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A Year In Review: Your 10 Favorite Posts From 2012

Dec 282012

Thumbs Up 224x300 A Year In Review: Your 10 Favorite Posts From 2012
On this, the last full week of 2012, I’ve been taking stock of the happenings here on Light Reading. We’ve had many wonderful posts this year on the newsworthy, practical, whimsical, technical, and technological qualities of light. We’ve learned about energy-efficiency, home decor, nature, science, and even fashion design.

Now, let’s take a look back at our 10 most popular blog posts from 2012.

10. Use Bookshelf Lights To Help Tell Your Story: We use bookshelves to store and showcase some of our most special possessions. But, when improperly lit, bookshelves can drown these things in shadow. Learn the options to light your bookcases, depending on the kind of shelf, and how it’s decorated. Read More >>

9. How To Choose A Low Voltage Transformer In 4 Easy Steps: While this topic might be one of the driest we’ve written on all year, it’s a crucial one for anybody diving into a new remodel. Learn about the different varieties of low voltage transformers, and how to pick the one that’s right for you. Read More >>

8. Real DIY Lighting Projects: Adding A Basement Kitchen: Chad, a serious DIY-er and Pegasus Customer sent us photos of the kitchen he added in his basement. He made the whole thing from scratch with his wife, and only a bit of professional help on the countertops and drywall work. Chad used our Xenon Line Voltage Under Cabinet Task Lights to illuminate his countertops. Read More >>

7. Winning The Battle On Christmas Lights: Artificial Trees: Holiday expert Linda Knighton weighs in with some simple tips on how to wrangle those holiday lights and make your tree look beautiful. And let’s face it, we could all use a little more peace on earth during the holidays. Read More >> Continue reading »

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Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Innovations, Upgrades, and Explorations

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Nov 262012

PinExt Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Innovations, Upgrades, and Explorations

Lighting technology never ceases to amaze. This month’s Lighting Roundup is all about new lighting technology, ways to improve your lighting and energy use at home, and some of the most exciting lighting designs and installations I’ve seen in a while!

dezeenSafetyNet Sustainable fishing net by Dan Watson wins James Dyson Award 1 Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Innovations, Upgrades, and Explorations

Image via SNTech.co.uk

In Lighting News…

LightRecycle, a non-profit program to recycle lighting products in British Columbia, recently expanded to recycle all lighting products at no charge – the first program of its kind in Canada. The program began in 2010, and it caters to both commercial and residential clients.

Dan Watson, a graduate of the Royal College of Art, won this year’s James Dyson Award for his sustainable fishing net called SafetyNet. This special trawler fishing net uses strategically placed holes and LED lights to separate fish of different ages and species. These illuminated “exit signs” allow smaller non-marketable fish to escape.

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The #1 Rule In Residential Lighting

Lighting Tips No Responses »

Nov 212012

PinExt The #1 Rule In Residential Lighting

Besides just having light, light layering (having multiple light sources for different purposes) is the most important, all-encompassing rule in home lighting design.

I recently ran across a post on Freshome featuring a loft installation designed by Luiz Fernando Grabowsky. It demonstrates this essential rule with finesse, using multiple lighting fixtures to bring out every aspect of the room. I was especially impressed because it does so in such a small space, and manages to make the place look so unique.

Let me break down how and why this loft rocks my world with its light layers. But first, here’s a photo:

Casa Cor Kitchen The #1 Rule In Residential Lighting

Image via Freshome.com

Ah, the lovely, lovely light. This space is such a great example of light layering. A single light source never does any space justice. You need different light sources for different purposes, for aesthetics and functionality. Continue reading »

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Election Results Displayed in LED

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Nov 072012

PinExt Election Results Displayed in LED

A long, long time ago, in 1932 to be exact, a tradition began. A simple searchlight atop the Empire State Building announced the election of Franklin Delano Roosevelt as President.

If you watched last night’s election results (or were conveniently somewhere in NYC) you probably saw that iconic building at it again. Last night’s exhibition marked the Empire State Building’s first use of its new custom LED panel technology.

CNN joined forces with the building to project a running tally atop the spire, presenting real-time election results with a brilliant display of colored light. The lights were visible from miles around, and broadcast worldwide to CNN’s viewers.

In case you didn’t see it last night, the lights worked like this: The four sided tower atop the building was lit in patriotic red, white, and blue stripes. The mast functioned as a meter with two blue sides, and two red to represent President Obama and Gov. Romney’s respective electoral votes. As each state was projected by CNN, and electoral votes were allocated to each candidate, the meter displayed a running tally.

EmpireStateBuildingElectionNewYork Election Results Displayed in LED

Image via CNN.com

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Tips From The White House For Lighting Your Home

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Oct 032012

PinExt Tips From The White House For Lighting Your Home

With the debate tonight and Election Day a month away, I’m in a presidential state of mind. No matter who we choose to run the country for the next 4 years, he’s going to live in a stunning, immaculately lit home.

While much of the White House décor would overpower a regular-sized home, we can take away concepts from its lighting scheme to make our own dwellings more beautiful. Here are a few universal lighting principles carried out Washington-style:

Layer those lights! See: The China Room

While I was scrolling through photos on WhiteHouse.gov, I noted that every room had two, three, four different light sources. For instance, in the China Room created by First Lady Edith Wilson in 1917, there’s not only a beautiful chandelier for overhead lighting, but there are also wall sconces and even display lights in the china cabinets. This adds visual interest, eliminates unflattering shadows, and creates striking focal points.

WH The China Room Tips From The White House For Lighting Your Home

Photo via WhiteHouse.gov

Light layering is a flattering design strategy in any room in your house, but I chose The China Room so you could see how pretty it looks to have illuminated cabinets, hutches, shelves, and display cases. It might not be your first impulse to install a few linear or puck lights, but it’s really easy to do, and will make your cabinet’s contents and the entire room dazzle.

Know your color temperature. See: The State Dining Room

When we think of classic, traditional lighting, we often summon images of warm incandescent lights, as close to candle light as we can get. But, The State Dining Room shows us that cooler white light can be just as dignified. The daylight white light of the chandelier and sconces is unexpectedly cool, but it looks great! This color temperature is perfect to offset the clean white walls and crisp table cloths – a warmer light source may make things look too yellow.

WH State Dining Room Tips From The White House For Lighting Your Home

Photo via WhiteHouse.gov

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Hey, Light Bulb, I Like Your Shape (A Guide)

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Aug 212012

PinExt Hey, Light Bulb, I Like Your Shape (A Guide)

It’s true, we often pay a lot of attention to shape. This infographic, in fact, makes a career of it! It’ll help you learn to identify each screw-in light bulb by it’s shape – everything from the slinky little chandelier light bulb to the festively rotund globe.

a guide to screw in light bulbs by shape Hey, Light Bulb, I Like Your Shape (A Guide)

Dying to put this infographic on your website or blog? Go for it! Here’s the embed code:

<img src=”http://images.pegasuslighting.com/infographics/a-guide-to-screw-in-light-bulbs-by-shape.png” width=”600″ height=”3500″>
<br><br> <strong>A Guide to Screw-in Light Bulbs: By Shape</strong> created by <a href=”http://www.pegasuslighting.com”>Pegasus Lighting</a>.

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Use Bookshelf Lights to Help Tell Your Story

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May 252012

PinExt Use Bookshelf Lights to Help Tell Your Story

Whether they shelve books, artwork, or heirlooms, bookcases are a great way to feature your unique interests. However, it can be easy to let your special things fall into the shadows if they’re not properly lit. Here are a few different ways to spotlight your most precious items:

Strips and Microfluorescents

If you prefer to highlight your entire bookshelf, running a Xenon Low Voltage Light Strip or a microfluorescent light fixture along each shelf will do the trick. Just make sure you install the lights in a place they can’t be seen—that way they’ll draw attention to what is important and really make your display pop. As an added bonus, they’ll also provide a significant light source to the entire room.

Puck Lights and Recessed Lights

Do you have a favorite painting, sculpture, or photograph sitting on your bookcase? Feature it with a small puck light attached to the shelf above. This finishing touch draws attention to the item and adds diverse visual interest to the entire bookshelf. If your bookcases are freestanding and have curiosities on top, you can use recessed lighting to attract the eye above. Installing recessed lights is also an easy way to emphasize a bookshelf without illuminating the whole room, although this option will highlight the shelf more than its contents.

Need more ideas on how to display your favorite belongings? Check out these thoughtful shelf decorating tips by HGTV’s Leah Hennen!

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Display Lights: From The Box To The Showroom Floor

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Apr 042012

PinExt Display Lights: From The Box To The Showroom Floor

It can be difficult to visualize exactly how a display lighting fixture is going to look after installation. Unlike decorative pendants or elegant chandeliers, the focus is not the light fixture. In fact, you usually know a display light is doing its job if you hardly notice the light fixture at all! We have a wide variety of display lights – halogen, LED, flexible, battery-operated, and more. Admittedly, the product images we have are not too exciting. The shining moment for a display light, if you will, is after installation. Once they’re illuminating that exhibit or painting, you can see the point.

buffalo chip light1 Display Lights: From The Box To The Showroom Floor

This is our PAR Halogen Telescoping Display Light. We’ve heard back from customers who have used this for museum exhibits, trade show booths, retail displays, signs, wall hangings … the list goes on. One of our favorite applications for this light is depicted in the photo below. Held each year in South Dakota, the Motorcycles As Art exhibit “captures the personal expression, creativity and spirit that permeate the history and culture of motorcycling.” Photographer Michael Lichter used this display light as gallery lighting for the exhibit.

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How To Get The Most Out of the Artwork In Your Home

Lighting Tips No Responses »

Mar 262012

PinExt How To Get The Most Out of the Artwork In Your Home

illuminated artwork How To Get The Most Out of the Artwork In Your Home Want to call more attention to the beautiful artwork gracing the walls of your home? When it comes to enhancing textures, showing off detail, and making colors more vibrant, it’s all about getting the lighting right.

In general, you should light up artwork three times brighter than the rest of the room. It might be a good idea to put your artwork lighting on a dimmer so that you can install lamps with high lumen output and then tweak the light levels.

To avoid glare, place your picture lights or adjustable recessed trims at a 30 degree angle from the painting or photograph. For very large frames (such as the one in the photo above), increase the angle to about 35 degrees so that you won’t cast a shadow. For paintings with texture, decrease the angle to about 25 degrees to accentuate.

Typically, for smaller pieces of artwork, it’s best to install one light per frame. It creates a cohesive effect and ensures that each piece receives enough illumination. However, for a mural or piece of artwork that extends horizontally on the wall, you will probably want to install multiple lights. The general rule is to use one display light for every 2-3 feet of wall space.

You also have to take into account potential UV and heat damage from your lighting – particularly with oil paintings. To avoid UV damage, stick with LED lighting, which does not emit any ultraviolet or infrared radiation. To avoid heat damage, use the “hand test” with picture lights – simply place your hand in between the artwork and the light fixture. If you can feel any heat, it may be damaging to an oil painting. Fluorescent and LED lights are both great options for minimal heat exposure. Halogen display lights tend to give off a great deal of heat.

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Trade Show Exhibit Bound? Pack Portable Display Lights

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Feb 022012

PinExt Trade Show Exhibit Bound? Pack Portable Display Lights

trade show Trade Show Exhibit Bound? Pack Portable Display Lights

Display lighting makes your exhibit more alluring. That doesn't mean it needs to make your exhibit more complicated.

Trade show displays are temporary by definition, and it’s frustrating to plan for an entire complicated setup that you know will soon be disassembled. So, why not make it easier on yourself and avoid display lights that are as much of a pain to install as they are to take down? This guide will help you choose a portable display light that you can use again and again.

First, consider the exhibit you are lighting. We offer both clamp-on and clip-on styled light fixtures, but you’ll need to have a general idea of where they will be attached. For example, this LED display light can mount on a wall with a diameter ranging from 0.5 inches to 2 inches; whereas this one can be installed on a wall/pipe up to 2.75 inches thick. The adjustable brackets always enable you to fit the lighting to your exhibit, but it’s still important to confirm the space enables you to mount the portable lights you choose. Continue reading »

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