Outdoor Lighting Possibilities

If you are ready to do landscaping and outdoor decorating on your new home then one of the things you will need to think about is outdoor lighting. There are many different kinds of outdoor lighting to choose from and the lights you decide to install will depend on how large your yard is, how much landscaping or gardening you have, whether or not you have a sidewalk, your proximity to street lighting, whether or not you have an outdoor patio or deck, and whether or not you have stairs or a porch. There is not right amount of outdoor lighting. You just have to weigh the costs of lighting the outdoors with your aesthetic desires.
If you have a green thumb and your yard is perfectly landscaped, then you might consider outdoor garden lighting. This type of outdoor lighting is meant to accent the beauty of your garden or certain areas of landscaping at night. The lights will generally be soft and pointed up at the bushes, flowers, or trees – not down. Most of the time, the garden lights will be disguised as something else so that they are not noticed during the day. A rock or small statue could be ornamental during the day and your light fixture at night. Other outdoor accent lights are recessed into the ground so that they are not visible at all except for the light that they shed.
 
Another variety of outdoor lighting is security lighting. Especially if your home is far away from a street and cannot take advantage of street lighting, you need to have some kind of flood lighting for security purposes. Most homeowners choose security lighting that is motion sensitive so that it turns on when someone approaches your home. That way, there is not harsh light shining all the time, but you have enough light to scare off a possible intruder when you need it. In addition, the security lighting will provide you with the security of light when traveling to and from your car after dark.
 

Still another important form of outdoor lighting is outdoor patio lighting. If you are lucky enough to have an area outside for social gatherings like a patio or deck, then you want to be able to utilize it at night. Therefore you need to light that area as if it were a room inside your house. Of course, the lighting can be much softer than indoor lighting, but you still want to be able to read so that you could entertain on the patio.
All of this outdoor lighting could begin to get expensive if you were running it every night. It seems like a waste to be using electricity and tying up part of the grid for lighting an area where there are no people doing any kind of activity. A good solution for this problem is solar lighting. Outdoor solar lighting converts sunlight to energy which is stored in a battery which in turn powers an LED. LED lighting is softer than normal light bulbs and is perfect for most outdoor applications.

Recessed Lighting in the Garden and drive

Recessed Lighting in the Garden

Low voltage recessed lighting in garden decking or installed into steps provide additional safety when trying to navigate your garden in the dark and extra security for your property. It is also an attractive addition to a garden and can be used in many imaginative situations to great effect.

Recessed Lighting in the Drive

A further attractive security measure is having recessed lighting brighten your drive. A more convenient way of lightening up the path to your property, recessed lighting in the drive can be integrated with a gate or garage opening mechanism to come on and go off just when you need it.

Recessed Lighting in the Bathroom and Bedroom

Recessed Lighting in the Bathroom

Recessed lighting in the bathroom adds a touch of class to your ablutions. As with the kitchen, you will need Building Control permission before changing an electric circuit in the bathroom, and you will have to use special sealed units to guard against condensation.

Recessed Lighting in the Bedroom

Recessed lighting in the bedroom can create an awesome effect – especially when integrated with existing lighting applications or uplighted coving. Combining recessed lighting with any existing lighting effects is okay provided that you do not exceed the recommend load on the electrical circuit.

Recessed Lighting in the Dining Room and Living room

What better way to create an ambient or romantic mood for dinner than with spot lit recessed lighting. With the application of a dimmer switch on your dining room lighting circuit, you are able to create any mood you wish. Recessed lighting will surely create a talking point over dinner!

Lighting not only illuminates your living room but enhances the beauty of your interior also. When you are going to perform lighting arrangement in your living room, first imagine the spaces which you want to highlight. A tricky arrangement of ambience, task and accent lighting looks best in living room. Try different effects of lighting in living room to make it gorgeous.

(Living Room Lighting - A Center Light Bulb)

(This picture is contributed by "Tanya Batra".)

(Living Room Track Lighting)

(This picture is contributed by "Isha".)

Living Room Floor Lamps and Table Lamps

Floor lamps and table lamps are suitable for bright lighting in living room. These lamps give you the option to move them freely where you want to take them. Table lamps can be used on shelves and tables as they give out lighting inwards. They are commonly used for reading purpose.  The placement of lamp should be accurate so that it wouldn’t produce glare.

(Living Room Table Lamp)

(This picture is contributed by "Isha".)

Living Room TV Lighting

If you watch television in your living room, always use right intensity of light.  Too much or too less amount of light can result in eyestrain and headache. Place a light behind or beside television to produce low level ambient light. Check the position of light properly to avoid reflection while watching television.

(Living Room TV Lighting)

(This picture is contributed by "Anju".)

Living Room Bar Lighting

A series of hanging pendants over the bar looks charming and highlights bar area.Use low voltage fixtures with tungsten halogen bulbs in bar area of your living room. The tungsten halogen bulbs will sparkle glassware placed in the bar area. They also provide extra lighting for serving drinks.

(Living Room Bar Lighting)

Living Room Fireplace Lighting

If you have brick or stone fireplace in your living room, use recessed down lighting in the ceiling. To highlight this area, you can use wall sconces.

(Living Room Fireplace Lighting)

(This picture is contributed by "Isha".)

Living Room Dimmers Lighting

For a dramatic effect in your living room, you can try dimmers. You can change the effect of dimmers according to your mood and activity. Dimmers are practical and flexible and control the amount of light for different occasions.

(Living Room Dimmers Lighting)

(This picture is contributed by "Isha".)

Lighting for Small Living room

Make your small living room appearance large by lighting an entire wall. You can use ceiling mounted recessed lights. For better results, lights should be installed at equal distance from the wall.

Special Effects of Light in Living Room

For creating different effects, you can change placement of lights. To highlight specific areas, you can use spotlights. For maintaining a false impression of ceiling, you can hide light source and can show only its effect.

(Special Effects of Light in Living Room)

(This picture is contributed by "Isha".)

Lighting Tips for Living Room

• Show your interesting paintings by using low voltage halogen lights.
• Use combination of lights like general lights with halogen lights for uniform distribution of light.
• Utilize controlled lighting system to specify separate areas in your living room.   
• Try layered lighting in your living room for different look.
• Make use of low voltage fixtures in china cabinets to highlight things that you want to accent in living room. 
•  Illuminate photos or other decorative plants displayed on your living room wall with wall sconces, recessed lighting or track lighting.  

Recessed Lighting in the Kitchen

 Recessed Lighting in the Kitchen

The kitchen offers a very versatile location for the introduction of recessed lighting. Not just for the ceiling, recessed lighting can be installed under existing cupboards to shine down on working surfaces where you may be studying a cookery book or combining ingredients for a sumptuous meal.

Recessed Lighting in the Lounge

Recessed Lighting in the Lounge

Lounges are a great place to install recessed lighting. The lights can be used with a variety of effects – directional spotlights, floodlights, coloured or discrete lighting can all be used to create the ideal room in which to work, rest and play whilst at the same time highlighting any attractive features of the room.

Recessed Lighting in the Hallway

Recessed lighting is an inexpensive and contemporary way to improve the value and appearance of your home. Any room in the house can benefit from recessed lighting, with the removal of existing bulky light fittings and wires creating a cleaner, more spacious appearance. Whether you are redecorating an entire area of your house or simply require an additional light source in one specific location, consider recessed lighting as a more attractive and modern alternative.

Recessed Lighting in the Hallway

Most new homes now include some recessed lighting in hallways, entrance areas, or porches. Units are installed into the ceiling with only a ring and bulb visible to the eye. It’s a simple, uncluttered look that can be used in nearly any room of a new home, as well as in some areas of an older home.

How to Install Recessed Lighting

Installing recessed lighting is a fairly advanced project. It may be of value to you to consult with a London electrician featured in our Tradesmen´s Directory before starting a job of this nature and, if installing recessed lighting in either the kitchen, bathroom or garden you will need permission from your local Building Control before you start and a London electrician to check your work is compliant with Part P of the Building Regulations when the job is complete. Any new circuits you introduce to your property may also need to be passed, so please account for the cost of this procedure when costing your job and request some electrician quotes by using the “Post-a-Job” facility at the top of the page.

Before installing recessed lighting, you should consider the final effect that you wish to achieve. There are a number of different recessed lighting designs you can use to maximise light and space or to highlight specific objects in your home.

The most common type of recessed light is the downlight. Normally these will illuminate an area equal to the height of the light. Therefore, if your ceiling is 8 feet high, the light will shine directly down and cover a circular area with an 8 foot diameter. If you are considering using downlights over a wide area, you will need to overlap the area lit by each light and it is recommended that you install your downlights at a distance of approximately 6 feet apart.

Eyeball lights are particularly good if you have a sloped ceiling or wish to highlight a particular decorative element of your home. When illuminating areas like fireplace mantelpieces, the distance from the light to the wall should be 60% (multiply by .6) of the distance from the ceiling to the object – For example, if your mantelpiece is 5 feet from the ceiling, the distance from the wall to where the light is installed is (5 feet x 60%) 3 feet.

The first light should be planned to be about 3 feet away from the wall. Placing the light closer to the wall will create more reflection into the room and make the space feel brighter. Placing the lights further away will make the corners seem dark, create a more ambient impression and give the effect of lowering the ceiling

Lighting in kitchens needs to be a little brighter. If installing your recessed lights into existing cabinets, they need to be spaced every 3 to 4 feet to illuminate the counter top. In general, for a kitchen, you should allow 3 watts of incandescent light per square foot. To calculate how much light you need, calculate the total square area of the kitchen and divide by three. If using CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs) refer to the manufacturer´s equivalent measurement.

You can safely have as many lights in your new recessed installation as were in your existing fitting. If you are considering exceeding the existing wattage, consult a London electrician before proceeding.

Getting Started

Turn off the power – not just the lighting circuit, but the whole house if possible. This is case you accidently drill through a power cable in a wall or ceiling joist.

If your existing circuit supports the extra load you are installing, there is no need to remove the existing fitting. However, if you choose to do so it is easiest to plan your lighting set-up so that one of the lights you are installing makes use of the hole that will be left by the existing fittings´ removal.  Alternatively you could install a ceiling fan or a decorative cover plate that would disguise where the old fitting came from and prevent the need to redecorate the whole ceiling or wall.

Making the Holes

Once you have measured the location for each light, use the manufacturer´s template that comes with the light units to mark the ceiling for each hole you are going to make. Drill a ¼ inch hole in the ceiling at the centre of the proposed opening and then use a jigsaw to make the openings for each of the light mountings (“cans”).

Run a cable from the power source (this could be the light switch or an existing junction box) to the location of the first recessed light. Leave an additional 18 inches of wire hanging from the opening to enable easy wiring of the cans. Continue to feed cable through to each of the openings, drilling carefully through ceiling joists if necessary and feeding the cable through.

Wiring

Wire the first can to the cable leading from the power source and the cable leading to the next opening and continue connecting the fixtures until you reach the last one. Mount the cans into the openings in the ceiling and add the trim pieces according to the manufacturer´s instructions.

You are now ready to screw in the light bulbs, reconnect the power and view your new recessed lighting effect.

There are several images of how your finished project may look in our “Inspirations” feature and also in our blog – “Improve the Value and Appeal of Your Home”. We strongly recommend that you obtain advice and quotes from electricians in London in respect of Part P Approval and also for any assistance you need with the job itself. London handymen, kitchen fitters, decorators and general builders can also be contacted through our Tradesmen´s Directory, so if you feel that there may be elements of this project which may stretch your abilities, please do not hesitate to use this valuable resource.

Normande Brushed Steel Halogen Desk Lamp (Not CA Compliant)

Enjoy clean, clear light and a modern design with the halogen desk lamp from Normande. The sleek, brushed steel finish ensures the lamp coordinates with any decor. Its contemporary counterbalance design adjusts to numerous heights, up to a maximum of 24-1/2 inches. Electrically powered with a standard plug, the lamp comes complete with a 50 watt halogen bulb. It's covered with a limited 2-year warranty.

Normande Brushed Steel Halogen Desk Lamp (Not CA Compliant)

Product Description

Halogen desk lamp comes complete with a 50W halogen bulb. Contemporary counterbalance design adjusts to numerous heights up to 24.5".

 

• Enjoy clean, clear light and a modern design with the halogen desk lamp from Normande
• The sleek, brushed steel finish ensures the lamp coordinates with any decor
• Its contemporary counterbalance design adjusts to numerous heights, up to a maximum of 24-1/2 inches
• Electrically powered with a standard plug, the lamp comes complete with a 50 watt halogen bulb
• Covered by a limited 2-year warranty

This review is from: Normande Brushed Steel Halogen Desk Lamp (Not CA Compliant) (Tools & Home Improvement)

I had one of these lamps next to my bed for two years (with no problems) and loved it so much I bought a second for the other side. It moves up and down with ease and looks very modern and stylish in the room. The light is nice and bright, so it's great for reading before bed (and would be great on a desk), but it would be nice to have a dimmer so it's not so bright first thing in the morning.
Normande Brushed Steel Halogen Desk Lamp (Not CA Compliant)

Sunlight Desk Lamp Natural Full Spectrum Sun Light.

Sunlight Desk Lamp Natural Full Spectrum Sun Light. Simulates Daylight. 150Watt Output uses 27 Watts. Touch On/Off Switch.

Best Gift For Youself or Loved Ones. Benefits of full spectrum Lighting: 1) Increases contrast in Reading. 2) Increase release of seratonin a hormone linked to an improved feeling of well being. 3) Increases vitamin D production in skin, which helps the body efficiently use calcium. 4) Render color much more accurately. 5) Reduce levels of melatonin, a harmone that promotes fatigue. About the Bulb: 1) Color Temprature 6500Kelvin. 2) High lumen output of 1800. "Your light is as good as number of Lumens it provides". 3) Long lamp life of 10,000 hours. 4) Energy usage of 27 watts, light output of 150 watts. 5) 120 Volt AC 50/60Hz. Touch On/Off Switch. If you prefer Rocker On/Off Switch please search the following ASIN B004BABXYM. Certifications CSA, CCSA, FCC ROHS.

Sunlight Desk Lamp Natural Full Spectrum Sun Light. Simulates Daylight. 150Watt Output uses 27 Watts. Touch On/Off Switch.

This review is from: Sunlight Desk Lamp Natural Full Spectrum Sun Light. Simulates Daylight. 150Watt Output uses 27 Watts. Touch On/Off Switch. (Tools & Home Improvement)

Ok, so I'm a college student and I needed a lamp for a desk that was not well lit. I was also looking for full spectrum lamps which are my favorite since the light mirrors natural light. I first bought the Norm@nde Full spectrum lamp thinking it was such a great deal for such a low price. The Norm@nde lamp was crap, after reading the reviews left on the product I thought they might have just got the defected ones and I might not be so unlucky. but the product was merely crap, the crane was loose and broken at the bottom where the crane joins the base. The material felt cheap and like it would snap with little force. So I sent it back to amazon for a refund and bought this lamp instead. BEST choice I've made. the on/off switch is touch sensitive and VERY responsive. the base is VERy solid and stable. the crane reaches far and the joins near the lamp could be turned to. So basically anywhere you put the lamp you can choose to illuminate any specific area. The light is really bright so it doesn't cause any eye strains after reading for 6+ hrs. basically if your looking for a full spectrum lamp and you don't want to pay the overly exaggerated prices that some companies place on their products, this is it. it has everything and its rock solid.

Alvin G2540-B Swing Arm Lamp, Black

Swing Arm Lamp- Black...One of the most important items in any artist's studio! These lamps will clip onto almost any table. They will also clamp on to shelves and surfaces that are vertical or horizontal. Features a ventilated metal shade double shade baffle for glare reduction a spring balanced adjustable arm and lampholder switch (not an inline switch). The arm extends to 32". The lamp itself takes up to a 100 watt bulb (not included)
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Alvin G2540-B Swing Arm Lamp, Black

Technical Details

• Ventilated Metal Shade
• Double Baffle for Glare Reduction
• Spring-Balanced Adjustable Arm
• Arm Extends to 32"
• UL Approved for 100-Watt Bulb

This lamp works very well and is priced right. It stays in position without any problem. The clamp is a bit cheap and may not last, but it appears that it can easily be replaced with a sturdy metal clamp. For the price, this lamp can't be beat

iHome iHL24-Pink Colortunes Desk Organizer Lamp and iPod Player, Pink

iHome organizer Speaker Lamp Organizer lamp with built in speaker and iPod/MP3 player compartment. Organizer lamp with built in speaker and iPod/MP3 player compartment

• Uses 13W fluorescent bulb or 60W incandescent
• Built in line-in for iPod nano and iPod shuffle and external line-in cord for other iPods and mp3 players
• Rotary volume and power control
• 2 Organizer trays and 2 pen/pencil slots -Available in iPod nano colors

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My daughter tells me she couldn't do without it at college. She uses it all the time for the light to study and also plays her ipod through it for herself and her room mate. They are also sold at Target but they didn't have pink.

iHome iHL24-Pink Colortunes Desk Organizer Lamp and iPod Player, Pink

Fulcrum Multi-Flex LED Task Light, Silver

Fulcrum Multi-Flex LED Task Light, Silver

The Fulcrum MultiFlex Reading Light is an all-purpose reading, task, or travel light with an ultra-bright LED for extended, energy-efficient illumination. This hands-free lamp provides an glare-free light that stays where you put it, thanks to the flexible neck and sturdy clamp. Designed for both home and on-the-go use, the MultiFlex Reading Light is great for clipping to books, e-readers, laptops, and tables. And because the LED bulb never burns out, you'll save on replacement bulb costs. The MultiFlex takes three AAA batteries (not included).

Hands-Free Design for Multiple UsesThe MultiFlex Light includes a dual-purpose clip that allows the light to stand on its own on a table or attach to an e-reader, shelf, book, cupboard, or computer. Its hands-free design means you can read in bed without disturbing your significant other; illuminate a dark campsite; work on your laptop while traveling; or simply aim the right amount of light on your latest sewing or crafting project. Its compact, lightweight design means it can go where you go.
Flexible Gooseneck and Glare-Free Light
The MultiFlex Light uses LED Floodlight technology to provide glare-free, bright light with a wide coverage area. The durable and flexible gooseneck lets you position the light exactly where you want it and keep it there.

Energy-Efficient LEDs Extend Battery Life
To save you money and help protect the environment, this lamp uses an energy-efficient LED bulb. This bulb extends battery life, and never needs replacement. Additionally, LEDs emit little or no heat when compared to incandescent lamps, so this light will never get too hot to use comfortably.
The MultiFlex Reading Light has a 12-inch neck with 1-1/12 by 2-1/2 inch base.
What's in the Box
MultiFlex Reading Light.