From the Floors Up

Best Lighting for Rooms Without Ceiling Lights

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Many homes and apartments today come without overhead ceiling lights. This feature is great because it gives you the freedom to select your own lighting, yet it can also be problematic because you start off without any general lighting. The first thing to do is to make sure the light your get serves the right purpose. Since your room is missing general lighting, this light feature’s task is to illuminate the whole room. With this in mind, a simple end table lamp may not do the trick. To help, here are some great options to consider for rooms without overhead ceiling lighting:

Plug-in Ceiling Pendants

If your room has no overhead lighting, you probably have an outlet that will provide electricity when the light switch is flipped. First, you will want to locate this outlet then you can purchase a plug-in ceiling pendant. A pendant is a light fixture that is mount to the ceiling and hangs down from a rod or chain. These lights can come in thousands of styles, so find one that works with your home design. Try to tastefully secure your wire to the wall and down to your outlet when installing these pendants.

Plug-in Light Rail

Light rails can also provide an excellent source of light for your room. You will want to install the lighting rail in an area that will allow your lights to cover the entire room. Plus, plug-in light rails can usually have several lights installed on them, so you will want to angle your lights to help provide balanced lighting throughout the entire atmosphere.

Large Floor Lamp

There are many large floor lamps available on the market today as well. This option may be your best bet if you do not want a wire running up to your ceiling. Floor lamps are a common remedy for dark rooms. Just make sure you find a floor lamp that provides adequate lighting for your space. Some lampshades may not be transparent enough to allow light to cover the whole room properly, so be sure to look for the right lamp for your space.

While not having overhead lighting may first seem like an inconvenience, there are still a lot of great options to explore. You have the freedom to choose the lighting style you want. Try to look for a lighting option that works best with your design style by incorporating one of these ideas. Thanks for reading!

Tips for Choosing Modern Style Lighting

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Have you done a recent renovation, or are you simply jazzing up a room and want to try Modern design? We completely understand and realize just how popular and how pleasing it is to bring something from history back to life! We recommend introducing a little Modern lighting into the room and starting here.

First, we must not get confused about the difference between Modern style and Contemporary style. Actually, they are quite different, and we are going to help you understand and determine just what you need to purchase for modern style lighting.

History

Modern style evolved from the movement in the 1920s to the 1950s. Modern style differs from Contemporary because it follows a defined style, straight lines, geometric shapes, clean and minimal furnishings, and accessories. We have listed below some tips and tricks for making that special Modern lighting purchase.

Room Size

Start by looking at the room and think about the size of the room with any cabinets, countertops, islands, built-ins, or bookcases that may be present. This will help you determine the number of fixtures you must purchase. If you have a countertop or kitchen island and it is six feet long, and the fixtures are twenty-four inches, think about purchasing three light fixtures.

Ceiling Height

If you have ten plus feet of ceiling, you must think about the height because you will need more intense lighting to cover the area and to be able to see properly. Many Modern rooms install recessed lighting. Recessed lighting is unnoticeable and very minimal, which is perfect for Modern style. You can also choose flush-mounted lighting or flush-mounted wall sconces, which are minimal and do not compete with the overall design style of the room.

Types of Lighting

Most Modern style lighting will consist of LED lighting. It has become the standard for energy savings and only uses a fraction of the electricity that an incandescent or halogen low wattage bulb uses. The LED lighting gives off much less heat and is less costly to run overtime. You will pay more for the initial bulb, but they will last for years!

Style

If we follow the Modern design style, our lighting is going to be sleek with a lot of stainless steel and glass, which possibly has some wood to match the overall Modern style. Again, we want to make sure the lighting is white, cream, or clear to fall in line with the minimalist look.

What are your thoughts on Modern design? We would love to hear from you below in the comment section.

How to Correctly Use Accent Lighting

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There are three types of lighting to use in your home: ambient lighting, accent lighting, and task lighting. While all three are very important when designing your space, accent lighting has a special place among the three. Accent lighting is used to highlight focal points in the environment. It can be used more than once in a room and helps create the room’s ambiance. Knowing how to use accent lighting correctly is vital to enhance your rooms theme and overall aesthetics. Here are three rules of thumb to remember when applying accent lighting:

Accent Light Your Focal Points

Accent lighting’s primary purpose is to highlight points in the room. Your accent lights will attract attention, so make sure you are drawing it to the right areas. Giving a room more visual impact through accent lighting can allow your focal point to become a strong influence in the room. A solid, well-lit focal point is a key element to any interior design theme.

Apply Backlighting and Recessed Lighting

When lighting is recessed or backlit, it creates a level of a mystic-this ambiance is great for adding subtle yet practical accent lighting in your room. Backlight behind pictures, cabinets, entertainment stands, and television. Add recessed lights in your room on dimmers to help make the lighting adaptable throughout the space.

Less Is More

Going overboard on accent lighting can take away from the power they have to offer. While accent lighting is good, less is more. Know how to apply dimmers to help enhance the space. Your ambient lighting should be used to illuminate the room and to make a dramatic impact.

Incandescent Lighting

While fluorescent lighting is great for lasting longer, it is not ideal for accent lighting. The true, warm color incandescent light has to offer may be more beneficial for your room; however, this comes down to application. In some areas of the home, even LED can make powerful backlighting and help the design. Make sure you consider what lighting option is best for your home.

Use accent lighting in your home to enhance your space. The more you can nail this down, the more powerful your design will become. For more insight on interior design, make sure to subscribe.

Building a House…I Wish I Had Thought of That! (Part One)

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Screen Shot 2013-05-07 at 10.37.00 AMWe would like to introduce Megan, one of our readers who has been kind enough to share her story and advice on building a house.

If building a house is in your future there are many things to think about and consider. Below are some helpful tips that will hopefully keep you from saying, “I wish I had thought of that!”

  • Window Shape: When I built my house I was set on having bamboo shades. It wasn’t till after I moved in that I discovered bamboo shades couldn’t be customized to an arched window. This actually made a lot of sense, but I had not thought about it when we were designing the window shapes in the house.
  • Master Shower: This is a brilliant idea instead of installing shelves in the corners of the shower for your shampoo.  You can do pocket shelves on the same wall as the shower knob. This provides a dry area for all your shower essentials and keeps things neat, tidy, handy, and dry!
  • Hallways: For an added touch use arch niches in your hallway. This is great for a picture or plant. Don’t forget the accent light!
  • Screen Shot 2013-05-07 at 10.35.58 AMEntry Area: An insert of tile or slate is the perfect solution for keeping your wood floors from getting moisture from rain and snow. It’s easy to maintain and worry free.
  • Carpet:  Make sure you get a good carpet pad. A good pad will extend the life of your carpet and you’ll be able to feel the difference on your feet!  Also, go one step further and research carpet beyond “base grade”.

You don’t want to miss next week’s post! Megan has even more information she’d like to share.  Stay tuned.

Dream Kitchen for the Serious Cook

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If you love to cook, you’re probably longing to get into this kitchen, for it was designed with a cook in mind.

Let’s take a look at the elements that make this space ideal for the serious home cook.

If we look at the lighting, there are a generous number of ceiling lights to even out the overall light spread and reduce the chance of inconvenient shadows. Additional task lighting under the upper cabinets gives cooks the opportunity for the fine detail work that requires more illumination.

The range has a built-in high-speed fan, and the stainless steel covers the stove’s backsplash. In addition to that oven, a double oven to the right provides three baking spaces plus a warming drawer. Life is good for the cook who is also a home baker. The dishwasher is a two-drawer model, which allows for smaller loads so you can clean as you go.

Glass-fronted upper cabinets leave all critical serving pieces in plain sight to grab when plating the meal or setting the table. Even the faucet at the kitchen sink has an extra-high profile to provide enough space for large pots and pitchers.

The functionality is clear, but it’s also a beautiful, light and inviting space to work. The wood floors – not visible in this photo – add warmth to the space. Three coats of polyurethane keep the floor protected from spills and crumbs while still allowing it to have that rich farmhouse look. Altogether, this is a kitchen that would make almost any cook happy.

From the Floors Up

From the Floors Up blog was created with the goal of providing a destination for consumers, designers and those interested in the flooring, design, and kitchen and bath industries. Here you’ll find, current, accurate and informative information that is always just a click away!

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