Montgomery Decor

Without a doubt, the bathroom is one of the most essential rooms in any house. One essential aspect of a good bathroom is the lighting. Good lighting makes the bathroom a pleasure to use. Now, there are modern bathroom lighting fixtures that can transform any bathroom from drab to fab in no time at all.

Installing modern bathroom lighting in your bathroom can spell the difference between simply adequate to cozy and comfortable. A well thought of new lighting fixture can instantly add style and sophistication to your bathroom. But most importantly, carefully planned lighting will enhance the function of your bathroom tenfold. Modern bathrooms have many functions as evidenced by the basic amenities it has such as vanity tops, sinks, bath tubs, cabinets, and mirrors. You can start you bathroom redesign by taking into account the different functions either in a single bathroom or in a number of bathrooms in your house.

Installing new lighting fixtures in your bathroom is closely tied with its interior design. It can be said that adding the appropriate lights is the finishing touch to the bathroom’s design because it will enhance the room’s ambience, add to its functionality and create a place that is pleasant and relaxing. If you use your bathroom more as a place for relaxation after a long hard day’s work, then using ambient lighting will surely enhance the relaxing atmosphere.

Another type of modern bathroom lighting is ambient lighting which aims to simulate natural light, thus creating a soft and subdued illumination. Ambient lighting can be achieved using different types of lighting fixtures. One of these is the use of cove lighting. You can also use rope lights which are installed behind recessed moldings for a more sophisticated but subdued effect. The goal of ambient lighting is to illuminate the room sufficiently without creating glare, thus the use of subtle lighting fixtures.

Meanwhile, for bathrooms that are mainly used for grooming and hygiene purposes, task lighting and side lighting will be more appropriate. Lights that fully illuminate the face and the body are used here. This ensures that grooming and make up can be accomplished in the proper manner. Shadows and dark areas can make grooming and putting on make-up harder than it is. Thus, strong and clear lights are used in task lighting. A good tip is to install lights along the sides of your bathroom mirror. You can also install side lights that illuminate your face and body without too much glare.

Accent lighting is another type you can use. As its name says, this type of lighting is used to accentuate and emphasize certain features inside your bathroom for dramatic effect or aesthetic appeal. Mini spot lights or flood lights can be used to enhance the look and feel of your bathroom. A trip to your local furniture shop or interior decorator’s atelier can help you pick out what type of modern bathroom lighting to use.

For bathroom lighting ideas, visit http://www.bathroomlighting101.com

Good lighting is one thing most interior designers agree on. You can have the most beautifully designed room with all the right furniture, colors and accessories but if the lighting isn’t right it will never look or feel good. There is more to lighting for residential interiors than just a couple of lamps and some ceiling cans. Good lighting requires careful thought and appropriate selections. If you understand and utilize the types of lighting you will be well on your way to creating a wonderful environment.
The three lighting categories:

1. Task lighting, which is light for specific functions that depend on good vision.

Reading
Computer work
Homework
Sewing

2. General or ambient lighting is the lighting required to move through a space or to see people and objects. This is not as bright as task lighting.

3. Accent lighting is the focused use of light to bring attention to an object or area. Art or picture lights are accent lighting. This is often used to highlight an architectural feature and commonly used in outdoor lighting (certain trees, water features, or wall washing effects). Accent lighting is used to make a space more interesting and active.

A room with good lighting makes use of all three categories. There are times when one light source does double duty such as in a small entryway where a ceiling fixture is used to wash light over a specific wall to highlight it and is also enough to all allow people to comfortably move through the space. In this scenario more light isn’t needed. It is important to consider your environment so that your lighting selections are necessary but not redundant.

What do you do in a family room? People read and play games, watch TV and have conversations. What lighting do you need? In my family room there is floor or table lamps with 3-way bulbs next to the places people sit to read (task lighting). I have two wall sconces switched at the exit and entry points of the room for general lighting. When the sconces are dimmed, they also highlight texture on their respective walls (accent lighting). For fun there is also a fiber optic installation on the ceiling which can change colors (accent lighting).

Before you purchase any lighting it is important that you think about the tasks you complete in your space, how you move through the space and any items or areas you want to focus attention onto. Now you can use lighting properly to achieve the functionality you need as well as the level of beauty or visual interest you want. You do not have to have a big budget and an interior designer to achieve good lighting. If you cover the three categories above when lighting your rooms you will be on your way to a well designed home that functions and is visually appealing.

Lisa M. Smith is an interior designer and owner of Interior Design Factory, Ltd. She specializes in creating beautiful and inviting residential interiors that are timeless and look collected, not like a showroom. Real design for real people. She produces individualized results using creative solutions and often designs furniture, cabinetry and lighting specific to her customers needs to create interiors that are liveable and tell a story. Good design is for everyone and available in every budget.

Interior Design Factory also has commercial clients who are looking for the same attention to detail as residential clients but to create interiors to position them for future success with a more watchful eye towards budget and design being a good investment.

Hire an Interior Designer Now for only $14.95. Click on website to ask your personal design question. You can even send pictures. Get design advice and answers just for you!

http://www.InteriorDesignFactory.com

If you are thinking about adding some landscape lighting to your yard there are two main reasons you should add landscape lights. The first reason is simple because you want to add an extension of enjoyment for your yard to be enjoyed at night. The second reason is something that not too many people think about, and that is the reason of security.

Homes with landscape lighting look much nicer as well and can give you the security of curb appeal. In this current recession, people want to do everything they can to improve their home’s worth as homes are deteriorating in value around the country. Landscape lighting adds some value to your home because it accentuates the hard work you have put into your landscaping. It also makes your home look more inviting and gives it a very warm demeanor.

It’s a fact that less homes are broken into that have landscape lighting. Not only will landscape lighting deter most criminals, it also gives you some other types of securities. Having worked in the real estate and mortgage business for years, I often heard about people that had been sued because someone slipped and fell on their property. One common factor in many of these stories is that these accidents happened at night when they couldn’t see. When I was growing up my parents had a long sidewalk walkway on the side of the house. At night it was very dark and hard to see where you were going. I was always scared to walk on that side of the house at night because as a child I was scared. My parents did add lighting eventually and it made that side of the house beautiful. We had rose bushes that were accentuated at night and i was no longer scared to go on that side of the house at night. Not only can it curb children’s fears of the dark, but by adding landscape lighting it will save you a lot of money as people will be much more less likely to hurt themselves if they can see where they are going.

We hope that as you are deciding on landscaping fixtures that you think about these security features that come with adding landscape lighting. While considering the security aspect, make sure you pick lights that will light up walkways, driveways, and especially steps within your yard. We are excited for you to extend the love you have for your yard into the night hours and hope you can sleep easy knowing your property is a little more secured.