outdoor space How to Create an Outdoor Living SpaceWhen the summer months roll around, you want to be sure you can take advantage of your outdoor living space as much as possible.  Whether your backyard is a pristine oasis complete with a pool and garden or you are limited to a small balcony overlooking nothing but your neighbor’s place, there’s always room for improvement.

Enhancing your outdoor lighting will give your area so much more versatility: Host a cookout and have guests linger after dusk.  Enjoy a late dinner on the patio.  Bring a book out after the sun goes down and listen to the crickets.

Chances are if your current outdoor lighting situation is lackluster, you’re not using the space as much as you could.  Customize your lighting to enhance your space by following the tips below: Continue reading »

vision declining Before “Aging in Place” Ever HappensThere’s a lot of talk about “aging in place” in the remodeling industry.  Homeowners are increasingly asking designers to help them envision home modifications that will serve future needs.

While the term “aging in place” fosters some negative connotations, it essentially means creating a more accessible and low-maintenance space (i.e., eliminating unnecessary steps, adding slip-resistant bathroom floors, etc.)  See the National Association of Home Builder’s checklist for more information.

Lighting adjustments do hold a prominent place on the “aging in place” checklist, but they would be better off on another list altogether.

People begin experiencing major changes in eyesight at the young age of 45.  As you get older, the changes accelerate: You are less able to discriminate between colors, more sensitive to glare, and less able to see small details.  Also, it begins to take increasingly longer to adapt to sudden changes in brightness.

Research shows that a 60-year-old needs twice as much light as a 30-year-old.  Most of the commonly found lighting guidelines are written with the 30-year-old user in mind.  -American Lighting Association

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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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1. Under Cabinet Lighting:

xenon thin undercabinet light 5 Lighting Trends That Will Never Go Out of Style

Often cited as a top remodeling project in terms of high return on investment, installing under cabinet lights is always a great decision.  It provides task lighting to make cooking and cleaning easier and accent lighting to highlight a beautiful backsplash or countertop.  At night, the glow from an under cabinet light is particularly alluring.  Check out our post on How to Choose Under Cabinet Lighting.

2. Energy Efficient Lighting:

Everyone loves lowering their monthly energy bill.  Whether you’re switching out those old incandescent bulbs for CFLs, trying super-efficient LED cabinet lighting, or using fluorescent light fixtures for a closet or display case, energy efficiency is the way to go.  Besides, today’s incandescent bulbs will no longer be available for sale in the US by 2014 due to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.  Go green! Continue reading »

Empire State Building Pegasus Lighting Roundup for July 31 to August 20

The Empire State Building: a new beacon for energy efficiency?

It’s been a little while since I’ve published a Roundup, so there’s a lot to catch up on.  If you love interior design articles, don’t miss the “lighting tips” section!  There have been some great resources in the last couple of weeks.

In lighting news…

The Empire State Building currently consumes the energy equivalence of 40,000 single-family homes.  That is all about to change: in the next three years, the famous building is aiming to become the most energy-efficient skyscraper in the world.

A New Zealand study reportedly dispelled myths about eco-friendly light bulbs.  In the study, consumers couldn’t tell the quality difference between eco-friendly bulbs and traditional light bulbs.

The Hearst Tower in New York recently became LEED Gold certified.  Why is this a big deal?  It’s the first occupied commercial building in NYC to achieve this rating, making it clear that retrofitting and remodeling existing buildings to green standards is very possible. Continue reading »

EyeStrain Is Your Desk Lighting Giving You a Headache?Eye strain resulting from working at a computer is extremely common.  In fact, the American Optometric Association recently reported that 70 percent of people who work on computers for at least two hours a day are impacted by a condition called Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS).

Our tendency to stare at a computer screen or Smartphone throughout the entire day is taking a serious toll on our eyes.  CVS is also associated with fatigue, decreased productivity, and headaches.

For those in the working world who can’t avoid prolonged computer use, adequate lighting is key to avoiding the effects of CVS.  If you work in an office setting, think about talking to your employer about improving lighting conditions!  Here are some tips for proper desk lighting:

  • Bright lighting overhead should be kept to a minimum, if possible.  Using a combination of indirect lights and task lights is optimal for an office setting.
  • If you have a desk lamp, make sure it is 15 inches above the desk’s surface.  Whether your light is wall-mounted or sitting on the desk, the 15 inch rule stands.

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Xenon Line Voltage Thin Under Cabinet Lights How to Choose Under Cabinet LightingIf you’re only going to choose just one lighting feature to add your kitchen, make it under cabinet lighting.  It provides task lighting for your countertops to make them ideal for food preparation and cooking, it illuminates the backsplash on your wall to create beautiful accent lighting, and it can also be used as night lighting for your kitchen.  Once you install under cabinet lighting, you’ll never want to go back.

Many lighting designers talk about creating “layers of light” for your kitchen.  Under cabinet lighting serves as a crucial “layer” for great design.

That being said, there are a ton of options to choose from.  How do you know what style of under cabinet lighting is right for your kitchen?  Hopefully, this guide will make it a little easier to make your selection.

It’s a good idea to choose your light source first.

1. Fluorescent, Xenon, or LED?

Microfluorescent T4 Under Cabinet Lights How to Choose Under Cabinet Lighting

Fluorescent Under Cabinet Lights

Fluorescent under cabinet lights are the most energy efficient in providing a given amount of light.  Moreover, fluorescent light sources give off very little heat.  This is a great feature depending on what is stored in the cabinet immediately above the under cabinet fixture or, perhaps, what is lying 12 to 18 inches below the light.  While most fluorescent fixtures cannot be dimmed, they can be a wonderful, inexpensive option.  In addition, our Microfluorescent Fixtures or Fluorescent Swivel Sticks are probably the easiest products to install – a definite plus. Continue reading »

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).

    Continue reading »
Electric Legends The Pegasus Lighting Roundup for Jan 30 to Feb 5 2010

Read on to find out about these captivating photos created with LED lights...

Frequently we bookmark interesting articles we come across on the internet that describe current products, trends, or news in the lighting industry to our Delicious account.  You can view all the articles we have bookmarked and saved to our account since last August, when we started using Delicious.

Starting today, we are now going to post a regular Pegasus Lighting Roundup of interesting lighting information we came across during the week.  It will provide a short recap of articles to help keep you informed.  Hopefully, it’ll be an easy way for you to scan through any topics you might want to learn more about.  So, without further ado:

In lighting news…

The remodeling business is expected to grow this year, ending the economic slump caused by the housing downturn.  Industry experts at the International Builders’ Show remarked that the increase in existing-home sales due to low prices will help the remodeling market.  Other contributors to the boost:   aging baby boomers are beginning to adapt homes to their needs.  Also, there’s a clearly rising trend to incorporate green initiatives in homes.

OLEDs are expected to be the next big thing on the market for display lighting of any kind (computer monitors, TVs, cell phone displays, etc).  Why are they so great?  They’re extremely energy efficient, can be made unbelievably thin, and provide superior color quality.  This article explains why they’re not on the market yet: their efficiency technology is still developing, the cost of creating them is sky-high, and their lifespan is lacking.  However, five years from now, we may see OLEDs making things like glowing wallpaper possible.
Continue reading »

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