrical project New Home Project: Remodel Recessed LightsWelcome to this fifth blog post of my New Home Project series. This series of posts reviews the lighting projects that I have undertaken in my new home since moving in to it in September 2009. To be honest, most of these projects have been completed some time ago. It was my goal to write a post after each project, but time just gets away from you sometimes. I cannot believe that it has been over 2 years since moving into my home.

This project involved adding seven 4-inch recessed cans throughout the first floor of my house.

foyer How To Light a FoyerIf you have an elegant staircase, entrance hallway, or foyer that’s begging for lighting to call attention to its splendor, look no further. This guide will help you determine exactly what types of light fixtures will fill the space best.

You almost always want to incorporate some sort of chandelier if the foyer’s ceiling is above-average height. It will create that “wow” effect you are looking for. However, it’s important to scale  the size of the light fixture for the space. Here are some tips that should help…

To determine the right width of the light fixture: Add the length and width dimensions (in feet) of the foyer area together. That number – in inches – is the width of the light fixture you should look for. So, if your foyer is ten feet by ten feet, you’ll want a light fixture that is about 20 inches wide.

To determine the right height of the light fixture: Position the light fixture so that the bottom is at least seven feet from the floor. If you have a window above your front door in the foyer, you can really heighten the effect of a beautiful chandelier. Center the chandelier in the window. Even from the outside, your home will look brilliant!

Depending on how large your foyer is, you may want to look for a flush mount ceiling light, a semi-flush mount light, or a chandelier with two or three tiers.

Very large entryways might call for wall sconces in addition to a ceiling light fixture. Hang them about 66 inches from the floor and place them about eight feet apart.

For more entryway design ideas, check out Houzz Ideabooks.

Star Ceiling Kit 224x300 Lighting Gift Ideas, Part 2

Recreate the night sky on a ceiling: The fiber optic star ceiling kit makes an incredible holiday gift.

Still searching for unique gift ideas for the holidays?  Here are a couple of more ideas to follow-up on our first post.  Unlike barbecue lights and LED mini lanterns, these ideas require some installation – although that can always be part of the gift!

The photo on the right is from one of our customers who installed the kit in his daughter’s nursery.  He even added in constellations to make it more realistic!  Once installed, the star ceiling is absolutely captivating, and it’s a unique gift for a bedroom, home theater room, bathroom, dining room, etc.

For deck stairs, indoor stairs, or to align the edges of a patio floor, the step light kit is a neat gift.  First of all, it has sound-to-light technology that will enable the color changes to synchronize with music playing.  Second, there are seven colors to set on flow mode (colors alternate at your choice of speed) or pause mode (step lights maintain the color of your choice).

grandcentral Grand Central Terminal Shines, LED StyleFifty-nine stars make up one of the most famous constellations in the galaxy, and it can only be seen from New York City.

That constellation is on the ceiling of Grand Central Terminal.  It was originally installed in 1913 and has been renovated several times since.

The 10-watt incandescent bulbs that made the stars shine in 1913 were replaced by fiber optic lights in 1997.  Most recently, the lights have been replaced by LEDs.  According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the new LED constellations will use 60 percent less electricity and save $8,000 a year!

Sold How to Make Your Home Seller Ready1. De-personalize

You want buyers to be able to picture themselves in their home, and that’s not going to happen if your family photos are prominently displayed in the living room.  Remove any personal items or unusual decorations.  It’s impossible to predict a potential buyer’s taste, so try to make your home neutral, yet inviting.

2. Create open space

Buyers don’t need to see every single room in the house filled with furniture.  Rent a storage space and reevaluate what you’re showing.  It’s best to leave a few functional pieces in each room and leave the rest for potential buyers to imagine.  Remove bookshelves, unnecessary chairs/couches, extra leaves in your dining room table, and out-of-season clothing in your closet.  Your home will seem larger and will be more likely to attract buyers. Continue reading »

Habitat for Humanity LED Lighting Worlds First All LED Habitat for Humanity HomeHabitat for Humanity broke ground on the world’s  first all-LED home in Durham, NC.  Construction began just a few days ago, and the home is expected to be completed in October.

It’s the first Habitat home to begin construction after Cree, Inc. signed its three-year, $1.5 million pledge to provide LED downlights to all Habitat homes built in the US. The LED lighting is expected to save the future homeowners about $250 in electricity costs per year!

Hopefully, Habitat for Humanity will release photos once construction and lighting installation is complete. We’ll keep you posted.

LED residential lighting is not currently common because it’s still relatively expensive when compared to incandescent and CFL bulbs.  However, in the past year alone, the cost of manufacturing LEDs has fallen from $80 per 1000 lumens to $40 per 1000.   Prices are expected to continue to drop as manufacturing costs decline.  Some reports predict that the LED market will explode in growth over the next decade, capturing 50% of the lighting market by 2010.

How long do you think it will be before all the lighting in your home is LED?

We know it’s that time of year where if you’re doing any remodeling or home updates, you’re looking for quick, easy projects with no-sweat installation.

So, it’s the perfect time to announce a great sale on six of our LED Battery Operated products.  It’s a limited-time offer, though, so don’t miss it!

pathlights Summer Savings

LED Remote Controlled Path Light Kit

Our LED Remote Controlled Path Light Kit is only $44.99. The kit includes two path lights and you can mount them anywhere.  Either place them in the ground with the included yard stake or use the simple mounting plate to place them on a wall.  They are remote-control or motion sensor activated.

Our LED Battery Operated Spotlight is only $26.99.  It’s excellent safety or security lighting and can be mounted on a wall or ceiling, indoors or outdoors. Continue reading »

iStock 000005263934XSmall 300x200 Planning Your Kitchen Lighting   8 Easy Steps1.  Set a budget.  Think about what you can afford and don’t forget to account for costs of labor if you end up having to hire an electrician.

2.  Find out what your current circuit in the kitchen can handle.  In order to do this, multiply the amps by the volts.  Most circuits have 120 volts.  So if your circuit was 15 amps, you’d multiply 15×120.  That amounts to 1800 – the total number of watts your kitchen circuit can handle.  It’s a good rule of thumb to use your circuit up to 80 percent of its capacity.

3.  Consider the condition of your current wiring.  If you’re in an older home, you might consider rewiring the room (this is where you should contact an electrician if you don’t have experience).

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We recently posted about how you can remodel your kitchen in minutes with one of our uniquely designed mini pendant lights.  One of the most popular spots to place these is above a kitchen island, although they also provide an interesting effect above a foyer, bar, or small end table.

If you’re thinking about installing a pendant light above your kitchen island, here are some tips about exactly where to hang it:

For an island with no seating: The light should be hung about 30 inches above the counter.  This will provide adequate lighting for chopping and reading recipes.  The general rule here is to think about where the light will hang in relation to your height.  You don’t want to reach across the counter and be hit in the head!  Most islands are about three feet tall, so an extra 30 inches would place the light at five feet six inches.  If you’re much taller and will be working at the island, you’ll want to tweak the height of the pendant light accordingly.

For an island with bar stools or chairs: Make sure the light is not in your line of vision if you are sitting at the island.  My sister recently had to adjust the pendant lights in her kitchen for this very reason.  Pendants typically provide a nice glow, but when they are hung too low, the glare is very unpleasant.  For an island with chairs, the lights should be hung a bit higher: about 36 to 40 inches above the counter.

iStock 000002761429XSmall1 Light Your Way to OrganizationSpring cleaning season is on its way, and it’s easy to start eliminating organization nightmares in your closets, pantries, and cabinets if you shed some light on the problem.  Think about it.  All of the trouble spots in your home where items are stashed with no rhyme or reason – are they in the dark?  Lower cabinets in the kitchen that extend deep under the counters, the dim corners of the closet, underneath the bed, garage shelves, even the floor under the backseat of the car: they’ve all got it in common.

Adding a tap light to any of these areas is probably the simplest and least expensive thing you can do to improve on organization.  Our LED Battery Operated Puck Lights are only $5.85; they are super bright with three white LEDs and the only thing you need to do to install is apply the self-adhesive tape.  Plus, the batteries will have a long life because they’re LED.
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