Resources for Better Lighting Design

Lighting for the Home from A to Z
Home & Garden Telivision brings you a site filled with valuable information on virtually every aspect of home lighting. Articles include tips on Chandeliers, cable lighting, and ways to completely remodel a dining room and a living room with specialty lighting fixtures. The site also covers floor lamps, table lamps, original lampshade designs, tips on lighting the kitchen and the bathroom, and even an article on artistic lighting with candles. There are fascinating articles on table lamps, wall lamps, wall scones, TV lamps, even funky lamps. There are articles on lighting everything from the bedroom to the attic. There are even articles on making your own unique lamps and an entire article on lamp pulls, plus a whole lot more. This site sheds light on the entire world of home lighting options.

Lighting Selections
Lighting for living spaces such as living rooms, dens and bedrooms can actually be more difficult to design than lighting for task areas such as kitchens and home offices. The lighting must be flexible for the many and varied activities in these rooms. These elements are usually at the perimeter of the room, on or adjacent to the wall. Accent lighting is best accomplished with spotlights (low voltage halogen is a good energy-efficient choice), or wall washing (large lamp fluorescent strips are good for even lighting of large areas*). Track or recessed lighting are good choices for spotlighting individual pieces of artwork or points of great interest. Bookshelves, very large wall art (quilts, murals, etc.) or collections (groups of small objects with equal import) are best lit with wallwashers. These can take the form of recessed cans or track, but a better choice may be to use architectural fixtures. A luminous soffit or a valance can be built to hold fluorescent strips to provide uniform wall lighting. Don't forget to light 'floating' furniture like coffee tables, as these provide a nice focal point for seating areas. Site also features information on ceiling fans, seasonal affective disorder and track lighting.