LIGHT READING: Be a know-it-all 

Is your home in need of a lighting update? Does the idea of selecting a new fixture or simply switching to LED bulbs seem overwhelming? If the answer is yes to either question, or if you want to see the latest lighting styles and innovations, pick up a copy of Lighting magazine at one of our convenient locations.

The new 2018 issue of Lighting, from the American Lighting Association (ALA) and Better Homes and Gardens, is now on newsstands and full of inspiring tips, trends and answers to questions most often asked about home lighting. While highlighting fashion-forward lighting design, Lighting is also an educational guide, making it enlightening as well as inspirational for homeowners.

DECOR DO’S: Show off your style

With hundreds of inspiring images and design ideas, Lighting is a valuable source of information for anyone interested in tips about home decór. For example, here are three unexpected ways to use lighting:

1. Uplight a plant – Hide a small spotlight next to a large
container and turn it at about a 45-degree angle up toward
the foliage.

2. Hang pendants bedside – The light should reach about
eye height.

3. Illuminate a bookshelf – Hide mini lights in front of artwork or other display pieces.

EXPERT ADVICE:  Ask a Lighting Professional

I have an open concept home. Should the light in the entry way match the light over our dining room table?     -Margaret B.

The process of matching lighting fixtures inside of a home is very subjective and there is no precise answer. However, it is good practice to match some aspect of the fixtures from one room to another if the two fixtures are visible from different locations in the home.

It is good to match the general style, which means matching the basic lines, shapes, colors and textures of one fixture with the same design details of another. This is subjective, and the best method for achieving a solution is to find one fixture that you like, and then look at other fixtures with similar characteristics. They may even have different styles, but if the lines, shapes, colors and textures are similar, then it can work.

One good way of doing this is to visit one of our convenient locations and let a lighting consultant help you find fixtures appropriate for both locations.