Category Archive: Interior design and lighting

Contemporary Styles of Chandeliers

Contemporary Styles of Chandeliers1Once considered a staple for ritzy homes & swanky dining areas, chandeliers are now being used to brighten up even the unexpected spaces—such as bathrooms and gardens. They can now be used to make a statement and add an extra knack to any home. Clients can now splurge on them and save their finishing.

The Power of Chandeliers

Lighting has always been a key ingredient in modern style with masterpiece contemporary chandeliers always taking center stage. Today’s market is flooded with cutting-edge chandelier designs that are made of unique materials and classic finishes.

So, whether you are hanging your chandeliers in the entryway, living room, dining room, or the bathroom, a good chandelier can add drama & personality. Although pendant lights & chandeliers are being manufactured from similar materials and look alike, they’re slightly different. Chandelier lights hang in a branched-like system whereas pendant lights are hung from a single cord/ chain. Below, this article is going to delve into the main chandelier styles.

Tiered Chandeliers

Contemporary Styles of Chandeliers5Tiered chandeliers are characterized by many tiers, making them bigger and bold. They take many styles, ranging from old-fashioned through to modern to rustic ones.

Traditional Chandeliers

Featuring ornate detailing, like scrolling & filigree plus fine materials, the traditional chandeliers can add formality to any room.

Crystal Chandeliers

Contemporary Styles of Chandeliers2When done right, crystal chandeliers can add class and style to any room. Most of them are made of real crystals, making them a bit expensive but a nice investment. They have a stylish, traditional look that’ll attract attention. The lights will reflect on each crystal, creating a romantic & enchanting lighting atmosphere.

Drum chandeliers

Drum chandeliers often take after pendant lights. They (drum chandeliers) feature a single or multiple lampshades, which can surround the whole lamp or surround each and every light.

Transitional chandeliers

Transitional chandeliers can bring a touch of contemporary sleekness combined with stylish ornate designs as well as exceptional shapes. So far, they’re the most adaptable lighting fixtures, fitting nearly all interior design styles.

Rustic chandeliers

Contemporary Styles of Chandeliers3Common design ideas of rustic chandeliers include branches, plants, distressed materials, and animal horns. Installing these chandeliers in your space adds a spectacular touch to already existing décor and features.

Mini Chandeliers

Petite chandelier versions make a huge statement without occupying much space. They’re great for closets, bedrooms, bathrooms, and nurseries.

Contemporary and Modern Chandeliers

Contemporary and modern style chandeliers are defined by clean lines as well as sleek designs. With futuristic designs and shapes, these chandeliers look set to transform your home into a gathering place.

Bowl Chandeliers

Metal, ceramic, and even glass bowl chandeliers can be suspended by rods. These lights radiate upwards & softly down via the bowl.

Glass chandeliers

Some glass chandeliers come with arms while others don’t come with one. They are all made of glass and can be hung from the ceiling.

Contemporary Styles of Chandeliers4Candle with shades

The candle with shades chandeliers are similar to candle chandeliers, but the main difference is in the arms (i.e. each arm possesses a smaller shade).

Candle chandeliers

Candle chandeliers are actually traditional lighting fixtures featuring more than five arms. They come with multiple candlestick-shaped bulbs.

 

A Guide to Bulbs for Chandeliers

Bulbs 1Whether you’re looking for an elegant lighting fixture to revamp your hallway, add character to your dining room, or set a unique tone in other places of your home, chandeliers can be the perfect choice for creating such a big impression. Today’s contemporary and sophisticated styles offer an extensive range of fixture designs.
Apart from style and materials, you should consider several other factors when choosing your ideal bulbs for chandeliers; size, dimming options, light output, and type of light source are some of the things you shouldn’t forget.

Choosing Your Chandeliers

In addition to style, the main factors to selecting an ultimate chandelier for your space are size, dimming/control, and direction of the output light.

Having something very small or too big can lead to a disproportioned look. A 30-inch tall chandelier suspended from the middle of a room with 8-inch ceilings will feel awfully low and appear strange. Again, having extremely small pieces will seem like they’re dwarfed by the room.

To make right choices about the size of your chandelier, use the following reliable “rule of thumb” method.
• Measure your room’s length and width (in ft)
• Sum up the two numbers
• The total value obtained above should be your chandelier’s diameter in inches

Remember, this is just a simple guide. If you want something more accurate, try an online chandelier sizing tool.
You also want to ensure that the light produced by the lighting fixture isn’t glary. There’s nothing boring like sitting at a dining/living room with the strong glare of a bright light shining directly on your face. What’s the direction of the light? Are the bulbs obscured or exposed? If they’re exposed, consider adding a control switch/dimmer to your chandelier so as to regulate the light output.

Modern or Contemporary Design: The Available lighting trends

Bulbs 2For a more stylish look and design, concentrate on chrome or satin nickel finishes. Today, bronze finishes are more common in transitional bulb fixtures that combine design aspects from both conventional and modern styles. Contemporary designs now trend towards satin nickel & chrome. Also go for clean lines, featuring liberal amounts of ornate decoration. Remember, the finish and materials of your chandeliers should compliment your home’s interior décor.

Chandelier Sizes

Chandeliers are often sized by diameter & height. But the number of bulbs used might also impact on their size. The recommended diameter is ½ to 2/3 of the dining table’s width. This means that your chandelier’s diameter should be around 26 t0 30 inches.

Consider your ceiling’s and chandelier’s height before making your purchase, too. The lighting fixture should be suspended 30″- 36″ from the apex of your dining table to the bottom of the chandelier itself. If your ceilings are tall, a 2 or 3-tiered design would work magic. There are always great options for both round and square tables to properly size your dining room chandelier.

Brightness

Bulbs 3Chandeliers are decorative fittings, meant to impart a feel of luxury and ambiance to your home, so don’t expect them to be a primary source of light. This is one big mistake that most people make. Installing a chandelier in the middle of your room and expecting that it will sufficiently light the whole room is actually a recipe for poor lighting. This is even worse if the bulbs are exposed.

Chandeliers work best when utilized as an auxiliary light source or when integrated into a layered lighting design. For instance, incorporating wall sconces, recessed cans, or cover lighting in a room are incredible ways to highlight the space, accent walls, cabinets, paintings, and countertops.
Sometimes it is good to install something unexpected instead of going for that ordinary look. But ensure it perfectly suits your personal preferences!

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Chandelier Restoration:Breathe Life Into Your Chandeliers

chandelier fixture IMAG 1Beautiful lighting will ooze elegance to any home, but lighting that’s dulled by dust & dirt won’t have the same stunning effect. Worse still, broken antique chandeliers will make your room just awful and unattractive. Issues like poor re-wiring will only make your chandeliers look old. So, you need to hire an expert chandelier restoration company to undertake all chandelier cleaning, rewiring, and restoration services. With the right expert, you’ll be guaranteed of safe unboxing, professional installations, crating, in addition to repairs services.

Get the Basics Right

So, before you get out to look for a restoration company or even think of doing it by yourself, familiarize yourself with the following basics.

Don’t Underestimate Safety Issues

It’s natural that most homeowners would want to give their chandeliers a good cleaning. However, it’s prudent to assess the fixture’s condition before attempting to touch. Does the chandelier have its original wiring? If so, ensure to do a professional re-wiring before taking another step. If you do it wrong, it will blow your electric circuit or result in a shock. And at worst, it may end up burning your house. So, if it’s more than a wire, get a professional to do it for you.

 

chandelier fixture IMAGE 2Evaluation of Cleaning Approach

Sometimes a chandelier fixture only requires a light cleaning to get rid of superficial dirt so as to leave your original lacquered finish in place. Therefore, it’s important to know the type of metal you are dealing with to determine the cleaning approach you’ll adapt.

What About the Special Finishes

There is an assortment of finishes to be restored—ranging from vintage clear lacquer lighting to enameling as well as gilding. Except for re-plating, which requires strict environmental controls, a good number can be undertaken in-house by a dependable chandelier restoration company.

While some of the vintage finishes can be forgiving, others are relatively more fragile & demand skillful hands.

For instance, several depression-era light fixtures possess delicate polychrome finishes that can easily be damaged but hard to repair and restore. This is because they are manufactured using lower-cost materials, such as pot metals that were formerly painted in manifold colors.

 

Authentic Is Class

Chandeliers are considered rare & valuable. Thus, going for quality is key when it comes to restoring them. Do your research before embarking on the journey of restoration. Get referrals from friends concerning the refurbishment company you are considering. Ensure they have the best expertise and parts if you want your antique fixtures to look like an art. And finally, go for uniqueness.

 

It’s Time to Breathe Life into your chandelier Lights
chandelier fixture 3Don’t leave your ‘Petite French’ LED strip bronze chandelier to be a mess of badly twisted arms, dull finishes, plus missing crystals when you can breathe life into them by undertaking careful restoration and cleaning. Hire a professional restoration team to remove all of those crystals & glass stem pieces, and re-wire the old wiring together with the sockets. Caution: Ensure that the company you hire comes with original arms, bobeches, as well as candle cups.

And………………………………..

After the restoration is over, ask them to review the fixture by gently cleaning and applying a wax polish. The result: The fixture should retain its original patina. Remember, the magic isn’t in the chemicals, rather it’s the careful & expert application of antiquated elbow grease.

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Decorative Lighting: Define Your Décor

Decorative 2No living room is complete without architectural decorative ignitions that exude classical artworks, especially chandeliers. These LED bulbs are utilized as decorative fixtures; which are increasingly becoming the perfect lighting solution for most homes. They’re available in numerous colors and sizes, crystal drop embellishments, ancient alabaster stones or excavation glass are some of the textures you may want.

 

 

Boosting the freshness of your living room

Contemporary decorative lighting is a fantastic way to boost the freshness of your living room. They exist in many different styles, designs, and finishes. You will readily find stylishly, energy-efficient alternatives for replacing existing traditional bulbs. These attractive hangings are simply the perfect option for redefining your home. Whether it’s your bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen, chandeliers still remain the best choice. With the numerous ceiling options available, you are certain to get the best design.

The good side…

The quality of light produced is often much better than that of fluorescent and incandescent bulbs. Besides, they last longer than other conventional bulbs. If you install chandeliers in your home, you won’t need to change them for several years. Being productive, eco-friendly, and long-lasting, this type of decorative lighting is sure to fulfill your desires.

Light is an indispensable element in everyone’s life and there are countless options available in today’s market. Decorative lighting can be used in several ways to boost the condition of your living space. By highlighting the internal features of your home with chandeliers, you will achieve a supremely serene and romantic atmosphere that can’t be found in an ordinary environment.

A centerpiece of any room

Decorative 1Chandelier lighting fixtures attract everyone’s attention, and can ideally be the centerpiece of any room. It is important that you choose the best design of decorative lighting to create the tranquil setting you want. To the maximum effect of it, make sure that you generate a broader beam of light through the entire house and have it stream impeccably between different rooms.

The most efficient way to undertake this is to use multi-layered light sources. Any space which has numerous focal points will be progressively attractive and balanced. And this is exactly you should direct the brightest light source. Remember to include natural light. Also, consider day as well as evening options. After correctly layered your lighting, incorporate the chandeliers to realize an upscale experience. Remember to utilize the right bulbs all the time to avoid reflected glare that can potentially destroy your eyes as well as those of your loved ones.

The golden advice

Keeping the light off the ceiling through employing chandeliers that offer implausible down lighting is one of the surest ways of alleviating lighting problems. Remember: surface imperfections are less prominent only when direct light illuminations on them are eliminated.

Go for backlighting decorative lighting objects since they play a vital role in accenting them. Also, bouncing balanced light into your residence is effective and can re-creating that pleasing effect. Decorative lighting, when well blended with chandeliers, can be magical in illuminating transparent/ translucent objects like glass.

What are Chandeliers?

Chandelier is quite a wide term used to describe a specific style of lighting fixture. It is a word most often used in the lighting industry but do you really know what it is when you hear the word chandelier?chandelier-hung-in-ceiling

Fundamentally a chandelier is a light which is suspended from the ceiling. It can be suspended a variety of different ways however; it can be hung through the ceiling or from a hook that has been attached to the ceiling, or it can be installed from a winch. How it is hung will be dependent on the room it is being hung in, the height it is being hung from and how the specific chandelier will be hung best.

A chandelier techandelier-3-armsnds to have arms or branches on it; at the end of these branches is where the bulbs will be to illuminate the room. The lowest number of arms a chandeliers tends to have is 3, and the largest number is ultimately limitless. Chandelier sizes can vary and so therefore the number of arms can vary too. The length of the arms will also be dependent on the size of the chandelier – the bigger the chandelier, the longer the arms tend to be. The arms can be made of different materials and look differently; they can be decorated which is seen in the more elaborate fixtures, or glass arms which are simply but elegant. These different types will match the rest of the style of chandelier.

Chandeliers are what you would imagine – traditional and a showpiece. However variations are being made now to make them look more modern. There are many chandeliers which have lamp shades at the end of the arms instead of the candle bulbs. This is different but creates a modern twist which is becomingly increasingly popular for those that can think the traditional chandeliers would be too much for their interior.

Candle bulbs are the only light bulb used in chandeliers, this is because they are reminiscent of the first chandeliers which used candles to illuminate a room. There are different types of candle bulbs which can be used to create different effects; some which are decorative with their filaments on show, others that are LED and halogen, others where the glass can be tinted a different colour. The sky is the limit when it comes to what bulbs to use in a chandelier!chandelier-candle-bulb

Crystals tend to decorate a chandelier to create more of a light refraction and give sparkle to a room. There can be a different amount of crystals on each chandelier to create different effects and again, meet individual’s desires and design requirements. Basically chandeliers can be made to how you want them but we hope this is informative and indicates the extent of the scope of details that can be changed.

 

 

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Design aspects in Lighting

So you need to light up a room but want to know more first? Well in this article we’re going to delve into light; understanding light, uses of light and learn about lights by room. After reading this article, you will have become an expert on everything you could ever know about light!

Where to begin? Well light! It boasts variety – light in general varies – probably more than anything! Daylight changes every hour, possibly even more frequently than that, and the colour changes every season with the intensity alternating too! This is what makes light so fascinating and confusing all at the same time! Because of how light changes, this will also change the light in a room so you have to be careful you furnish your home in accordance with this; for example, if you have small windows, make sure you make the most of them by not obstructing the little light the window could give, which large windows might need to be covered so as to prevent the light becoming too much at certain parts of the day.

Artificial light is often used to help light rooms where natural light isn’t enough. This light is usually background lighting, to keep it subtle and literally in the background so it isn’t noticeable that additional lighting has been used. Additional lighting can be hidden e.g behind furniture, in the pelmets of windows or around the perimeter of the room.

There are 3 different types of background lighting which can be divided into –

· general or background lighting
· local or task lighting
· accent or decorative lighting

Local or Task Lighting

Local or Task Lighting is lighting for a specific purpose, e.g reading, working at a desk or computer – literally doing anything that might need more light than the general ceiling light; lighting for a focused area. Your bulb should be at least 60w for this lighting – to ensure you are lighting the specific area to be bright enough.

Fully adjustable lamps are usually best for this situation because the light can be changed to wherever you may need and the angle of them can be changed too, so if there is a glare this is easily fixed! Don’t try and save money when it comes to task lighting because there is so many different factors that might need to be changed – you don’t want to miss out not being able to change one of those factors.

Clip-on spotlights are an inexpensive way to get task lighting; they are cheap but you can also move then around to wherever you might need to get the extra light.

Accent or Decorative LightingDP_Charalambous-Pren070220-0146-2-living_s4x3.jpg.rend_.hgtvcom.1280.960.jpg

This is the widest type of lighting with the options of using, down lighters, uplighters, spotlights, tracks and table lamps. They are additional to general lighting adding depth, shape and generally changing the ambiance of the room with more light. Specifically, tracks are used for lighting different areas of a room.

When deciding to use decorative lighting, you first need to decide what you want to highlight in a room – what possessions, what photos, if it’s going to be a coffee cable. This is because the lighting options will change depending on what you want to highlight. If you want to highlight a book, or bookshelf – using spotlights would be best in this situation because you can attach it to a shelf and emphasize the books.

Highlighting a photo or picture on the wall is the hardest thing to highlight – but not impossible! This is because the picture will usually be behind glass which could cause a glare. To avoid this, you need to use a broad bean so that the light is even distributed across the picture or photo. This will undoubtedly make it the focal point in any room!

Plants are also hard to highlight because they are living and you don’t want to kill them by giving them too much light – even if they are light loving! So it is essential that you read the instructions for the plant and whether or not it would be able to cope with being subjected to light.
There are also options which would mean that the plant isn’t fully exposed to light; tiny lights can be bought to be put into the pot with the plant to light it up from the bottom, however because these lights are only small, the plant would also have to be in proportion and fairly small. For bigger size pots, having a light behind and angled will light up the plant creating shadows and illuminating it.

Lighting your home isn’t easy, and it’s important you have it in your head what you want to light up, how and the affects you want in the room. If you have any questions or would just like to talk through your ideas with someone, we are always available to help. We have a website online which is there 24/7 or alternatively you can call us on 01420 520521. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Swarovski Crystal Chandeliers – Beauty into Your Home

If you want to improve the appearance of your home by setting up the attention grabbing light fixtures, then you can consider about Crystal chandeliers. They add additional ember to your home decorations. Crystal chandeliers are becoming more popular because they provide attractiveness and elegance to rooms and make it more impressive and stylish. They are accessible in many various types and styles. You can choose from different Crystal Chandeliers because this wonderful item of art can give your residence very eye-catching look.

blog_swarovski_chandelier

Chandeliers are a great method of obtaining lighting, which hangs from the roof of the room and make the room wonderful. In crystal chandeliers, different varieties of crystals are utilized. Among many other crystals the Strass crystal and the Swarovski crystal are the best. The Swarovski crystal is most frequently used in the chandeliers because they are less expensive when compared to Strass crystal. At the time of manufactured, they were wrapped having a clear layer of amazing optical high quality to offer an impressive wonderful tone. Swarovski Crystal Chandeliers are still very shiny for lighting up any home and make it appealing. People use this as a decoration inside of the living room for stylish and lively look.

The magnificence of crystal chandeliers is undeniable.  If you set up a crystal chandelier, you will notice an instant variation in the room by looking both in its overall look and the atmosphere. By installing a crystal chandelier, you don’t need to change it for several years and can consequently be passed on through the generations. A stunning crystal chandelier can give a lot more beauty and charm to your home than any other lighting fixture.

Crystal chandeliers are most generally used in the in entrances and dining rooms to make it gorgeous. You can also use smaller Swarovski Crystal Chandeliers to make your guest rest room beautiful. If you want to beautify your living room, you can set up a big chandelier in your bedroom.

There are many types of crystal chandelier accessible in the markets. Among many other crystal chandeliers, Swarovski Crystal Chandeliers will be main in the beautification of your rooms. As soon as you buy the crystal chandelier you want, you can now hang it out of your room to improve the beauty of it. Absolutely, your room looks amazing as the crystal chandelier is hanging there. If you want to get the perfect crystal chandeliers, you can look on the internet for several large crystal chandeliers for your home.

 

 

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Interior design and the introduction of the correct furniture and architectural lighting

When designing a room layout, colour scheme, lighting and furniture all will ultimately be affected by size. The most basic example of this would be that if you have a room that’s a corridor and only two meters wide you can’t put an armchair in, as it will take up the entire hallway whichever way you put it! Whilst a basic and obvious example it does portray the basic rule that if you can’t comfortable walk to an area of your room that will need to be accessed, all you need is meter wide path, then you need to either move some furniture about or get rid of something as you’re most likely unnecessarily filling your room and not allowing the rest of the furniture to be seen and appreciated. Of course the situations changes if the rooms main use if for practical work such as a garage but even then you need to be able to access tools and you will require some good cool white LED panels or LED tubes so you can see clearly should you want to use it as a workshop.
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But there is a lot more to layout than this, but I’m not able to cover it as extensively as I would like, so I recommend you go read another article that’s more specific on that subject, but in all honesty layout really comes down to what suites you and furniture is relatively easy to move so it’s no problem re-adjusting if you don’t like the layout. Wall colouring comes at the other end of this scale, as it not only requires you to move all your furniture away from the walls anyway but it’s simply hard work, and costly to hire on a small scale property. But it needs to be done and it is so much easier to do early on when the other items are not in place, simply due to the nature of the task. The other key aspect on the layout is lighting and this can invariably mean the introduction of architectural LED lighting or if you have a tradition design scheme then a crystal chandelier is often an excellent idea.
I am sure we have all heard of the basic concept that light colours make a room feel larger whilst darker colours make it feel smaller. If you have not, then well now you have. Whilst simple, this is your bread and butter basic size to colour design tip to keep in mind at all times when colouring a room. Another effective technique that ties into this is using dimmable light bulbs to make a room darker or lighter to change how large it feels. Just make sure to be wary of CFL bulbs, as they are prone to having lower quality dimming. Yet filament bulbs work fine, and I find that LED energy saving light bulbs work the best due to the greater variety of different light colours available with them. The additional benefit is that you will be playing your part in improving the environment for future generations.
As a final point, you can also use texture to make a room feel smaller, which can be very effective when you do not want to sacrifice colour scheme yet change how spacious your room feels. When it comes to size and interior design, that’s pretty much all I got on this subject. All there is left to say is good luck!

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How to add a Chandelier into your Interior Design Concept

Filling space in a room is often a simply task, simply put in some more furniture! Yet I have seen so many cases where this simply leads to the over crowing of a room and it feels like I am in a storage warehouse, not a living room! The real secret to filling a room well is not by putting more items in it, but by putting the right things in the right place, not simply putting them anywhere!

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One of my favourite ways to fill space in a living room is actually through the use of mirrors and televisions. This may seem odd, but hear me through. Whilst most wall items, such as wardrobes or pictures, simply develop the space directly in front of them, both TV’s and mirrors have a wide arch of space which they give purpose to, and one or the other fit into almost any domestic home design. As a plus a TV has a purpose, obviously, and can add colour and atmosphere to a room of your choice by simply putting on a DVD and putting the sound on low, effectively acting as a moving picture with sound. And for the mirror, it not only fills space but due to the fact that it reflects the room it is in the area can feel larger on top of more effectively used!
As for the space right in from of the TV or mirror I always feel that a rug can add character to the space and further develop it, via the use of vibrant colours and a rich patter it actually brings itself up from the floor making the space you have just given purpose to feel even more filled. This can also work well in front of large windows and as a centre for a semicircle of chairs and sofas we all so love to have in our living rooms, but you should definitely have a coffee table on it as well so you have somewhere to put drinks, magazines and anything that guests, family and anyone would want to have whilst in the living room; so be prepared for getting food on the rug once in a whilst as nobody is accident prone! For the very reason and the way that furniture dents a rug whilst resting on it I often opt for a less expensive rug in these situations to try to not cut into my coffers too much!
My final tip for using the space in your room would have to be to try to fill the upper room space as much as possible. Imagine one of those huge ball rooms with a glistening crystal chandelier in the centre, but then without the large chandelier. It would be a lot more empty, wouldn’t it! But although beautiful, not everyone can afford a chandelier and many simply do not like them, so I would recommend trying the use of floor lamps, bookcases and general taller furniture to try to fill the ceiling area. Yet in the end I do find the best way to do this is to go for a chandelier, crystal or ornate. But it really comes down to personal preference which I suppose is my true final suggestion. Go for what you like the best!