The answer is – yes and no.

Ceiling fans can definitely save money on your air conditioning bill if you use them the way they are intended.

Ceiling fans make you feel comfortable when it’s hot by blowing air over your body and increasing the evaporation, which is how the body cools itself. You feel the reaction just like a wind chill factor.

In theory this makes it possible to set the thermostat at a higher room temperature, which of course translates into energy savings.

Makes sense. Statistics, however, unfortunately show that most people keep the same thermostat settings no matter if they run their ceiling fans or not.
So now you come in from the hot outdoors, enter a chilled room and on top of it get blasted with a wind chill factor that has you grab for a sweater.
The same people (not anyone in this room, of course) often leave their ceiling fans on even when nobody is around, oblivious to the fact that ceiling fans only do their duty when the air they circulate actually moves across a warm body. Operating alone in a room ceiling fans are useless and only consume energy.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not putting down the virtues of a ceiling fan. As a matter of fact I like the nostalgic feel they somehow evoke.
From our miserable cooling conditions at our old showroom I also know for a fact that ceiling fans definitely help keep a large crowd of people more comfortable, when the air conditioner is having trouble keeping up. There’s no doubt about that.

In the winter using a ceiling fan in reverse can help push the heated air that collects at the ceiling down to a level where it is useful.
Again, it’s important to remember that air movement feels chilling, so it’s better not to overdo the air circulation in winter to a point where it ends up feeling draughty and uncomfortable.

So, used the way they are designed, ceiling fans can indeed help cut down on your energy bill.

Shown: the Flute and the Cirrus Ceiling Fan by the Modern Fan Co.

The Kitchen is today’s gathering place for friends and family.
At our house it seems always to be the place where everyone ends up while dinner is being prepared. No matter how many deep, cozy armchairs the living room has to offer, or how inviting the deck is on a warm summer evening, everyone is leaning against the kitchen counters, glass in hand, making my last minute food preparation a very familiar (and comfortable) dance.

It’s just a fact: the kitchen is the heart of the home. It is also usually the busiest room of the house. Today’s multi-functional kitchen spaces are not only used for cooking, but also for visiting with friends, home work, reading the paper and just relaxing.

The kitchen asks for efficient lighting at a fairly bright level for tasks as well as decorative lighting to create an inviting, livable space.
Just like in any other living space is important to create multiple layers of light in the kitchen.
Task lighting, ambient lighting and accent lighting will together create the inviting atmosphere you want.
Try to think about the general feel of your home and continue the color temperature from other areas of the house into the kitchen.

Kitchen counters and other work areas need to be well lit and free of shadows. Fluorescent or low voltage undercabinet lighting strips provide effective task lighting. Fluorescent lighting fixtures are well suited because they are efficient, providing more lumens per watt. They do not put out much heat and they create an even light, and with the newer electronic ballasts, they do not flicker or hum anymore!Low voltage lighting illuminates decorative objects and surfaces dramatically. Over shiny, black marble surfaces they will create drama, but be aware: they will also give off a lot of glare.
If you are lighting a kitchen island with a very reflective surface and this is your primary work area, you might want to choose a fixture where the low voltage bulb does not shine directly onto the work area, or even choose a softer light source, like an incandescent or fluorescent fixture. Please note: Pendant lights over the island should hang just above eye level when you are standing. This allows you to see your guests comfortably. Choose fixtures with decorative bulbs that are meant to show or with diffusers that soften the glare of a naked bulb.A breakfast area is also frequently used for reading, so good overhead light is a must. Here the decor determines the style: from chandeliers to high-tech flexible track lighting with colorful pendants the choice is yours.
As with dining tables, the light over the breakfast table should hang approximately 30″ above the table so you can see under it when seated and it yet hangs low enough to embrace the area with a warm, inviting glow.

In a contemporary kitchen, a low voltage monorail with a variety of track heads and colorful glass mini-pendants can curve through the work and dining areas without interruption of design. The spots can highlight decorative features in the kitchen like collections of canisters on top of cabinets while providing general, ambient light.

Ambient light is needed for all casual activities. It permits comfortable clean-up and easy view into drawers. Recessed downlights or fluorescent lighting are good choices.

Pendants Shown in photo on the right: Cone Blaze pendant by Fire Farm

A New Product We Like

At Form + Function we are always looking innovative lighting solutions and we are especially excited when we come across products that “just make sense”, like the Dark Sky light bulbs designed by Bulbrite.
These energy-star rated compact fluorescent lamps have a shielded base that aims the light only where it is needed. This eliminates the need to replace or retrofit an existing fixture to comply with dark sky regulations.
Using a 15W compact fluorescent lamp it produces the same amount and quality of light as your conventional 60W incandescent lamp.
Even if your neighborhood does not call for dark-sky-friendly lighting you might still want to consider these innovative bulbs as a responsible and at the same time aesthetically pleasing, glare-free solution for your outdoor fixtures. 

Less Is More
Outdoor lighting is important not only for decorative reasons, but also to improve safety and security.
Many homeowners, however, are not aware that a little light goes quite a long ways outdoors. They think more is better and install an excessive amount of light sources, or – almost worse – a few harsh spotlights with high wattage that bathe their driveway (and half of the neighborhood) in a bright light. 
Aside from these commercial spotlights just looking plain ugly and making your front yard resemble a prison camp, they are not a very neighbor-friendly or environmentally responsible solution.
Some people say they feel safer when their property is properly lit. However, light alone does not provide security. In brightly lit spaces you are exposed to glare as well as harsh shadows and the abrupt transition between these areas feels uncomfortable (someone lurking in the shadows?).
Good outdoor lighting design on the other hand defines the space in an aesthetically pleasing way. It just feels comfortable and safe. It is indirect, discreet and subtle. You know it when you see it, you feel it a sub-conscious level, but you don’t stop to think about why. 
That’s the reason we recommend to light where you need it, when you need it, and no more.

Tip: If you live in an area where you feel there’s a need for a bright spotlight at times (just in case) put it on separate switch that you can turn on from inside your home – and keep it off unless it’s an emergency. 

Having moved from Germany to New Mexico many years ago I still can’t get over the beauty of the starlit sky. For that matter I didn’t really know that there were THAT many stars before we moved here. Living in a large metropolitan area I had never actually seen them.
I therefore welcome the efforts our community is making to avoid or fight light pollution.
The phrase Light pollution was first coined by astronomers in the 1970s. It refers to the sky glow mainly above major cities that obscures our view of the night sky.
One could say that if light pollution were the inevitable price of progress,  we’d just have to live with that loss and accept it, but it is not. Most light pollution is totally unnecessary, caused by inefficient light sources and lack of awareness. 

Make your bathroom into a sanctuary of relaxation! You can achieve this with the right vanity bathroom lighting.
Bathrooms are no longer just functional rooms with harsh light and cold tile, but warm, stylish, inviting retreats.
The introduction of warmer materials and colors to your bathroom asks for a softer, more sophisticated lighting plan for this very important room in your home.

Keep in mind, that only the right lighting will be able to fully show the colors and textures of the beautiful stone, glass and wood that make your bathroom special.In a small powder room you can get away with asking the mirror lights to illuminate the room as well as provide sufficient light for a quick glance in the mirror and a make-up check.
Don’t rely on ceiling lights or recessed lights over the mirror as your only light source, even in the smallest powder room. These cast ugly shadows over your face (an upside-down version of the flashlight-under-the-chin effect – not a pretty effect!)
In larger bathrooms the same rules apply that we recommend for every area of the home: Use multiple layers of light and install dimmers where it is possible.
A combination of several light sources helps create a graceful balance between the different areas of the room.
Good, functional bathroom lighting is needed for the area around the vanity mirror and sink. These light fixtures need to be gently flattering, yet bright enough so you can see to shave or apply makeup.
The addition of indirect accent light sources can help soften the more direct task lighting. A few ideas for light layers in your bathroom:  Indirect light above and below cabinets, a sparkling downlight over the tub, good task lighting at the mirror, a recessed infrared heat lamp for chilly mornings, a narrow spotlight accenting a beautiful architectural feature (why did you pay so much for that Italian sink?), maybe even a chandelier to add charm and character. Together these light sources add a pleasant, luxurious feel to your bathroom. Tip: Put the indirect above-cabinet and toe-kick lights on a circuit by themselves and on a dimmer. At a low setting they provide just the amount of light you want on a sleep-walking trip to the bathroom. Decorative wall sconces on each side of a small mirror will illuminate both sides of your face evenly. With a more generous mirror you’ll want additional light across the top of the mirror.
Since we are all so used to the warm tones of incandescent lamps (and believe me, all skin tones truly do look best in a pink, golden hue opposed to blue or green) opt for lamps with warmer tones .
So, if your choice is the energy-guzzling, but familiar incandescent lamps, opt for the frosted version and choose fixtures with glass or plastic diffusers to further soften the light.
If you want to use fluorescents, choose warm white or even better, high quality tubes or CFLs that have actual numbers on the box as in about 3000K (or lower) and the highest possible CRI (above 85). They come closest to the color of incandescents.
Low voltage halogen fixtures can be dimmed with the right kind of dimmer.
This actually gives you several advantages at once: for one, the light gets dimmed, but you also get the following: the color changes from a cooler to a warmer side of the spectrum (more of an ember-like glow when dimmed down) and the lamp life increases dramatically.Many low voltage fixtures have beautiful colored glass shades. These of course enhance the look of the fixture and can add to the decorative aspect of your bathroom design. But do keep in mind what the colors contribute to the light quality and work with this issue: A peach or amber colored shade will warm and soften the white halogen light, whereas a green shade, as great as it looks with your tile might not be quite flattering for your face and therefore needs to be supplemented with additional discreet light sources to make you look healthy in the mirror.

Photos left to right: Tigris Mirror by Tech Lighting (photo 1), Long Sweeping Taper by Hubbardton Forge (photo 2), Wall Sconces by W.A.C. Lighting

You just had to spend a few minutes at this year’s Lightfair in Las Vegas to see what is hot: Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) were EVERYWHERE!Strip lights, under cabinet lights, a really cool paper thin tape light, puck lights – you name it. This (relatively) new kid on the block was definitely the star!So what’s all the buzz about? LEDS have been around since the sixties and we have all used LEDs in our everyday lives, most often without even being aware of it. In the early years,LEDs were only available in the colors yellow, green and red and therefore their use was limited to signage, street signals and household appliances.  The color-changing capabilities and the unique vivid hues also made LEDs attractive for upscale bars, restaurants and even avant-garde home theaters.With the breakthrough development of a blue LED in the early ‘90s and the following developing a white LED new and exciting possibilities opened up to the lighting industry and they for sure took this challenge and ran with it! New products embracing the Solid-State technology are popping up everywhere.
Now for the very first time the consumer is faced with the choice: Do I choose an incandescent, a fluorescent or an LED sconce for my bathroom? Can I read by that cool LED desk lamp or am I safer with choosing the much more familiar halogen light?
As exciting as all the innovations are, white LED light is definitely still in the early stages and has quite a few hurdles to overcome before it will be a competitive alternative to other traditional light sources. In my opinion the three main concerns our customers face are: What do I get for my money, how much energy do they really save and can they actually illuminate something, like a page in my book, or are they just decorative?
Light fixtures equipped with LEDS are in general quite a bit more expensive than alternate choices, but if you got exactly the same value in terms of efficacy and quality light output, their long life would make them the more cost effective choice.
The life span of LEDs is impressive compared to incandescent, halogen or fluorescent alternatives with expectancies in the 100.000+ hours (A good old incandescent lamp has a life expectance of a measly 750 hours and a halogen lamp 3000+ hours)
You’d have to change quite a few conventional light bulbs in those 100.000 hours!FYI: LEDs don’t just burn out, but continue to operate while slowly producing less and less lumens. At some point don’t they produce enough lumens for task lighting. Their life span is therefore generally measured up until the time when they have lost 30 – 50 percent of their initial light output.
So, back to the second question: How is their overall effectiveness, how energy-efficient are LEDs? In 2006, some LEDs became as effective as incandescent lamps with 15 – 30 lumens per watt, just two years later, in 2008, LEDs reached the efficacy of linear fluorescents with 60-80 lumens per watt.
Just like the infant years of fluorescents that made millions of consumers loathe the product for bathing a space in an unattractive greenish or pinkish hue, the color temperature of the white LED is still being fine-tuned. Great strides are being made to reach warmer tones that resemble what we are used to for interior lighting and some latest product releases show real promise in that respect.
At Lightfair we ordered several samples of LED task lighting that are currently being installed in our new showroom. We like to see for ourselves before we start dealing out advice to our customers and getting carried away by cool innovations.
So the answer to the third question will follow later.