Believe it or not, these swanky photos show the interior of a (luxury) motor coach. Beautiful, isn’t it?

salon1 Real Lighting Projects: Salon Showcase on Wheels

It was designed for the cosmetics brand Artistry as a salon showcase on wheels. Inside, there’s space for lounging, refreshments, product displays, and demonstrations. Outside, there’s purple under-glow lighting, a massive awning,  a full graphics wrap, and a TV. This project is one of many unique masterpieces designed by Creative Mobile Interiors (CMI).

CMI builds custom motor coaches for a wide variety of customers – as their designer Aaron Lane says – “from radical tailgating RVs to off-the-grid camping Sprinters to executive luxury motor homes to mobile doctor’s offices… our goal is custom.”

We are proud that some of our light fixtures have made their way into CMI-designed coaches! You can see our T5 Microfluorescent Low-Profile Light Fixtures in action below in the left photo, illuminating the glass display case.
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We frequently blog about home lighting tips, but rarely do we share photos of homes with professionally designed lighting. It’s fun to see the style in a celebrity’s kitchen or to read about the projects an architect might take on in his own home, but the best homes to peek into are the ones that showcase room after room of professional lighting. What better place to see that than in the home and office of our nation’s president?

Although 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has housed every U.S. president except George Washington, there have been a few decorative changes over the years. Congress allocates money every four years for maintenance and redecoration of the 132 rooms. The Committee for the Preservation of the White House must approve changes to historic rooms and public spaces, but the living quarters on the upper floors may be updated without consultation.

George W. and Laura Bush added CFL light bulbs during their time in the White House (along with low-flow faucets and solar heating). It’s impossible to catalog each lighting change the building has seen, but photos speak to how beautifully each room is lit. Continue reading »

NKBATieredApproach300 The Latest Scoop: Kitchen & Bath Design Trends

This kitchen, designed by Tia Moras, illustrates the concept of tiered proportions.

The winning projects of the 2011 National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) Design Competition were announced last month.

The award winners typically reflect common design themes.  This year, many of the projects used natural elements in design, strong colors, a variety of textures, and detailed ceilings to create a well-designed space.  Chocolate and espresso were popular hues for cabinetry.  Also, there seems to be a trend toward tiered proportions through overlapping heights in island surfaces, countertops, and cabinets (See photo to the right).

Read on for more photos of some of the design winners! Continue reading »

a lightworldtour.com 300x90 1 Travel the World in Search of Lighting InspirationPhilips has launched an incredible competition in the name of lighting inspiration.  They are searching for one person with enough passion for lighting to travel the world for three months.  Along the way, that individual will share inspirational lighting installations & designs through photographs, videos, and blog posts.

It’s called the Light World Tour.  The sign up and voting period started June 1 and goes through August 8.  You can see the Top 10 Entrants so far at www.lightworldtour.com.

If your dream job is to travel the world in search of lighting inspiration, by all means, enter the competition!  All you have to do is write about experiences that qualify you and what your ideas are for the tour.

Also, vote for your favorite entrant using Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter.

I know I am very excited to follow the winner’s blog in September – what an amazing opportunity!

Bridge of Sighs 150x150 How to Capitalize on SunlightSunlight is the most natural way to light a space, and every lighting designer knows that it’s an important component to consider before planning a project.  Knowing where the afternoon rays come in, or which window dawn streams in first, can help a designer understand where to fill in the gaps.  It’s still important to create “layers of light” throughout an entire space, but capitalizing on sunlight as much as possible is a core rule in lighting design.

With Paint …

If you paint in lighter colors (think white, soft yellow, and beige), the sun will reflect off the walls more easily and bounce light further into your home.  Also, choose a glossy paint finish to enhance those light reflections.  Eggshell is an excellent option.  It has a low sheen that looks great on walls, and it will also hold up better than a flat finish. Continue reading »

kitchen remodel1 Wanted: Your Photos

All lighting project photos are welcome!

We love it when you share your photos of lighting projects with us.  Whether it’s a picture of the new under cabinet fixtures installed in the kitchen or one of you wearing an LED head lamp on your latest hiking trip, it’s exciting to see where all our orders end up.

By now, we’ve received quite a few photos from customers of completed lighting projects.  If you’ve already shared with us, thank you. If you haven’t yet, now’s your chance to be featured in your very own blog post!

Send in your photos via our Contact form (When you see Topic of Question, select “Submit Project Photos”) or just post them on our Facebook wall. We will display them in all their glory here! Also, we’ll send a coupon your way for a discount off your next order.

Thanks again, and can’t wait to see your photos!

Artist Leo Villareal creates light sculptures and site installations that form dazzling displays across the world.  Shown below: Diagonal Grid, A site-specific installation at a music house in Istanbul, Turkey and Multiverse, A permanent installation in Washington, D.C.’s National Gallery of Art.

Villareal designs software to control the lights. Sequences of imagery and changes in intensity create captivating works of art. As Villareal explains, “These are devices that can take you places with a group of people in an open-ended way.”

Diagonal Grid Light Art Multiverse Light Art

I was reading about this artist this morning and came across a charming fact. Villareal designed an installation for his own New York West SoHo loft. It’s a night light for his six-year-old son in the form of a floor-to-ceiling sculpture. Or, as his son calls it, “one of Daddy’s blinkies.”

wedding lighting Wedding Lighting Design: Worth Every Penny?

A New York Times article recently described a trend in wedding planning involving a focus on lighting design.  The couple featured in the article hired a lighting company to project a personalized “logo” onto the dance floor and onto the bride’s gown during the reception.

There’s certainly no question that wedding budgets can range from shoestring to extravagant.  The most expensive wedding to date cost $60 million, according to Forbes Magazine.  It was the union of Vanisha Mittal (daughter of billionaire Lakshmi Mittal) and investment banker Amit Bhatia back in 2004.  Just to give you an idea: The six-day celebration was held on a 17th-century French chateau, invitations were sent out in a 20 page book made of silver, and the wine tab came out to $1.5 million.

Now, back to lighting design.  Do you think it deserves a prominent place in the average wedding budget (which was approximately $24,070 in 2010)?

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led constellation Rethinking Lighting Design

An "LED constellation chandelier". Image via Inhabitat.

Lighting designer James Bedell wrote an insightful blog post last weekend that I wanted to share here. His point was that the discussion around LEDs today seems to be all centered around the “science” of the source rather than the “art” of it.

It’s probably true.  With the upcoming legislation changes mandating new lighting efficiency standards, it’s easy to focus on how LEDs can replace incandescent bulbs and fail to mention the other implications of this amazing technology.

LEDs are incredible because they do not require you to light up a room using a bulb: With LEDs, lighting can take all sorts of shapes and sizes. We no longer need to conform light fixtures to accommodate a bulky bulb, and that opens up the window to endless design possibilities.  I talked a little about this in my post IKEA & the End of the Incandescent Light Bulb.

Sure, LEDs are available in the shape of traditional bulbs. This is simply to ease the transition into more energy-efficient lighting, and to provide products to fit into the fixtures we already have.

Let’s start thinking about lighting as art again… we have a tremendous opportunity. James Bedell – Where I’d Like to See LEDs Take Us

This is an exciting time for the lighting industry. In the next decade, the way we light our homes and businesses is likely to change drastically.  Let’s see where LEDs take us!

measuring for under cabinet lights How Many Under Cabinet Lights Do I Need?If you are about to embark on a kitchen remodel and are installing under cabinet lights, follow these guidelines to determine how many fixtures you should purchase.

First, measure the length of the “cavity” under your cabinet where you are going to place the fixtures.

If you are installing puck lights…

For a 6-10 inch cavity measurement (in length), use 1 puck light.

For 11-18 inches, use 2-3 puck lights.  For 19-26 inches, use 3-4 puck lights. For  27-34 inches, use 4-5 puck lights.  For 35-42 inches, use 5-7 puck lights.  For 43-50 inches, use 6-8 puck lights.

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