Feb 252013
 
PinExt Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Lighting in February

What’s been on the tip of everyone’s tongue this month? One word: quality. From new standards for quality lights, to tips on using light to improve your quality of life, we’ve got you covered. Here are this month’s top stories…

In Lighting News…

Is Color Rendering Index (CRI) the most accurate measure of a light’s quality? With all the innovations happening in the lighting world right now, the Color Quality Scale (CQS) might just be a better judge. CRI measures a light’s performance rendering only 8 different colors. CQS, on the other hand, measures 15, and accounts for other factors like chromatic discrimination and human preference. Click here to learn more about CQS.

news ucdavis edu Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Lighting in February

Image via News.UCDavis.edu

In December 2012 the California Lighting Technology Center at the University of California, Davis helped encourage the California Energy Commission to include new standards of quality for LED replacement lamps in its first-in-the-nation energy-efficiency directive. Now, the center is pushing for similar LED standards on a national scale. You can learn more about this initiative here. Continue reading »

PinExt Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Lighting in February
Feb 222013
 
PinExt How To Make Your Bedroom Lighting More Energy Efficient

In this series, we’re helping you save energy at your homes and businesses, room by room. Click here to view the entire series. 

Your bedroom can be many things. A space to kick back after a long day. A place to romance your sweetie. Maybe it doubles as an office, or maybe it’s just the only personal space you have in this whole wide world.

Whatever your bedroom, boudoir, or inner sanctum may function as, there’s one thing it should never be: a needless energy-sucker.

Lighting is an important part of any bedroom. It adds style, ambiance, and functionality, but having great lighting in the bedroom doesn’t have to use up a ton of power.

iStock 000012262295Small How To Make Your Bedroom Lighting More Energy Efficient

We’re pulling out all the stops to give you the best tips to use in the bedroom – for energy-efficient lighting, that is!

1. Take a survey of all your light fixtures – table lamps, floor lamps, track lights, and any ceiling fans, chandeliers, or pendant lights. How many of these use incandescent light bulbs? If the answer is greater than zero, we’ve identified the first way you can cut down your energy consumption in the bedroom: Swap out all your incandescent household, chandelier, and reflector light bulbs for LEDs or CFLs. Continue reading »

PinExt How To Make Your Bedroom Lighting More Energy Efficient
Feb 192013
 
PinExt What is Lighting CRI?

Kozzi selection of coloured pencil crayons 294x441 200x300 What is Lighting CRI?
If you’ve been shopping for new light bulbs or light fixtures recently, you may have spotted these three little letters: CRI. (Hint: Usually, there’s a number next to them too).

What’s this mysterious measurement?

CRI stands for Color Rendering Index. In plain English, that means it’s the measure of a lamp’s ability to render colors accurately. The scale ranges from 1 (low pressure sodium lamps) to 100 (the sun). A CRI of 85 and above is considered very good. 

When does CRI matter?

 Since a lamp’s color rendering index is an aesthetic measurement, the answer here really hinges on how you want whatever you’re lighting to look. If you go through the trouble of picking out a particular shade of blue to paint your dining room with, you don’t want your lights to distort the color. Continue reading »

PinExt What is Lighting CRI?
Feb 012013
 
PinExt Your Guide to Perfect Valentines Lighting

iStock 000018935400Medium 1024x682 Your Guide to Perfect Valentines Lighting
It’s February already, which means Valentine’s Day isn’t far away. If you’re planning something special for your special someone you should remember that nothing says “Love Me Tender” like some sultry mood lighting.

For an amorous evening in, it’s up to you to to create the perfect atmosphere for the night. And let me tell you, lighting will be essential. What else could completely transform a regular room into a romantic retreat in seconds? If you’re strapped for time, or lacking ideas for lighting this Valentine’s, we’ve got your back. We’ve put together a list of our best (and easiest) romantic lighting ideas to make sure your night goes right.

1. Dimmers

iStock 000017131515XSmall Your Guide to Perfect Valentines Lighting

 

If you only make one lighting change for Valentine’s Day, make it this: put your overhead lights on a dimmer. It’s a simple, affordable switch to make, but it will make all the difference when you’re turning your den, dining room, or boudoir into an enchanting paradise. And let’s face it – everyone looks better in softly dimmed ambient light, which can’t hurt on a day like February 14th. Plus, once you install the dimmer, you’ll be able to enjoy it all year round.

2. String Lights

christmas lights bedroom Your Guide to Perfect Valentines Lighting

Image via thesoho.blogspot.com

After you establish romantic ambient lighting it’s all about adding a little magic with accent lights. If you have some white string lights left over from the holidays, they can add a bit of sparkle to your evening. Try draping them behind sheer curtains or around the dinner table or bed’s headboard. They’ll have you and your sweetie starry-eyed in no time. Continue reading »

PinExt Your Guide to Perfect Valentines Lighting
Jan 112013
 
PinExt The 8 Best Excuses To Upgrade Your Lights

It’s a new year, and many of us have resolved to finally do what makes us happy. To stop coming up with reasons not to do the things we want. Of course, this time of year also brings many to the crippling realization of just how much they spent over the holidays, and how much they need to save in the new year.

Good lighting, beautiful lighting, new lighting in your home can really work miracles for the space’s look and feel, and even your own well-being. But, when trying to save money, springing for new lights can feel like too much of a luxury. How do you know when it’s worth it?

We’ve put our heads together here at Pegasus Lighting to come up with the 8 best reasons you should say YES! to a lighting upgrade:

1. You’re wasting money. 

Blue Indirect Lighting in a Kitchen 1024x1024 The 8 Best Excuses To Upgrade Your Lights

This reasoning isn’t too hard to figure out. Wasting money on old, energy-sucking lights is worse than saving money on new, energy-saving lights. There may be a little more expense upfront, but new, efficient lights will pay for themselves really quickly. If you switch just 3 of your 60-watt incandescent light bulbs for 12-watt LEDs, you’ll save about $114 every year! To compare more light sources, take a look at this infographic.

2. You have trouble seeing.

Kitchen Lighting The 8 Best Excuses To Upgrade Your Lights

If your lights are inadequate, especially in areas where you have to intensely focus on tasks (kitchens, bathrooms, offices) you’re not doing yourself any favors. Eyestrain does not a happy homeowner make. Good lighting in these task areas will make it much easier to focus, and to get things right the first time. Make your work space a healthy one with task lighting essentials like under cabinet lights in the kitchen, or a good desk lamp for reading. Continue reading »

PinExt The 8 Best Excuses To Upgrade Your Lights
Jan 022013
 
PinExt 5 Ways Light Can Help With Your New Years Resolutions

Fireworks 300x203 5 Ways Light Can Help With Your New Years Resolutions
Is it 2013 already? It’s hard to believe – it feels like just yesterday was January ’12 and we all were resolving to make our lives healthier, smarter, and easier. But, if last year’s resolutions didn’t work out as planned, and you’re feeling cynical about making any positive changes for 2013, maybe you just need to lighten up (literally).

Lighting is such an integral part of our everyday lives, affecting the way we see and navigate through the entire world, why couldn’t it help you achieve your New Year’s Resolution?

Below are 5 of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions, and lighting just might be the key to help you stay on track with each of them…

1. Save Money.

Dreading monthly bills, clipping coupons, and cutting back on every non-essential can get overwhelming. No wonder we feel like giving up mid-February. An easy way to passively save money each month is to switch out your old incandescent lights for energy-saving LED and fluorescent lights.

Did you know, roughly 20% of the world’s electricity consumption goes to lighting? If you swap all the light bulbs in your home for more efficient varieties, you’ll save an average of $400 a year! You can save even more money by installing motion sensors, timers, photocell, and other controls on your indoor and outdoor lights, to only use them when you need them. The best part: once installed, you hardly have to think about them at all.  Continue reading »

PinExt 5 Ways Light Can Help With Your New Years Resolutions
Dec 272012
 
PinExt Top 10 Lighting Pins of 2012

Pinterest Badge 150x150 Top 10 Lighting Pins of 2012
Here at Pegasus, we love using Pinterest to discover and share things we love.  But we also love using Pinterest to see the the sorts of things you find inspiring, intriguing, or just plain fabulous. We pinned, you repinned. So, without further ado, here are our top 10 most popular pins from 2012…

10. Breathtaking Bathroom

I believe I must have *longingly* pinned this on some tired, too early Monday morning, but I see now you all were yearning for some weekend serenity too. The lighting itself is pretty top-notch – I mean, accent lights in the bathroom? Shazam! But when you pair that with a huge bathtub and a shower that looks like THAT…well, enough said.

BedandBreakfast com Top 10 Lighting Pins of 2012

Image via BedandBreakfast.com

Continue reading »

PinExt Top 10 Lighting Pins of 2012
Dec 262012
 
PinExt Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes

Diverse and impressive changes have been taking place in the lighting world this month. Read on to discover the fun and innovation!

In Lighting News…

Across the web, there was a consensus that LED holiday lights were the thing to have for the holidays. Not only are they energy-efficient, long lasting, and durable, they can also be interactive. We’ve seen families across the country creating holiday feats – dancing light shows to hundreds of different songs, and even games for visitors to play. For a balanced review of new LED string lights, check out this article from Apartment Therapy.

Holiday Light Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes

Speaking of switching to LEDs, NASA is swapping out all of the light bulbs on the International Space Station to help alleviate astronauts’ insomnia. They’re planning to use specially diffused LEDs, which can filter light into different hues. They’d provide blue light to help astronauts wake up in the morning, white light during work hours, and reddish light to soothe them to sleep. To read more on the science of the switch, check out this article from Gizmodo.

A recent article on Forbes.com declared that LEDs have finally “arrived.” In other words, they’re a mature, viable product, widely available, good-looking, and economically attractive. Continue reading »

PinExt Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes
Dec 062012
 
PinExt 4 Versatile Light Fixtures to Complement Your Style

The best home décor makes a statement about you. If you’re looking to revamp your home’s interior, you can adapt simple, statement light fixtures to fit your personal style. Let’s investigate how a few different kinds of lights can complement your favorite look.

Black Jointed Desk Lamp 300x300 4 Versatile Light Fixtures to Complement Your StyleJointed Desk Lamp

This classic light has been around for awhile, but its basic design makes it just as popular today as it was fifty years ago. Its simple yet bold design makes it just as versatile as it is fashionable. Here are several styles that work with this useful lamp:

  • Industrial homes feature exposed brick walls and building materials with few frills. A jointed lamp on a desk or table works perfectly in keeping with this deconstructed and boldly architectural style. 
  • Contemporary homes with their striking colors and futuristic furnishings can also use a jointed desk lamp. Opting for one in a contrasting tone from your bedside or workspace table will agree with the sleek lines of your modern abode.
  • Minimalist dwellings can also incorporate jointed desk lamps, because they’re incredibly simple and clean looking. Try one in the same shade as the neutral colors of your other furnishings to achieve a monochromatic look.  Continue reading »
PinExt 4 Versatile Light Fixtures to Complement Your Style
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.

Continue reading »

PinExt Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Innovations, Upgrades, and Explorations