Light Up Your Laundry Room
I want that laundry room!!!
Inviting, organized, filled with natural light.
Now let’s face reality:
In the majority of our homes the utility and laundry room is a neglected stepchild.
No wonder that the laundry basket has turned into a trip hazard and the ironing board is rarely used for ironing.
Lighting your utility or laundry room right can have a huge impact on how you feel spending any amount of time there. More »
Light up your Kitchen Island
Lighting your kitchen island has become an increasingly important choice in highlighting the form and function of your home. As the uses of kitchen islands have become more varied, you have your choices to create a beautiful effect for cooking, cleaning, homework, or socializing with friends and family.
From functional track lighting systems with colorful pendants to elaborate chandeliers, a large variety of light fixtures will work to create the atmosphere you want for this central hub in your kitchen. More »
Lighting for the Aging Eye
As we age, natural physical changes of our eyes decrease our visual abilities.
The pupils become smaller and take longer to respond to changes in light levels, making it more difficult to move from bright to dark spaces or to see details in dim areas.These are simple facts, something we’ll all have to deal with sooner or later.
So what do we do to address this issue when we plan the lighting for our home, the home of a loved one or a senior client? More »
Black and White Dining Room (Facebook page "Home Envy")
I love to cook, eat, and especially share a meal with friends and family.
Sitting down at a dining table after a long day (working or playing) is just such a pleasure.
Today I sat down and wanted to write about all the practical aspects of dining room lighting. Measurements and numbers etc. All good stuff. But when I went to look for photos I REALLY got sidetracked.
After hours of pouring over wonderful images of various dining areas I realized that there were SO many places I would feel at home and would really enjoy lingering.
I personally lean towards contemporary design, but enjoy all kinds of spaces.
A traditional dining room with perfect place settings can be such a treat – with the right company and good food!
And that’s just it! It’s all about personal style, expressing ourselves and embracing different styles when we come across them. Good food, friends and good company.
I’ll therefore share a bunch of fabulous photos of dining areas in between all the dry facts.
Ingo Maurer Zettel'z
In our showroom we so often get questions like how large a chandelier to choose for the dining area or how high to hang it over the table. (Answers: Diameter 12″ less than the width of table. The bottom of chandelier should be 30″ above table.)
In most cases the chandelier is hung way too high, probably with the thought in mind that it could then help illuminate the entire room. Wrong!
With a chandelier hung too high and no additional lighting the overall ambiance of the dining room is more of a diner or fast food restaurant, less conducive to lingering. More »
These days more and more of us are working from home, either in a dedicated home office or at a desk somewhere in the house.
Why not make this area into a place we enjoy spending time?
The type of lighting we use can change our mood in addition to just enabling us to see.
OK, for you who are shaking your head over the concept of enjoying spending time at the desk, it’s a fact that the correct lighting of your work area can reduce eye strain and fatigue and increase productivity. This could in theory make you get through the work load faster and get away from the desk! More »
On my recent trip I looked out of the window of the plane at night and was blown away by the contrast of coming from Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado with its practically solid black nighttime landscape and then flying over Denver, a big city bursting with light. It was breathtaking and I spontaneously fell in love with this vibrant display of lights. Twinkling lights for most of us evoke feelings of festivity, charm and warmth. We are drawn to light. It makes us feel good and safe.
Then I couldn’t help myself, but started to wonder about all that light. As stunning as the sight was from above, I had to confess that this was indeed what we call light pollution.
How much of this beautiful display was actually necessary and how much was a total waste of resources?
What would this landscape look like if everybody would only use exactly the amount of light needed for a task, for safety and feeling good?
It would probably have a lot less of a Wow effect, but be just as beautiful.
Recent scientific studies show that light pollution among many things obscures the stars for city dwellers, disrupts the migration pattern of birds, has adverse effects on our health and is a huge waste of energy. I could go on and on with sound and compelling reasons to make some serious changes to our city light exuberance.
A growing number of cities and towns across the United States are drafting ordinances as we speak that require new light fixtures– both commercial and residential – not to shine any light above a horizontal line, not up into the atmosphere. Instead, everything must be directed downwards unto what needs to be illuminated.
As more and more homeowners are starting to look for ways to reduce their energy usage, the Dark Sky Movement is gaining ground even though
most consumers might never have heard about “Light Pollution” or, as a matter of fact, “The Dark Sky Movement”. Awareness has luckily been growing among local government leaders, who have been drafting ordinances to bring the night sky back.
More and more pressure is therefore put on manufacturers to come out with more Dark Sky-Friendly outdoor light fixtures and of course they are not only listening but reacting to these new demands.
We still have a long way to go before the last neighbor with the horrible 150W spotlight will understand that a little light goes a long way outdoors and that lots of light does not translate to safety. Great contrasts between bright lights and darkness are actually much more of a safety issue.
With an outdoor wall sconce shielded on top instead of spreading light into the night sky, less wattage is needed to achieve the same amount of light. Where a 100W bulb was needed to illuminate the steps a 40W bulb will provide just as much direct light.
Hubbardton Forge offers several sconces that have received the Dark Sky Fixture Seal of Approval. One, the Nightfall features a beautiful ceramic shield with natural stone motifs that only allows the light to shine downwards.
Justice Design also features a large selection of outdoor wall sconces that are closed on top and the Minka Group has several outdoor lanterns with metal tops that block the upward light.
Driving home from work at night I always check out the way people in my neighborhood light their homes, just can’t help myself.
There’s the house with the brightly lit runway leading up to the door. If the driveway were a big longer I bet a plane could land there. You don’t see the house itself, but you for sure know which way to go. The house next door has one of those harsh spotlights over the garage door that shines straight out towards anyone approaching, blinding the person temporarily. Has the owner ever heard about light pollution?
This “security light” stays on all night long and makes his front yard resemble a deserted parking lot.Then there are quite a few houses that just don’t have a whole lot of exterior lights and since we live in an area with no street lights (thanks to our amateur astronomers’ club!!) finding a house – or a house number – in the dark is a unique challenge.
My favorite house is one around the corner. Every time I drive by in the dark I feel like walking up to the front door. It just looks so inviting. Like coming home for Christmas.
What’s their secret?
First of all they are not overdoing things by trying to illuminate everything. They probably realize that a little light goes a long way outdoors. The landscape lighting is practically invisible. That is, certain features in the yard are gently illuminated, like a natural stone fountain, an adobe wall, a large tree.
The walkway leading up to the house is softly illuminated with the aid of small landscape lighting fixtures hidden under bushes, so the fixtures themselves are not visible, but there is nevertheless a path of light showing the way.
Two wall lanterns are flanking the door. They illuminate the front steps with a warm, welcoming glow, making the front door a focal point. The steps leading up to it are discreetly lit so you can negotiate them safely.
The thing is: Too much light can be a danger. Great contrasts between darkness and bright light actually creates a trip hazard, since the eyes can’t adjust fast enough.
Tip: If you want bright lights for security, but warmth and no glare for the first impression of your home, consider putting your outdoor fixtures on a dimmer.
FAQ: How high do I hang my wall sconces next to the front door? – Rule of thumb: 66″ above the ground.
Again and again we are approached with this question: Where do I place my wall sconces on the wall?
In the best case scenario this question is raised BEFORE your 7′2″ electrician became creative and placed them “above eye level”.
A few rules of thumb:
In general wall sconces should be mounted 60 – 66 inches above the floor and eight to 10 feet apart. More »
With everyone gathering for the Holidays the dining table is taking center stage.Festive table linens, sparkling crystal and silverware, carefully prepared meals, friends and family – add to this wonderful combination the one thing that will round it all off and make everything perfect: the right lighting.
The power of lighting is amazing!
Just compare the bright, harsh lights of a fast food place with the intimate twinkle of a chandelier over a beautiful dining table.
No wonder the brightly lit places are called fast food places! Everybody looks hurried, tired, and the food looks – well, at best just bland.
Good lighting sets the mood for relaxed enjoyment. It makes us look great and feel good.
A dedicated light source like a sparkling chandelier or cluster of pendant lights over the dining table is ideal to illuminate the beautiful table setting as well as to create the atmosphere that invites lingering, visiting, and enjoying all the pleasures of the Holidays.The right lighting will not only set the perfect mood for your dining experience but also provide ample task lighting. The trick to accommodating both is using a dimmer as well as hanging the chandelier or pendant light at the correct height over the table.In my experience most people hang their chandeliers too high, probably because they are trying to squeeze too many functions out of that one light source: mood lighting, task lighting as well as general illumination for the entire room.Big mistake! The result is a bland wishy-washy light that doesn’t really accomplish any of its many tasks.
So what is the correct height and size of a light fixture over a dining table?
As a rule of thumb the fixture should be at least 12″ narrower than the table and hang about 30″ above the table.Instead of trying to illuminate an entire dining room with a single light source the best balance of illumination is actually achieved by using a variety of light sources. We call that “Layers of Light”.
Layers of light will create the ideal illumination that is pleasing without creating glare whereas a single chandelier that is capable of illuminating an entire room will most likely be too bright for comfort.Try a few wall sconces, a couple of buffet lamps, a torchiere in a corner and you will immediately feel a tremendous difference in the overall atmosphere of the room.
To highlight the crystal in your china cabinet, use a halogen bulb – the bright, white light will bring out its sparkle.The dining room of today is rarely used just for entertaining and formal dining.
Most often the dining table doubles as a work zone for homework or projects, meetings and crafts, and last, but not least as a gathering place for family and friends.
A place where everyone can unwind over a good meal and enjoy each other’s company.
With open floor plans many formal dining rooms have been replaced by dining areas that are the central hub of the home, close to the kitchen and other living areas.
The simple rules of interior lighting mentioned above will help create the right light for all activities in the heart of our home.
Compact Fluorescents are the way of the future, no question about it, but at Form + Function we still have a few questions that keep nagging us.
One is: What do we do with our burned-out fluorescents? If we urge all our clients to become good citizens and switch to CFLs before there is a effective, or for that matter any, recycling program in place (and they actually listen to us!) how is this going to affect the environment?
Disposing of fluorescent lamps
During the last few days the staff at Form + Function has been scouring the internet and calling around for solutions to the proper disposal of fluorescent lamps.
Remember, we just replaced hundreds of good old incandescent bulbs with CFLs throughout our Santa Fe showroom.
We didn’t want to wait until they started failing before we had a plan for their environmentally safe disposal. Ok, they are supposed to last forever, but we also know that the promised 10,000 hours lamp life is the average life span of a CFL. Some die young.
I liked one suggestion we found on the internet: “Since there is currently no nationwide recycling programs, we advice that you pack up your used fluorescent bulbs safely in a box and save them in your garage until one becomes available.”
Cute! Just like a box of Christmas ornaments to keep for your grandchildren!
Not a totally bad idea, but one that of course only really applies to you and me, who are conscientious and the good guys, all “the others” will for sure not go for this idea!
But where?
Many internet sources sternly warned that no CFLs or other fluorescent lamps are allowed in the trash, but should be brought to “Your local household waste recycling center.”
Curious to find out if such a thing existed around here we started calling around: Called the City, the landfill, the Solid Waste managers in
Since we know better, we wanted a real solution. We called Wal-Mart: No recycling program, Sam’s Club: Nope, Home Depot:Will recycle at no charge as many full-size fluorescents as you buy from them. As for CFLs, “The mercury content is so minute, they don’t have to be recycled. You can throw them in the trash!”We did find one place that would dispose properly of CFLs: Envirosolve in Albuquerque. For $1 a bulb they would do it.
Form + Function is now seriously looking into the logistics of offering a recycling program for fluorescent lamps in Santa Fe.
We will keep you posted with an update when we have finalized the details for it.
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