Your Mini Guide to Choosing Kitchen Lighting Fixtures

I remember as a young child the single fluorescent fixture that hung in the middle of the kitchen in the home I lived. At time this kitchen light was to bright when you were looking for a snack in the middle of the night. When there was cooking or baking to be done in the kitchen it was to din to read the recipes we were trying to use. Kitchen lighting has come a long way since then. 

In today’s modern kitchen there are several different types of kitchen lighting to help us accomplish what we need in the kitchen. In some of today’s modern kitchens the type of hardware and doors that are being used in the kitchen along with the correct choice of lighting the kitchen becomes a display area and adds a great look of elegance to our homes. 

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We will look at a few popular types of fixtures used in the kitchen and see what they have to offer.

Track Lighting

This is a great way to offer halogen, fluorescent, and high-low voltage lights that will help you to direct the lighting where you need. There are several different type of track lighting that can be configured in hundreds on different combinations. You can also use the existing electrical box from the light already installed in the kitchen as a starting point. A wide variety of fixtures available for track lighting will help to add to the look you are looking for as well as being placed to highlight the areas you need the light the most.

Once you select the fixture you will want to align them in a way as to not cast shadows on the work area where you will be working. 

A good example of this would be to place a fixture overhead on the left and right side of the sink. 

In this manner you will not be blocking the light from the work area the way you would if you add a single overhead fixture. You will want to do the same over other work areas such as the cutting area and over the cooktop.

Under Cabinet Lighting

Under cabinet lighting will add light where you need it most. In a lot of cabinet configurations, the upper cabinets will block the light from the areas under the top cabinets. This is the area where a lot of the small appliances such as the microwave, coffee pot, and blenders are located. This type of lighting will also help to illuminate cutting boards and cookbooks for easier reading. Under cabinet lights are available in three different bulb varieties. Fluorescent, halogen, and incandescent. Fluorescent lights will cast a cool white glow under the cabinets. These bulbs are available in several different sizes to help accommodate the lengths of your cabinets.

Halogen lights are available in strips as well as disk and puck style. These lights will cast a warm glow that is not overpowering but will provide a great light to work with. Halogen lights are almost the same ambient light as sunlight. Surface mount as well as recessed fixture are available for halogen bulbs. Incandescent bulbs are also available in a variety of fixtures that will burn smaller bulbs giving you the light you need without producing too much heat. Whichever type of under counter lighting you choose be sure to mount it to the front of the upper cabinets to light up the work area more. If they are mounted closer to the back the fixtures will light up the wall instead of the needed work area.

Recessed Lighting

Most of the recessed lighting you see in the kitchen are standard “can” fixtures with different types of bulbs. These canister lights as they are also known are basically used around the perimeter of a room. They tend to light up walls, floors, and cabinet fronts. The canisters can be installed with different types of lights sockets that can be directed anywhere you need the light. These two types of sockets are known as eyeball and wall washers. 

You can easily upgrade existing canister lights by switching the trim package. You can utilize the same canister but change the trim package to except the different types of light bulbs that suite you the best. One thing to keep in mind is the fact that the trim packages for canister lights are made to fit the same canisters of the manufacturer.

Dimmer Switches

Dimmer switches can be a great addition to any lighting package. There are times when you will not need the kitchen light to be fully bright. If you are cooking, reading recipes, or cutting and chopping you will need the light over your work area. Perhaps you will want to enjoy a nice dinner you can then turn the dimmer down to help create that special atmosphere. 

A dimmer switch will allow you to have general lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting from the same lights in your kitchen. Dimmer switches will add an extra touch of versatility to your kitchen lighting.

Bulb Options

We have many more bulb options today than we have had in the past. In the past our main choices of bulbs were incandescent or fluorescent. They were good for lighting but there were a couple of things that were disadvantages of these bulbs. The incandescent bulbs were bright and put off plenty of light but they also but of a lot of heat. Fluorescent lighting gave us a different type of lighting but at times the bulbs took a few minutes to get started. 

With today’s bulb choices such as CFL’s, LED’s and halogen bulbs we have a brighter and truer colors in light offerings today. Not only do these bulbs offer great lighting they also help us to cut energy cost and save money. 

When you are ready to upgrade the lighting in your home be sure do your research and take a look here for your lighting needs,

Amazing Ideas to Decorate Your Small Home

You may want to design your home, but a lack of ideas may spoil your plans. Symmetry is really important as it provides calmness and stability. 

Create centre focal points where you can hang paintings or your choice of art. Backsplashes behind the cook top can be brought in and use tiles of great quality. Even though your house may have amazing walls and tiles, you can bring the brick back. Use a few spaces and use bricking to add an old world charm yet a modern feel. Ask experts and tell them to use tiles in your house where it looks great. 

 

The most important thing you need to remember is to plan your lighting before during initial stages. Consider hanging chandeliers, wall sconces, pedants and different types of lighting depending up on your style and design. 

If you are considering buying online, buy it from a trusted resources such as

Amazon

Wayfair

LightingParadise

LightingMiami

ShadesofLigh

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Browse the selection of lighted and non-lighted ceiling fans that can be installed in various places. THe outdoor fans are perfect for mudrooms, screened porches, sunrooms, and any outdoor space that could use some help with ventillation and lighting. Shop Emersons indoor fans for fans that can blend in or stand out in any room of the house; great for vaulted ceilings and open entryways ceiling fans are economical and practical. 

How to pick the perfect lighting for your dining room

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Your dining room is a special place in the home. Where people not only eat, but socialize, celebrate, and learn. So of course you want to make the dining room as perfect as it deserves to be. That includes picking lighting that will create the right mood and be practical at the same time.

One of the first steps to picking the perfect lighting for your dining room is to examine how you will 

be using the space. 

Do you like to host lots of parties with your friends or do you mainly use your dining room for your family? Will your children be doing their homework at the table or will you be doing work there? If you need a lot of light, you may want to consider multiple lighting fixtures and recessed lighting. If you want to be able to control the ambience of the room, then you will want to get fixtures that are dimmable.

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Next you need to assess the space you’re working with. If it is a large dining room then you will want a large main fixture that is to scale with the space. If you have a more compact dining room, then you will want something that isn’t so large that it overwhelms the space. Are there any architectural details, like built-ins or nooks, that would look nice highlighted by spotlighting?

After looking at the practical side of choosing your dining room lighting you can move on to the fun part. Style! There are so many amazing light fixtures available today; in designs that cater everyone’s own unique taste. When choosing the perfect lighting for your dining room take into account the style of your home and your own design preferences. Looking for something glamorous? Then gold and crystals are a must for your lighting. Looking for something industrial chic? Then sculptural metal would be a good start for you. The list of lighting finishes and designs is endless, so there really is something for everyone.

Now that you have the basics covered, you may be wondering what lighting options are out there. Which one or ones do I choose? There are many variations, but in general there are 4 main categories. Those categories are chandeliers, ceiling lights, wall lights, and lamps.

Chandeliers are a traditional multiple light fixture that are great for placing above the dining room table. They traditionally came draped in crystals, but they now come in contemporary styles as well, for the more modern home.  

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(I like the photo with the black dining chairs and plates on wall)

Ceiling lights have several variations. Pendant ceiling lights are usually on a long cord. Large pendant lights are beautiful hung above the dining room table as an alternative to a chandelier. Mini pendants are smaller and are great above an eat-at-bar or as a unique buffet lighting option. 

If you have a lower ceiling in your dining room a flush mount ceiling light or semi-flush would be ideal for your main light source. Since they are closer to the ceiling, they won’t interfere with the line of sight around the room. Another popular ceiling light option is recessed lights. These small lights are recessed into the ceiling and are great for casting a soft spotlight on points of interest. They also give dimension and character to any room they are installed in.

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Wall lighting options that might be of use in your dining room are sconces or cabinet lighting. Sconces can be used to frame a window, to be put on each side of a hutch, or to add some glow to a dark spot in the room – just for example. If you have built in cabinets, bookcases, or any type of display case in your dining room, then cabinet lighting could really play up their best qualities and add some drama to an otherwise dark area.

Since lamps are movable lighting, they are the perfect solution to any dim areas that you may want to brighten up. Table lamps look very nice as part of a buffet server tablescape. While floor lamps can enhance that corner that you just don’t know what to do with.

Whatever lighting options you choose for your dining room, they are sure to bring a design element to your space that you can’t get with any other piece of décor. Great lighting design can create a romantic mood or can brighten a dark day. If you follow the steps set out here, then you are sure to pick the perfect lighting for your dining room.

Moving an Aquarium

Moving an aquarium is a tricky task. It is not as delicate as an antique vase but is not as solid as furniture. Despite the material of an object you should be careful; when moving it. 

And when we talk about aquariums you should be extremely careful because this is not just one of your many items but the home of your pet. The fact that fish live there does not make your task of moving their home any easier. 

On the contrary, you have to decide whether to take out the fish or leave it in the aquarium, and many other questions which should be taught over in advance. In that train of thoughts, here are some tips that could help.

Moving an aquarium can be easier if there are no fish in it. However, if your pet is still home, this is potentially problematic. You have to be well prepared and consider all the possible case scenarios. The moving should go smoothly without any surprises. 

This is one of the most stressful types of relocation because the damages which might occur will not be anything of the sort of a broken vase which you might fix. Any ‘damage’ in a situation like this i.e. concerning your pet’s life can be fatal. So, try to start getting ready early and thus avoid stress taking over your moving day.

Taking the above-mentioned into account, it is best if you take your fish out of the aquarium. Separating them will ensure a smoother transportation of the aquarium itself and a safer environment for your pet. Your friend’s tank or that of a pet shop will be good surroundings for your favorite fish while the moving is taking place. 

It is important to leave the fish in trusted hands where he/she will feel comfortable and safe. Mind that fish do not like changes and if everything happens too fast, it can cause them to die. So, be careful and do not take the fish with you until you settle down in your new place.

One of the things we know about fish is that they cannot survive more than a week without food. Anyway, it is not something that you should try to put to a test. Make sure you regularly feed your fish during your moving. Closely stick to his/hers habits to reduce the stress for your pet to a minimum. Apart from the environment, your fish should not experience any other changes that could harm his/her.

Remember that these pieces of advice are the only way to deal with such a situation if you are doing it yourself. It is so because house removals companies refuse to move pets. There, on the other hand, some that specialize in it but are very few and should be carefully researched. So they can be an option too.

And here are some more things you should take care of. When you decided for house removal move the fish in his/her temporary tank (at your friend or a pet shop), put it in a bag.

Half of the sealed bag should be filled with water and the other half with air or oxygen, in case transportation takes longer. And lastly, keep the roots of the aquarium plants wet and safely store all the toys to put back at the end.