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May 15
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Outdoor lighting enhances the beauty of your property, makes your home safer and more secure, and increases the number of pleasurable hours you spend outdoors. And it is an investment that pays off handsomely in the value it adds to your home. | |
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A well-lit front entrance enables you to greet guests and identify visitors. Wall lanterns on each side of the door will give your home a warm, welcoming look, while assuring the safety of those who enter. Under a porch or other overhang, you can use recessed, chain-hung, or close-to-ceiling fixtures. A separate rear or side entrance can be lighted with a single wall lantern installed on the keyhole side of the door. To conserve energy, consider post and wall lanterns that use new compact fluorescent or high-intensity discharge light sources such as mercury vapor or high pressure sodium. | |
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For the security of your family members using the garage at night, you can install a wall sconces on the face of the garage. Fixtures equipped with high-pressure sodium bulbs will deliver more light per watt and last many times longer than those with incandescent bulbs. In addition, photocells are available that will turn fixtures on at dusk and off at dawn, reducing energy consumption and providing security when you're away. | |
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For added Safety, illuminate any side of the house that would otherwise be in shadow. To conserve energy, install a motion- or heat-sensitive control that will switch on the light only if someone approaches that side of the house. Another proven safety measure is to use timers on interior lights to make your home look occupied when you're away. An automatic timer can control a portion of your outdoor lights to turn off at a certain hour, while basic security lights can be left on through the night. | |
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Paths, Steps, and driveways should be illuminated to make sure family members and guests are able to move about easily and safely after dark. You can install path lights or post lanterns or attach lights to the side of the house. Low-level path lights, which spread circular patterns of light, will brighten your walkway, while highlighting nearby flower beds, shrubs, and ground cover. These close-to-the-ground lights are available in fixtures using energy-saving low-voltage current. They are simple to install and can easily be moved to reflect changes in your landscaping. Low-level path lights can also be used to define the boundaries of long driveways. Bollards, which stand 30 to 36 inches off the ground, also work well. Use shielded fixtures to avoid glare. | |
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Don't forget to add stronger light over the barbecue or serving area. To accomplish this, install a recessed spot-light on an adjacent roof overhang or mount spread lights on a railing behind the grill | |
May 14 Hometips.com deploys a new store selling Lighting, Faucets, Sinks, cabinet hardware and much more. Hometips is a source for how to articles for how to do things around your home. From fixing your noisy toilet to wiring a new light fixture in your bathroom, you are sure to find out how to do it at hometips.
Home Tips is one of the webs most helpful home improvement and repair sites. Get free home improvement advice, great remodeling tips, and appliance buying guides by leading home improvement authority, DIY expert and HGTV personality, Don Vandervort. December 06
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The chandelier is perhaps the oldest form of decorative lighting, marking its earliest appearances in medieval churches as suspended wooden crosses from which candles were mounted. As time went on, it was discovered that natural rock crystal helped reflect candlelight to illuminate larger areas. As crystal became more commonly used to ornament light sources, chandeliers evolved from functional to aesthetic, and eventually became symbols of wealth and power. (Of course, today’s crystal lighting fixtures are available in a variety of price ranges so anyone can enjoy the beauty and elegance that crystal brings to the home.)
The development of lead oxide glass in the 17th century changed chandeliers and crystal dressed lighting fixtures forever, as it was found much softer and easier to cut than natural crystal – and much more brilliant. The word ‘crystal’ is still used in association with lead glass to this day. This new innovation allowed for more intricate designs and enhanced the light-scattering properties of the ‘crystal,’ encouraging artisans the world over to create the magnificent and varied styles of crystal lighting we see today.Crystal Grades
Strass® Swarovski Crystal (View)
Regarded by industry leaders as the finest crystal in the world, Strass® is noted for its incredible clarity and internal flawlessness. Strass® crystals are composed of over 30% lead and are cut by machine to achieve technical perfection; their razor sharp facets meet precisely at one focal point to achieve peak refraction and an optically pure prism. Each crystal is then polished by hand, given an optical coating to resist dust accumulation, and finally laser inscribed, giving each piece the Strass® mark of excellence.
Swarovski Spectra® Crystal (View)
Manufactured in the Austrian Alps through the same process as the Strass® crystal, but without the optical coating. Spectra® offers both design appeal and quality for the crystal connoisseur looking for a great value.
 Majestic Wood Polished Crystal (View)
Wood polishing creates a high quality finish for cut crystal. This centuries old method involves running freshly cut facets on a wood wheel impregnated with marble dust, producing a high quality polish that is the mark of true artisan ability. Each wood polished crystal piece is finished by hand, creating masterpieces through tradition.
 Italian Crystal (View)
Hailing from the renowned glass-making regions around Venice, Italian crystal is formed with molds rather than precision cutting. The crystal is finished by fire-polishing or hydro-flouric acid, resulting in a distinct rounding of the edges. Although not as brilliant as cut crystal, molded crystals provide exceptional value and are a great alternative for large-scale or commercial lighting fixture applications.
 Murano Crystal (View)
Murano crystal is mouth-blown to create a variety of shapes and sizes. Each piece is a truly unique work of art, and can be colored for added drama, creating a stunning focal point perfect for dining rooms or entry foyers.
 Czech Crystal (View)
Each Czech crystal is created through an old world process of hand pouring into a mold, hand-cutting to achieve precision facets, and hand-polishing. The Czech method produces a variety of shapes and cuts that are unique to the Czech style, with a refinement and brilliance not seen elsewhere.
 Egyptian Crystal (Gemcut) (View)
Offering unmatched brilliance due to extremely high lead content, Egyptian (or Gemcut) crystal produces a high quality crystal with extreme clarity, sharpness, and is nearly flawless. While Egyptian crystal is a leader in brilliance, it is not as optically pure as the crystals produced by the Strass® or Swarovski methods.
 Rock Crystal (View)
Unlike the entirely man-made lead glass crystal, rock crystal is a natural mineral which cannot be produced by any methods other than millions of years of geological activity. It is mined and cut as it is found, with each rock containing tiny inclusions, fissures, and crystalline explosions which make no two pieces alike. Rock crystal is a rare clear quartz, and due to its natural complexity it must be hand-cut and polished through incredibly difficult artisan processes. Rock crystal is only found in remote areas of the earth, which makes the process of mining, hand-cutting, and hand-polishing even more remarkable.
Go beyond the dining room and discover ways to incorporate the beauty of crystal in all areas of your home. LightingUniverse.com offers a wide selection of crystal chandeliers, crystal wall sconces, crystal pendants, crystal table lamps and more. To coordinate entire spaces be sure to visit KnobsandHardware.com for crystal cabinet knobs, and DecorUniverse.com for crystal accent items. | December 03 Chrome isn’t just for Cadillacs grills and kitchen faucets anymore – this ultra sleek finish is also becoming the style of choice for today’s lighting designers, replacing the previous popularity of finishes such as bronze and nickel. The shiny, mirror-like qualities of polished chrome are a perfect match for both modern and traditional fixtures, working to multiply the overall brilliance and intensity of the light that is produced.
Chrome is also seeing a considerable resurgence in home interior design, gaining popularity in small details from door hardware and cabinet hardware to kitchen appliances. Choosing lighting fixtures finished in polished chrome is a simple way to add some extra sparkle to kitchens and bathrooms by playing up the reflectivity of mirrors, plumbing fixtures, and coordinating accents. When paired with conventional crystal chandeliers, the clean lines and smooth appearance of chrome create a chic mix of modern and traditional.
   
Whether your style is classic or contemporary, add a touch of glamour to your home with shimmering chrome lighting at LightingUniverse.com
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