Sconce Chrome

How to Determine the Correct Wall Lighting for the Room

Each room that you decorate has a certain style or theme that you created by the type of flooring, furniture, window treatments, art on the walls, table tops and shelving. Whether you knew it at the time you started to put the room together or it fell into place over time. You gave the room a personality and with that personality you have expressed the type of surroundings that make you feel comfortable.

So when it comes to wall lighting you will want to create an atmosphere that is both up tempo at times and laid back and relaxing at the flip of a switch. Don’t worry, I will show you exactly what you have to do to accomplish both of these atmospheres with the same wall lighting fixtures. It really isn’t as difficult as it sounds. Just follow my suggestion and you are well on your way to wall lighting success.

Let me first start out with each and every room you are about to grace with wall lighting. The room and what you have in the room will determine what style of wall lighting will most likely add an artful touch to the room. As I go on, you will get a good idea of what will and what will not fit into the décor of the room.

I will begin with your floors. Take a look around each room in your home that you wish to install wall lighting. What is the color of the floor? Do you have hardwood floors, wall to wall carpeting or area rugs?

Next take a look at your furniture. What style of furniture do you have? Is your furniture Jacobean, Early American, William and Mary, Queen Anne, Colonial, Georgian, Pennsylvania Dutch, Chippendale, Robert Adam, Hepplewhite, Federal, Sheraton, Duncan Phyfe, American Empire, Shaker, Victorian, Arts and Craft (Also referred to as Mission), Art Nouveau, or Scandinavian Contemporary?

If you are not quite sure what style your furniture actually is, believe me, you are not alone. To make things easier to calculate, all you really need to know is what your furniture looks like. Take a piece of paper and a pen. Write down the type of wood that is in the room along with the color of the wood. Does your wood furniture have any metal accents? If the room is furnished with a lot of chrome, put that in your notes. Is glass a major part of the room décor? Does your wall art and decorations center over a single theme? Write all this information down so you can make an educated decision on the type of wall lighting would go well.

Your final decision on what style of wall lighting to choose should be a combination of 2 to 3 of the elements you have written down in your notes. Your wall lighting should be constructed with some of the elements of the furniture in the room. This could be wood, metal, glass, plastic and fabric (Some wall lighting has lamp shades).

Just so you know, this also goes for hallways. Try to match any furniture that may be in the hallway and the wood accents that may be part of the hallway. Also in hallways you may want to include wall lighting that would match the color of the metal and style of doorknobs of the rooms you enter through the hallway.

Always make sure your wall lighting will fulfill your needs. Know whether you are planning on lighting up the room or putting the finishing touch on some sort of wall art by giving it just the right amount of light. Remember, by installing a dimmer switch to your wall lights you can have the lighting atmosphere of your choice at any time.

I have some words of advice. If you are planning on installing wall lighting on a wall that does not already have the power wires in place, always seek the help of a professional electrician. There are licensed professional contractors who are available to help you get the job done correctly. Also, if you are planning on adding lighting to some sort of wall art, be careful and use lighting that will not damage or fade your art. There are special bulbs to insert into your wall lighting fixture that won’t damage your wall art.   

Now you have a good idea of the research involved in finding the perfect wall lighting for any room. This is a quick and easy way to bring out the professional interior decorator in you.

About the Author

After growing up as the apprentice of his father who was a master of all trades, Joe Tobiasz, Owner/Webmaster of Wall-Decor-Concepts.com explored the idea of a career in interior/exterior decorating and design over 25 years ago. Since then he has never looked back. He has both volunteered and consulted for many friends and associates over the years offering his natural talent for decorating and remodeling in both interior and exterior applications. When it come to his website, his unusual way of presenting information in the form of short stories has him the talk of both webmasters and the online community. For more information on Wall Lighting, go to Wall Lighting at: http://www.Wall-Decor-Concepts.com

Sconce Chrome

Lamp Shade

Using Rawhide Lamp Shades To Add Country Design Style

Rustic lamps with rawhide lamp shades are some of the most recognizable western lamps you come across in cabins and in rustic decorating or western decor. If you have lived in the west or visited western States, you understand what I mean. Lamp shades made of rawhide are easy to decorate with, working well with just about any home decor. Rawhide leather lamp shades are also made in many colors to make it possible for interior decorators to use any color pallet. Try using rawhide shades in your decorating project and realize for yourself how well they enhance your southwestern design theme.

When you are ready to purchase rawhide lamp shades you will want to decide the way your lamp will be used. This is just a matter of choosing where in the room you will be using it. For example, you could be illuminating a huge area or just brightening a dark corner of the room. Rawhide shades are also a must for antler chandeliers and antler lamps since rawhide lampshades are a standard for western style home lighting. From little chandelier shades with built in bulb clips for candelabra bulbs or sconces to big table lamps or desk lamps, rawhide shades fit the bill for southwestern home lighting.

If using rawhide lampshades for home accent lighting, you will really be impressed by the warm space created by the lamps light coming through the stretched rawhide. This is the way rawhide shades function to create that inviting warmth. It is a perfect combination of color and texture that brings that warm glow. While it may not be the focal point of your room, it will no doubt add a lot of character to your space.

When you use raw hide skin lampshades for reading you will most likely want to choose a bigger lamp and lampshade that you can use to give off light from above and behind the person who would be reading. This gives you the most comfortable environment for reading. Floor lampshades also allow for good reading light and rawhide shades are available in just the right dimensions for your reading and decorating needs.

Remember, when you are purchasing the lighting fixtures for your home, the light from rawhide wall lamp shades will allow you to cancel out the glare and bring out the beauty of the light while focusing it where you want it. Bleached rawhide, sometimes called southwestern lamp shades, will let the maximum amount of light shine through while dark colored rawhide shades, known as western lamp shades, are more subdued producing a smoke tone when your lamp is on.

One of the incredible things about the rawhide lamp shades offered online is that they work well with so many different kinds of lamps including southwest lamp styles as well as traditional ones. Like the impressive antler lamp with a rawhide leather lamp shade, they also look great with desk lamps or wooden lamps. Iron lamps with rawhide shades are another great choice in home lighting for southwest decor.

You do not have to make major changes if you own more traditional style lamps. It is a rawhide shade that is creating the southwest look and feel which is why professional decorators love designing with them. You can use rawhide with traditional lamps and achieve a very nice rustic flavor.

The many different variations of size and color lend these lamp shades to be placed in almost any environment where you want to add rustic charm or are enhancing your room with rustic chic style. Just as appropriate in the living room, family room or den as well as bedroom or study, rawhide shades can be used in just one corner or used to bring in a western theme throughout your whole home.

Popular as accent lamps as well as on end tables or on wall lamps and chandeliers, lampshades can make a dramatic statement and bring a warmth and charm to any room. Buying rawhide lamp shades online is quick and easy and often saves you a lot of money. Decorating with rawhide in your home is an investment in tranquility and peace that you will cherish forever.

If you love the rustic decor used in the southwest, or want to enjoy your own all season Arizona room or bring in the Native American style of New Mexico, you will love enhancing your southwestern decor using rawhide lamp shades.

About the Author

Craig Chambers is the director of Mission Del Rey and offers free tips online about buying rawhide lamp shades for rustic home decorating. For more information visit http://www.missiondelrey.com

Lamp Shade

Lighting One
Why such fuss over Tamir?
One long lovefest. So declared last week’s front page of The Jewish Advocate, describing the prolonged farewells bestowed upon the “popular” Israeli Consul General Nadav Tamir and his sidekick, Deputy Consul General Rony Yedida, by the Boston Jewish establishment.

Lighting for Video-Lesson One

Artistic lighting can be the perfect mood creator and emotion enhancer. Notice how even game shows like Who Wants to be a Millionaire? feature dramatic lighting? That's not an accident. In fact, lighting that incredible takes a lot of work and costs a lot of money.

Aren't you on the edge of your seat every time Millionaire introduces a new contestant with the intense backlighting and reverberating BONG!? All that fanfare makes the audience think God Almighty is about to come strolling out. Nope, just another housewife from New Jersey who loves the show.

I was convinced one of the reasons for Millionaire's massive success was because it was the first game show to add lighting techniques usually reserved for a horror flick.

The more stark and shadowy the light, the scarier your Halloween video will be. Dark shadows created by low-angled, intense, direct lighting is one of the first things you'll ever learn about lighting for film and video production if you go to film school.

If you're not real picky, dark, shadowy, spooky effects are easy to create. It helps to have professional lighting equipment but today's cameras are so adept in low light situations that a standard 25 watt light bulb stuck in a cheap lamp without the shade can be used to good effect.

One of the most basic things to learn about lighting for video is to realize the difference between two types of light.

1. Directional

2. Diffused

Directional light is harsh. It creates deep shadows. Outside on a bright sunny day is a good example of directional light.

Diffused light is like being outside on an overcast day. If the sky is completely cloudy, the clouds act just like a diffusion gel used by a professional photographer. The sunlight bounces around in all the clouds and the result is diffused, shadow less light.

Diffused and directional light create completely different effects and therefore have totally different uses when lighting for video.

For a more technical explanation of diffused and direct lighting, think back to high school physics. Light always travels in a straight line. Turn on a flashlight and the beam goes straight, it doesn't curve around the building. In order to get the light on the side of the building, you'd have to move your flashlight or else bounce the light coming off the flashlight.

Diffused light happens when light is restricted by something which causes it to change directions, bounce, if you will. Clouds cause the rays of the sun to bounce around in every direction which makes the light look soft and diffused. Essentially, the clouds make the light seem like it's coming from a million different sources and not just one, blinding source. A professional photographer uses many things to create diffused light from directional light.

Have you ever wondered why most light bulbs are painted white inside the glass? The white paint acts to diffuse the light, just like clouds. Diffused light is more pleasing to the eye. On top of light bulbs being painted, people further the diffusion process by adding lamp shades.

One blinding light source like the sun outside can not only be irritating, it makes you look ugly in pictures. Quality pictures of faces are always diffused light unless the face is Freddy Krueger.

On an overcast day, the light is diffused and soft. Almost no shadows are seen except perhaps some faint ones with fuzzy edges. This is why most video producers would prefer to shoot outdoors when it's cloudy. Diffused light simply looks better is almost all situations.

If you're shooting inside, most professional photographers go to the effort of creating diffused light, not directional. Lighting manufactures have invented lots of simple gadgets to make professional photographic lights mimic this cloud effect. Silver and black umbrellas, diffusion cloths and gels, reflectors and bouncers. Professional lighting equipment is fun if you have the budget for it.

The act of diffusing your light does decrease your intensity however. Some people argue that painting the inside of light bulbs white just wastes money since your burning 50 watts but only getting the light intensity of a 40 watt bulb. However the majority of people are willing to waste a bit of energy in order to get a more eye-pleasing effect. When you're taking professional quality pictures, it becomes critical.

If you want diffused light but don't have an expensive soft box, simply point your light source toward the ceiling or wall and "bounce" it. Never point the light directly at your subjects. A white ceiling or wall is the most evenly reflective and so works best. If your walls and ceiling are black, you can tape white poster board to your wall and bounce it against that.

(Don't get it too close to the poster board with your lights though, because fire is truly an issue. Lights get hot! Be careful when you handle them. I always tried to turn my lights off for at least ten minutes before touching the fixtures.)

Bouncing your light against walls and ceilings does wonders to create a bright, diffused look that looks nice on video. Unless you purposely want a spooky, dramatic look with lots of shadows, no doubt diffused light is the look you need.

Lorraine Grula has been a well-respected award winning video professional for over twenty-five years. (Yeah, that makes her kind of old.) Lorraine has done virtually every kind of video production imaginable and now shares her expertise on the web. Her blog, http://www.VideoProductionTips.com is full of free information and video tutorials.

Lighting One

Tiffany Style Stained
Church briefs
Community church briefs for the week of July 8.

Many times we meet people who are interested in stained glass, but they haven't learned enough about it to really be able to tell whether a piece of glass is a true work of art or just a good piece. I once overheard a woman gushing over a piece of glass that had been painted with fake glass paints, the kind that craft stores sell. "Oh, Look at that, I love stained glass, that is just exquisite!" Her comments were nice since she had an appreciation for art glass, but they were also ridiculous because painted fake glass just isn't in the same class as other techniques and certainly should never be described as "exquisite".

So that incident prompted me to write this brief description of what the different types and qualities of stained glass are. After reading the following paragraphs, you will be more qualified and more able to distinguish between good glass and great glass than the majority of people you meet. You will be well on your way towards becoming a "Stained Glass Expert."

1. Brass And Glass - made of Brass pre-shaped metal (or brass encased lead), called "came". The stained glass is encased in the pre-formed metal and the joints where the metal meets are then soldered. After the panel is completed and soldered, the joints are colored with a brass colored paint so that they look brass.

Advantages: Brass windows match the brass plated hardware on many homes. Brass windows are almost always mass produced, so cost is usually lower than other styles of stained glass.

Disadvantages: Brass windows usually don't get the glass and metal cemented to each other, so they are not as strong and have a tendency to rattle more often than any other stained glass window. If the panel is sandwiched between tempered glass sheets, the lack of strength is not a big deal.

Quality: This is the lowest quality of stained glass available and is usually found in cheap furniture and mass produced door frames. It hasn't been around for a long time and is often associated with the cheap waterbeds of the 1960's.

2. Leaded Glass - refers to both beveled glass and colored glass surrounded by pre-shaped lead, called "came". The stained glass is encased in lead and the joints where the metal meets are then soldered. The solder and the lead look very similar, so no special treatments are needed in the joints as with brass came. After the panel is completed and soldered, the windows are cemented by forcing cement in under the metal and the glass. Then the exposed glass is cleaned thoroughly.

Advantages: Lead construction is the most common type of stained glass to be found. If cemented well the window is fairly strong. The leaded method is fast to construct, so is quite popular in commercial installations.

Disadvantages: If the window isn't cemented, the lead will easily stretch over time and the glass shapes will deform quite easily. Windows that are placed in insulated units can't be cemented because the cement reacts with the desiccant in the foam tape used to create insulated units.

Quality: This is the mid-range of stained glass quality. It's not bad, just not the best. There is pretty good detail available in this type of panel and it is quite good for many styles of glass design. If it wasn't fairly good it wouldn't be found in so many highly respected installations.

3. Copper Foiled or "Tiffany Style" Glass - refers to stained glass construction where each piece of glass is individually wrapped in a copper foil tape and the gaps between the glass are soldered with lead and tin based solder, usually 50/50 mix or 60/40 mix. After the panel is completed it is very strong and pretty often water tight. Chemicals are then added to color the lead lines, either copper, bronze or black. The lines can also be left pewter-like gray or they can be polished to bright shiny silver. It's often called "Tiffany Style" because the studios of Louis Comfort Tiffany are credited with coming up with the method in the late 1800's.

Advantages: Copper foiled windows are very strong and allow the artist the most detail of any of the construction methods. It also allows for the most ranges of patinas of the methods discussed. The copper foil method allows an artist to follow contours and so lamp shades and other 3d construction is almost always built using this method.

Disadvantages: It takes a lot of work and is more labor intensive to hand solder each and every solder line in a stained glass window, so these panels usually cost more than the leaded type. Also, because the resulting windows are so very strong, they can develop very slight hairline cracks as the glass expands and contracts in the heat of the day and the cool of the night. These cracks usually develop in the first year after a panel is installed and are minor.

Quality: This is the highest quality of stained glass, but there are different ranges of quality in this style. Imports will often have very thin lead lines not as a design element, but as a way to save money on the amount of lead used to construct the panel. The highest quality of copper foil constructed lamps will feature a built up lead line which will often stand up the same height as an extruded lead line. Best quality soldering will feature very consistent lead lines and few if any areas where the lead has shrunk after cooling.

4. Epoxy Glued Faceted Glass - refers to a technique where thick slabs of glass are broken in rough pieces and glued together using epoxy glue to form the joint between the various pieces of glass. It's very uncommon and not available in any but the most unusual commercial construction.

David Gomm started building stained glass windows professionally back in 1983 and has become an expert at many aspects of stained glass building, design and repair. He writes a monthly newsletter at http://www.betterstainedglass.com

He also has a website with many other articles at http://www.gommstudios.com

These articles may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as the entire article, copyright notice, links and this resource box are unchanged, or if using a portion of the article, it points back to one of our pages where the entire article resides. Copyright © David Gomm All Rights Reserved.

Tiffany Style Stained

Light Semi Flush

What kind of dining room light fixture should I get?

I currently have a semi-flush 3 light fixture. It is outdated and ugly. What kind of fixture should I replace it with? (Send me links with pictures if you can find one.)

You can center a light over your table anyway. All you need to do is replace the short normal wiring and chain that is usually furnished with a hanging light. Make it long enough to reach your table and there you have it. Use a really nice hook over the table and you'll be fine. Home Depot has some really nice lighting fixtures.

Effective Bathroom Lighting for Style and Comfort

Bathroom lighting is often not given the consideration it deserves. Perhaps people think that as they don't spend much time in their bathrooms during the day, lighting is not an important consideration.

However, the time spent in bathrooms is quality time that you spend on yourself in washing and grooming, and effective bathroom illumination can make a great difference in your quality of life. For one thing, the way you see yourself in the bathroom mirror in the morning can affect your whole day. Here are some tips on illuminating your bathroom to get the maximum effect.

When it comes to bathroom lighting, there are two types of lighting you need to get right. The first is the ambient lighting that makes your room safe and easily navigated.

Traditionally, the fluorescent strip or ring was the main bathroom lighting of choice with perhaps another smaller strip above the mirror. This provided a cold, clear functional light that got the job done but didn't make the bathroom into a very inviting place. Halogen bulbs and strips offer a much warmer glow.

Then there's the task lighting that allows you to perform your daily tasks with ease. These include bathing, shaving, getting dressed, applying makeup and so on. For these tasks, you need even light, free of shadows.

You need enough light in the shower, for example, to make sure you can conveniently use the shampoo and handle the water controls. One way to get this is from enclosed damp-location recessed down light in the ceiling.

Vanity lighting strips are one way to provide task lighting that also supplements the ambient light from ceiling fixtures. These give perfect light for grooming and other personal care activities. It's bright enough to get the job done, yet soft enough to make you look your best.

One important factor is the size of your bathroom. If you room is small, wall and mirror lights can take care of all illumination but larger spaces would require a ceiling light or two.

These functional types of illumination allow to you to carry out your daily tasks with ease. However, you also need to get the mood of your bathroom right and thus make it into a room to relax in and feel good. You can use lighting to do this in a variety of ways.

One way is to use cove or indirect lighting. This imbues your bathroom with a soft warm glow which is the perfect backdrop to long hot soaks in the tub. If you enjoy a long spell in the bathtub, another neat idea is to use recessed damp-location light fixtures to aim light beams around the edge of the bath to avoid glare and create a tranquil mood.

You can create cove lighting by hiding the source of light behind tray ceilings and skirtings, and beneath wall cabinets, for example. Other than a relaxing diffuse illumination, this gives your bathroom a stylish, contemporary look.

The fact is, you can be as creative with your bathroom lighting as you would be with any other room in your house. You're only constrained by the size and the height of the room. If you're ceilings are high enough, you might want to install pendant lamp shades, for example. These are available in a wide range of materials including glass, ceramics and various metals. You can get pedant lamp shades in everything from classic styles crafted from Murano glass to sleek modern aluminium.

If you bathroom ceiling is lower, you could opt for flush or semi flush ceiling lights. The latter are fixtures project from the ceiling and produce a gentle indirect light that's perfect for bathrooms. You should choose bulbs that are as similar to daylight to help you with putting on makeup and other tasks where you need to see clearly.

One thing to remember is that there are laws and regulations covering the use of electrical installations in bathrooms. These change frequently so you'll need to consult an electrician for up to date information.

Giving your bathroom the lighting it deserves brings rich dividends in improving your quality of life. To find out what's available, visit the web sites of online vendors to choose the best bathroom lights at the best prices.

About the Author

Kathryn Dawson writes articles for Direct Light, a leading online store in the UK selling an extensive range of indoor lighting, outdoor lighting and bathroom lighting at a fraction of high street prices. The store offers a wealth of designs and periods for pendant lamp shades. There is also a wide selection of contemporary semi flush ceiling lights available; choose from finishes such as polished brass, satin steel and satin brass to white, among many others.

Light Semi Flush

Lamp Shades
Fledgling homeowners enjoy the freedom of feathering their own nests
Twenty-somethings who take the plunge into homeownership are discovering the satisfaction that comes with making their space their own.

How To Measure Replacement Rawhide Lamp Shades

Are we communicating? That might be the question that comes to mind when ordering new rawhide lamp shades or replacement lamp shades. It can be very frustrating because different people measure lampshades differently.

The whole matter is complicated by telephone conversations and internet ordering. If you know how you should measure a shade to get the proper fit and also communicate the correct size, you will avoid problems and receive the lamp shade you are expecting.

It doesn't matter if the shade is made of rawhide or not, there are a few tips you should know to correctly measure and order a shade and also terminology that will help you insure that the person receiving your order is on the same track. We create custom rawhide lamp shades for rustic western lamps and southwest home decorating. Because we encounter this issue all the time we have some tips that we use to insure the correct look for a lamp, even without seeing the lamp ourselves.

How to measure:
1. You will need to have three key measurements, bottom diameter, top diameter and height. The bottom diameter is the measurement across the bottom opening of the lamp shade. The top diameter is the distance across the top opening of the shade. The height of a lampshade should be measured straight up and down vertically, not along the slant.

This is where the confusion begins. When communicating the measurements different individuals and stores will place the three dimensions in different order, it's not standard, so be careful that you are not confusing the bottom and height measurements for example.

2. The height should be measured straight up and down, but some will measure along the slant. These two measurements can be quite different and cause the finished shade to be incorrect if confused. Always clarify how the height is measured. We have found that many people who measure the slant of the shade refer to it as the shade's length rather than height.

Height Measuring Tip:
The reason you should measure height up and down, vertically, is that the height measurement of your lamp from bulb socket base to top of harp is probably the minimum vertical height you will want to cover the electrical components with the shade

Height Adjustment Tip:
If you are considering a stock replacement shade, your lamp's overall height and look can be adjusted. The wire harp that holds the shade over the bulb is interchangeable. That is great news if a standard shade is say an inch to short. Rather than having to order a custom shade you could change the harp causing the shade to sit lower on the lamp to give you the desired look.

Shade Mounting Type:
A standard shade mount has a center bar across the top with a hole for the harp mount or a washer centered by three supports that attach to the top rim of the shade. Both allow the shade to be secured to the harp. Some smaller lamps and chandeliers don't use a harp but instead use a bulb clip to attach directly to the bulb. A bulb clip is simply two wire loops that are attached to the shade's center bar and grip the bulb.

An bulb clip adapter can be added to any standard shade to allow it to be placed over the bulb. Chandelier lamp shades usually have built-in bulb clips made for the small flame or candelabra shaped bulbs. Shades used as hanging lamps may use an uno mount which has a center ring large enough for the bulb socket to pass through. These also appear on some table lamps. You can use a bulb clip on a replacement shade instead of an uno mount.

Try putting these simple tips to work on your next rawhide lamp shade or replacement lampshade project and you will be sure to measure, order and receive the right size lamp shade the first time.

About the Author

Craig Chambers is a lamp designer who creates rustic western leather and southwestern rawhide lamp shades. He also offers extensive free home decorating tips and resources on his website www.missiondelrey.com

Lamp Shades