Both functional and full of personality, the lighting fixtures you choose serve a true dual purpose – they reflect your style and light your home. Obviously, lighting touches every room of your home and we’ll be covering those specific areas in our HOT Topics. We wanted to get some general tips out to you today …

• It is a good idea to visit a lighting showroom before the walk-through with the electrician.  Lighting consultants can give ideas and suggestions for the best lighting that you often haven’t thought of.  Once the electrician is done wiring the house, it’s often too late to add that sconce you wanted or change the recessed can to a mini pendant.
• Allow at least a 4-week order time, the earlier you select the better.  The less time you allow will limit your products to select from.
• Bring your floor plans with you for the initial consult.  Lighting consultants can then help you decide exactly what type of lighting works best in each area. If the electrical is already set, know the placement and quantity of the fixtures.

Your kitchen is one of the most crucial lighting landscapes in your home: 

Mood gives way to task here as well-placed recessed cans and under-counter lighting will eliminate shadows on your workspace (your electrician should be able to suggest best placement). But that doesn’t mean you have to give up style. Express yourself with mini pendants either at the sink or above an island or peninsula. Still keep in mind function here, however. For instance, if the kids will be tackling homework at the island you’ll need to be sure the lighting is suitable for doing that.

Don’t forget about the bulbs:

If you’ve fallen in love with a certain pendant be sure the bulb it takes will serve your needs. For instance, one with a candelabra base may not be give off enough light. When choosing fixtures, be sure to know how many bulbs they use and the maximum wattage they allow. Also, a note on Edison bulbs … while their ambiance is fantastic, their vintage yellow glow is more appropriate for mood than for task. Though not as “authentic-looking” there are now LED bulbs that show off the look of the Edison filament. However they give off a whiter light.

Go for the most dramatic effect:

The areas above the island, dining table or entry, depending on which fixture will have the most Wow Factor. If you’ve got an open floor plan and these areas share the same sight line, place your feature fixture in only one of these locations, rather than have them competing for the spotlight.

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