Ten Tips
that Will Help You Light
Your Home Up Like the
Pros
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To help you make the
most of your decorative
lighting, the experts at
the
American Lighting
Association (ALA) offer the following ideas for illuminating
your home -- no matter
what your budget.
Dont Wait:
It is important to plan
your lighting even
earlier than other
decorating ideas because
there are frequently
decisions that need to
be made
relative to the location
and type of electrical
outlet installation
during
construction. You also
need to consider lead
time.
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Consumers are
surprised when
we tell them it may be
as long as six weeks to
get their decorative
fixture,
says Kathy Held, who is
a buyer and vice
president at South Dade
Lighting in
Miami, Florida. We
dont keep every fixture
in every finish in the showroom.
Consumers need to start
earlier and have
patience while their
fixture is built.
Take Your Time:
Give lighting as much
consideration as other
decorating
decisions like flooring,
wall covering, and
furniture. Create a
master plan of
how you want the
finished house to look,
and work at it over a
year or two. For
instance, do you want
mini-pendants versus
recessed lighting over
the kitchen
island, pin-point spots
versus a wall outlet to
illuminate artwork, or a
floor
outlet for a lamp in
your seating area?
Ask the Experts:
To make the best
decisions, embrace your
lighting showroom
personnel. Get
information from them.
And bring them
information, says Joe
Rey-Barreau, educational
consultant for the
American Lighting
Association. Use
your camera. Bring a
digital image of the
room and what is not
working. If you
are trying to create a
decorative element,
bring in swatches of
fabric, pillows,
and paint chips. Make
the fixture the
statement to complement
the room.
Quality Counts:
No matter what your
budget, opt for timeless
materials like
bronze and glass over
their plastic
counterparts. Timeless
designs in top
materials will always
look right and can
become family heirlooms.
Test It:
Try before you buy. In
most instances, you can
take a lamp home, try it
and bring it back if it
doesnt work.
Focus Pocus:
Put lighting to work
creating focal points.
Add lights to direct
the eye in a new
direction by focusing on
a piece of art,
furniture or the
mantel.
Dim Some:
Dimmers are an
inexpensive
trick-of-the-trade. They
help set a special
mood in the home by
allowing you to
manipulate the light.
Install them at the
wall for ceiling
fixtures and even buy
them for table lamps.
Space Case:
Add more drama to a
space with accent
lighting. By
illuminating the
top of a bookcase,
adding under-cabinet
lighting or hanging a
colored pendant
over the kitchen island,
you can create islands
of light that bring the
grain of
the wood, the print of
the wallpaper or the
color of a wall to life.
Do Your Homework:
There is a wealth of
information on the
Internet,
particularly the
ALA Web site, says Rey-Barreau. You should also rely on
lighting showroom people
as experts -- many are
interior designers.
Take Credit:
Consider financing your
lighting purchases. Many
ALA showrooms now
offer private label
credit cards and 90 days
same-as-cash programs. |
