Many homeowners spend a lot of time and money creating the perfect spaces in their home from choosing paints and fabrics to furniture, art and décor. But many also do not know that by designing with light, they can highlight all of these features.
I am Andrew Pike, and I am going to show you how to enhance your home’s décor using the latest innovations in green lighting technology. Lighting plays an integral part in creating the atmosphere in your home. Overall, it can set the tone of a space as well as highlights special art, architecture and unique features and the best part is it is easy to do.
Using track and pot lighting is a great way to highlight special features in your home. Not only do reflector bulbs provide lots of light, they also provide lots of options with your focus and directional abilities. Show off a unique piece of art in the entertainment areas of your home or use it in the home office to light up your workspace. Provide crisp, bright lighting in your bathroom. Add dimensions to the bedroom with ambient lighting.
When you have decided where you want to use reflector lighting, you then need to choose the right track or pop fixture as well as the right design. Installing track lighting is generally pretty easy. Every unit is a little bit different, so you want to be sure to read the instructions that are included with the manufacturer’s packaging. Track lighting can also generally be installed with the existing wiring that is in your home. However, pot lighting should almost always be installed by a certified electrician.
After you have installed your fixture, you will need to select the right kind of bulbs. Reflector bulbs are recommended for track and pot lights and are available in incandescent halogen and now advanced LED technology. Choosing the right bulb is important not only for the right color and for amount of light but also for the right type of light for a space. The right output and color of light can make a huge difference in the effect you are tying to achieve. For example, using a flood beam can create general ambient lighting whereas using a focus spot will create accent lighting.
The color refers to the white light hue, which also plays a huge role in determining the colors of your paints in fabrics. I like to use new LED bulbs. Philips has developed a new GU10 and a dimmable MR16 both specifically designed for use with track and pot lighting. They give off a high quality of light and are available in two colors both warm white and cool white. LED bulbs like this one from Philips are the most environmentally friendly bulbs on the market right now. They use up to 80% less energy consumption in traditional bulbs which will help you save significantly on your energy costs. This single 6-watt LED bulb has the equivalent lifespan of over 1735 watt halogen bulbs, which use at an average of three to four hours a day will last you more than 20 years. These bulbs give off a very low heat in comparison to incandescent and halogen and does will not fade the colors in art work and fabrics. Since pot lights and track lights tend to be left on for extended periods of time, this will not only save you money, but also the hassle of frequently having to change the bulbs.
So let us review how to use track or pot lighting to create dimension and enhance your home lighting. One, decide on the room and specific elements you would like to highlight and then choose a fixture design that will work in your space. Two, use long light LED bulbs for hard to reach fixtures, highest areas, high quality light and energy savings. Three, choose your color preference. Use a cool white bulb with whiter vivid colors and a warm light bulb to wood tones or more muted colored areas in your home. And four, position fixtures to highlight your key features and complete your perfect living space.
For more tips on how to design with light, visit Phillips.com.
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