Resources for Better Lighting Design

Let Better Homes & Gardens Help You Light Up Your Life
Lighting is so important to creating the correct mood for any room, any home. This helpful article from Better Homes & Gardens discusses the latest trends in home lighting and the best ways to achieve them. The article contends that the latest trends are focused less on the aesthetics of fixtures and more on how they function. There's a discussion of general Lighting and the best ways to achieve a general overall brightness to any room, but most especially the kitchen, through a combination of lighting sources including a central ceiling mounted feature, properly spaced can lighting, and recessed spotlights around the perimeter of the kitchen. Task lighting, especially as it refers to the kitchen, is best achieved, according to this article, through a combination of ceiling or wall mounted fixtures, under-cabinet lighting, and small sized fluorescent bulbs and halogen track lights. Accent lighting can be used to spotlight a kitchen's best feature and is best achieved through a mixture of track lights, wall mounted lights, and recessed lights which are brighter than the general lighting. The use of a dimmer can add mood. The article is rounded out with a helpful discussion of bulb types, including incandescent, fluorescent, and tungsten-halogen.

Outdoor Lighting Techniques from the American Lighting Association
The American Lighting Association gives you some tips on outdoor lighting. First, it reminds everyone that many cities are implementing special building codes for outdoor lighting, and that you should check with your local building inspection office before installing one. For the front entrance, it is recommended that you use wall lamps on each side of the door. There are also tips for lighting outside the garage, swimming pool, fountain, driveway, deck, patio, and others. In addition, there are suggestions on how to use lighting as added security measure for your home, and how to conserve energy as well.

Home Lighting Guide (With Photo Gallery)
Planning for a home lighting design can be confusing, as it should not be too light or too dim. To help you out, here are some useful tips along with a photo gallery. First, there are three levels of lightings – low, high, and moderate. The low level is for relaxation, the high level is for complicated task, while the moderate level is for doing short activities such as eating. This guide also explains the proper lighting for every room in the house, including the living room, bathroom, kitchen, and dining room.

The Benefits of Task Lighting
This article, which first appeared in the National Assoc. of Independent Lighting Distributors, inc. News, talks about a renewed interest in task lighting now that there's an option to high-output overhead fixtures. Prior to electricity, the world only had task lights such as candles and oil and kerosene lamps. Now, with electricity and such excellent technology for overhead fixtures, there is a belief by some that overhead lighting is adequate for lighting work areas, and that task lights are not necessary. This article argues that total reliance on overhead lighting to illuminate work spaces is too costly, and The best approach for designing an energy-efficient and visually comfortable lighting installation is effective integration of overhead and task lighting.

How to Light Up Your Home
This article discusses ways to improve the look of your home with decorative lighting. Whether you install a dramatic chandelier, accent your house with outdoor lighting, or simply plug in a beautifully designed table lamp, lighting does more than complete the décor it boosts the value of your home, creates atmosphere, and helps to express your personal style. Tips for lighting decoration include considering the size of the room, identifying the purpose of lighting, using a professional certified election for lighting installation and looking for design and quality craftsmanship of lighting fixtures.