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Every year millions of people all over the world take on a kitchen remodel. Sometimes this renovation is partial, but usually it is a total refit. When you are thinking about remodelling your kitchen, there are two main things that you should keep in mind. The first is functionality, after all you have to be able to cook there and the second is lighting.

Lighting is important for various reasons, but it does depend on what you use your kitchen for. You will need good lighting for cooking at all times of the day; you might need softer lighting for eating and you may like soft down lighting just so that you can find a biscuit at night. This can be achieved with a dimmer, but that would be to miss out on an opportunity of developing a good lighting system.

One of the problems is that there is so much choice when it comes to choosing light fixtures and fittings, light bulbs and accessories. You probably already have an idea of what you want having seen kitchens in your friends’ houses and in adverts. However, despite the fact that you may have pre-established ideas, it is worth getting hold of a couple of home improvement magazines and manufacturers’ brochures.

The best place to begin is the ceiling. If you eat or talk in the kitchen, you will probably want a suspended light above the table concerned. If you have a fairly large kitchen, you might want to have spotlights on the ceiling pointing to the main areas where you prepare food.

Down lights fixed above the work counter are very useful and quite atmospheric. They are particularly helpful above areas that you use often for snacks or drinks in the evenings – it saves switching the main light on.

If you live in a hot locale and you want a fan, you could get a ceiling fan that has built-in lighting. Normally these fans have four lights and there is a pull-cord control in order to select no lights, two lights or four lights. This is independent of the fan’s speed control.

A variation on this theme is a chandelier, but obviously you will need a pretty high ceiling to accommodate it. Wall lighting is another popular alternative. If you hold intimate dinner parties in the kitchen, wall sconces are a means of creating a romantic and nostalgic atmosphere. These sconces can hold electric lights or just candles, which are very effective at generating an atmosphere.

It is best if you incorporate planning your kitchen’s lighting into the design procedure as early as possible. It actually is that important to get it right. If you do not live alone, organize a brain-storming session with the people who share your house to see if they have other suggestions about how the kitchen should be used.

Some people might prefer to make it a more traditional area, where people sit and talk and eat together; others may be very happy to eat in front of the TV or in their bedrooms. All of these considerations can have an effect on the lighting you will need in your kitchen.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece writes on several subjects, but is at present involved with researching wrought iron floor lamps. If you would like to know more or check out great offers, please go to our website at Wrought Iron Light

Mankind needs light. We humans are reliant on light unlike some other species. Our whole world existed only in the day light for millions of years. We woke up with the sunlight and went to bed when the sun went down. Afterward, we learned to produce our own light, but we were not totally successful at it until we commenced using electricity to make light.

This has worked well for almost a hundred years, but now we know that the main fuel used to produce our electricity, namely oil, is becoming too complicated to obtain and more and more wars are being fought to ensure the West’s supply of oil.

Not only that, but greater and greater risks are being taken by oil companies, which has lead to more and more catastrophes like that of the deep sea rig off Louisiana in the USA.

Consequently, the time has come, some even say that it is long overdue, that we depend on a different source of power and less on oil. The easiest and least risky way to produce electricity at the moment seems to be solar power. The technology has been with us for decades, but it was not practical for households to use it because it was too expensive, but that is no longer the case.

The ability to use solar power to produce electricity for our lighting and indeed all our requirements is there, already at hand. The only problem is that there are many oil baron billionaires who do not see this advancement as being in their interest. And they are right, in a way, it is not in their selfish interest to decrease our dependence on oil, but it is in the planet’s and its population’s interest. That is mankind’s predicament at this moment.

Solar panels can be utilized to make electricity for immediate use either inside or outside the home and the surplus generated can either be stored in batteries or fed back into the electric grid for which you will be remunerated (and remunerated at a very high rate, in some countries).

If you are not ready to come off the grid just quite yet, you could still use solar panels to run some of your external lights. In deed, there is a broad choice of outdoor lighting that provides its own power.

These external lights use mini solar panels, which the manufacturer has built in to the casing of the light to create power from the sunlight during daylight hours and then stores it in internal batteries to be utilized later.

These lamps also have a capacity to run the light on battery power from dusk until dawn. The solar unit determines whether to charge the batteries or supply light by the intensity of the ambient light. This solar power set up is perfect for exterior security lighting and accent lighting in the garden. They are just the thing for lighting up the fish pond or the drive too.

Solar powered external lighting has come a long way and it is well worth you finding out more, if you would like to decrease your dependence on electricity produced by oil from the grid.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on quite a few topics, but is now involved with outdoor accent lighting. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Outdoor Wall Lamps.

12 Volt DC Lighting for the Garden.

Why is it a good idea to use 12v DC lamps and such when installing garden lighting. These are some good reasons for this as follows:

The number one point to consider is safety

Operating your outside, garden lighting via a low voltage 12V DC power source reduces the risk of electrical shock hugely. Dampness, rain and general passage of time can mean that light fittings become damp and this can give rise to the potential for shock from 240V AC. Using 12V DC substantially reduces any such risk although one must be aware of maintenance and be sure that cables and light fittings are not damages or leaking, open to the elements.

Another factor is that 12V DC lighting is more efficient.

12v Low voltage garden lighting is always a tad more efficient than AC equivalents. BUT, the game is improved hugely when one decides to treat their outdoor lighting circuit to a simple solar PV / regulator and Battery power source. This can normally be set to work as a dusk till dawn scenario but often one will rather bypass this sort of circuitry and simply turn the lighting on and off as desired using a suitably mounted lighting switch.

Most people who consider themselves competent at ordinary DIY tasks will almost certainly enjoy installing a 12V DC lighting circuit into an garden project, outbuilding or shed. Maybe install some safety lighting at the remote stabling.

For this project you will need:

Your chosen lamp fitting (from your local lighting or DIY, electrical store). Normally, you can easily convert an AC lamp simply by installing a 12V OnSolar CFL, CCFL or LED Light bulb. The exception to this will a non standard lamp with a special fitting that is not either B22 or E27 or one that has internal electronics incorporated such as dusk till dawn, PIR or dimming.

Quality 2 core cables as required to wire inside your outbuilding. Other items required are, a 12v battery, A switch, A suitable Fuse unit (a single blade fuse recommended for each circuit you install), Small pack of wood screws, 15 amp connector block (cut off and use what you need as applicable), An IP65 connector box and two glands to connect your supply and bring the power into your outbuilding. Finally, exterior grade cable to run from your power source to your outbuilding (if applicable).

Your circuit can be powered by a DC low voltage transformer or ‘wall wart’. Check that it is powerful enough to deliver the power you require (A 12V DC 1 amp unit can cover up to 12 watts).

You may wish to control your lighting circuit remotely from within the home for example. You could simply plug in or turn on the circuit when needed. Alternatively, you may wish to have a remote (home based light switch or maybe install a regular light pull style switch or even a door operated switch. Remember that a Transformer or ‘Wall Wart’ type AC power unit may continue to consume power if left plugged in even if your lamp is ‘off’.

Always use a fuse to protect your 12V DC garden lighting circuit. As a guide, 1 amp at 12V DC nominal is equal to 1 amp. We suggest using a 3 amp fuse for circuits with a loading or around 1 amp or so as a guide.

Tip: Remember that 1 amp is equal to around 12 watts at 12V DC.

Learn more about OnSolar 12 volt Garden Lighting. Stop by OnSolar’s website where you can find out all about it 12V Low Energy Garden Lighting and what it can do for you.

How do you feel in the winter when light levels are reduced? Do you become fed-up, lethargic or even depressed? This experience is quite widely documented and has the acronym of SADS. SADS is or can be pretty serious, but there are almost certainly many many more people who just feel a ‘bit down’ when the sunlight dims. Artificial bright light was invented to help these people.

If, after you have been in the office or wherever you work inside for a few hours, you become tired or listless, it is possible that you are suffering from reduced light levels, so some people say. Whether you accept as true that bright light can help sluggishness or not, SADS is a fact and so it is feasible that increased bright light levels might help.

The artificial bright light box produces very bright light, typically between 5,000 and 10,000 lux according to their advertisements. These figures will not mean much to most people, so I have compiled a short list of comparison lux levels below.

1 lux = Full moon overhead in the tropics 50 lux = Family living room 100 lux = Very dark overcast day 320-500 lux = Office lighting 400 lux = Sunrise or sunset on a clear day. 1,000 lux = Overcast day 10,000-25,000 lux = Full daylight (not direct sun) 32,000-130,000 lux = Direct sunlight

It is definitely true that most people feel happier when the sun is shining and not many people prefer winter over summer, but whether you can get sunlight out of a box or not is another question. These bright light boxes cost about $200 and up, but then you have to factor in the running costs. The electricity bill for running a mini sun must be quite horrific.

If your place of work is a little dark, it would be a good idea to augment the light levels. Sometimes it can be quite easy to increase the levels of natural light simply by removing any superfluous net curtains and by installing longer curtain rods so that the curtains can be drawn right back out of the way of the window enabling the maximum of light to enter your room.

If this is still not enough, you could fit some wall sconces around areas where you work the most. Wall lights can supply light exactly where you want it and usually use quite small, low-powered bulbs. A more direct way to light up your work is by the use of a desk lamp.

If it is a question of needing more light to read by, you could invest in a standard floor lamp. Standard floor lamps are typically about five feet high with a shade. The shade is useful, because it directs light up onto the ceiling, if the shade is open topped, and down onto your book or shoulders. There are other types of standard floor lamp which have a glass or clear cover over the bulb. These will cast more light around the room and will boost general visibility.

Not being able to see properly can easily cause a headache and frequent headaches can be depressing, but before I rush out to buy a ‘bright light box’, I will take the actions outlined above and have my eyesight checked by an optician.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on several subjects, but is at present concerned with researching wrought iron floor lamps. If you would like to know more or check out great offers, please go to our website at Wrought Iron Light

The clocks change back for winter in less than a month’s time and that mean’s summers and long lazy evening’s sitting outside watching sunset’s is soon going to be a thing of the past for this year. This brings forward evening’s of sitting in front of the fire, reading a good book or playing game’s with the family.

When its winter in Europe the sun only rises late in the morning and sets early in the afternoon. This means that you will probably be in the dark when going to work in the morning and coming home in the evening.

Individuals will have to become more vigilant walking their usual route to and from the house or from the car park to the place of work. It’s best to make sure that all of the dark areas are lit up correctly and that the lights are actually working. Prior to winter setting in it would certainly be excellent to test every lights inside walkways or even exterior area’s because in summer people do not really notice if lights are off outside as it is actually daylight for so a lot longer

Ensure that all the lights in car parks are working. If using a lighting timer, do you have the timer instructions available so that the timer can be adjusted correctly to take into account the clocks moving forward? Also inspect all inside and outside light fittings for cracks or damage which will only deteriorate further with the cold and wet weather coming up.

Ensure there is sufficient lighting coverage in entrances and receptions areas. Also make sure that all office passages, store rooms, outside storage areas, outside meeting areas are adequately lit. It would also be a good idea to check and make sure that all emergency exits are sufficiently lit and free of obstructions so as to comply with regulations.

In the event that any problems are identified you still have adequate time to deal with them. It is actually advisable to replace any faulty lighting fixtures as well as bulbs in a timely manner prior to the clocks changing this year.

Want to find out more about our light bulbs please visit Low Energy Lamps we have a huge range of T8 Fluorescent Tubes and light bulbs available for domestic and commercial sectors.

When times are difficult, like they have become lately, it is time to cut costs. This is not a popular move, but to be honest, it need not be such a problem as you might imagine. The biggest single bill for most households is the energy bill and in especially the electric bill. If you do not use electricity to cook or heat your house, then the next greatest contributer to your bill is almost certainly lighting.

Anyway, here are six suggestions for reducing your household expenses.

1] Plan your menu before you go shopping. If you are able to, plan your meals for the entire week so that you can use bits and pieces from one day’s meals in the next day’s. It is also easier and cheaper to buy in bulk, which will also save you travelling costs. Use coupons were you can. It is an obvious idea, but one that a lot of people overlook as they read their magazines.

2] Replace all your traditional, incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL). These bulbs use a low quantity of energy, but still put out a high amount of light. It is a good idea to check for the ‘Energy Star’ rating before you buy in order to ensure that you are getting a high quality product.

3] Instead of using all the lighting in a room, try to illuminate only what you have to. If you are working at your desk, switch off all the other lighting except a desk top lamp and possibly a standard floor lamp. It is surprising how far light travels in a dark room. The light from two lamps such as these will be ample to see your way around too.

4] Buy stocks of light bulbs by the score. They will last a long time, but the CFL bulbs will not deteriorate, so as the price rises with inflation, you will have a stock at the old price. If you can, buy them online, because an online retailer has fewer expenses, which can translate into savings of as much as 70%. Online auctions are also a good idea, you may be able to pick up bankrupt stock.

5] Cook your own meals and make your own food for work. Take home-produced sandwiches or salads. A flask of tea or coffee will supply up to $25 of Starbucks’ substitute coffee drinks

6] Put as many of your lights and appliances on timers or photosensitive switches. If you use passive infra red sensors to activate lights to deter intruders in your garden, you could be using up more electricity than you need to during the day. If you buy flood lights with photosensitive switches, then they will deactivate the lights during daylight when they are pretty useless anyway.

If you have a pond and pond lights, you can also use similar devices to turn your pond lights and pond fountain off during the night..

None of these measures should have a negative effect on your lifestyle, although they will save you money.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece writes on several subjects, but is at present concerned with researching wrought iron floor lamps. If you would like to know more or check out great offers, please go to our website at Wrought Iron Light

The summer is the best season of the year to sit in the garden with your favourite ice-cold drink and gaze at your fish and the rest of your garden. It is the liveliest period of the year for both your pond and your garden flowers and the birds and the bees are at their most lively too.

If you would like to keep on enjoying your garden and pond into the evening, you can position exterior lighting at strategic points to draw attention to the best bits. However, despite wanting to just relax in the warmth, there are still some chores that you will have to do to care for your fish pond during the summer.

The first thing you have to do is make sure that you fish are getting enough oxygen. The problem is that warm water holds less oxygen that cold water, so you have to take extra precautions in the summer. This is quite simply corrected by mechanical, automatic methods. There are three basic techniques of aerating fish pond water.

The most important technique is the use of a fish pond filter. Endeavor to have the water pumped several feet above the pond water level. The water is then passed through the filter and it should drop down a few steps back into the water. Every time the water falls, it will pick up more oxygen, which it will take back to the pond.

The second technique is also the most spectacular – the fountain. Most fountains have a couple of settings to allow different water patterns. All the patterns will oxygenate the water. A high, single jet of water will make the most noise when it falls back into the pond, while a pattern of say, ten less-powerful sprays will scarcely make any noise at all.

The third means of aerating the pond water is the ‘bubbler’. This device sucks air from above the waterline and releases it below the water line – it is the type of aeration device that indoor fish tanks utilize, but on a larger scale.

The use of these three methods in the summer will guarantee that your fish always have enough oxygen no matter how warm it gets.

The next consideration is feeding. Fishes’ metabolism increases during the summer. They also have to build up fat, because they will not eat much during the winter. You can make certain that your fish get plenty of insects to eat by fitting a light by the water side. You can either take a line off the pond pump or you could place a solar powered light there in stead.

The insects will be attracted to the light and fall into the water. The fish will soon learn about the insects. Insects are fishes’ natural food, so this is the best means to fatten them up without running the risk of putting too much food into the water which could rot and adversely affect the properties of the water. Lighting up your pond in the evening is also a great way of getting more pleasure from your pond.

This is the last chore that you have to carry out in order to care for your fish pond during the summer – keeping the water pristine. There will be a build up of algae which has to be cleaned out, but basically, you are now set to enjoy your pond for the summer months.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on a number of subjects, but is now concerned with visual comfort lighting. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Outdoor Wall Lamps.

The main Japanese influences on western interior design for most people are Zen and Feng Shui, so we will take a short look at them below.

Zen Interior Design

If you would like to bring some features of Zen into your home, the interior design will have to be minimalistic, serene and tranquil. Nature will be an essential part of generating that atmosphere.

Minimalism means simple, simple colours, nothing loud. Furniture and ornaments ought to be kept to a minimum too.

People relate Zen with Japan, but in fact it is Chinese in origin. Zen is a form of Buddhism, so it is not really a style, but a life style, a state of being, a form of religion. Zen incorporates meditation in order to gain enlightenment.

Therefore, in order to create aspects of what we call Zen into your interior design, you will have to take all unnecessary articles out of your room and paint with plain colours that will not distract your mind. This is more difficult to accomplish than you might imagine, but do your best to picture what a monk’s cubicle would be like to live in.

It is probably sensible to make over only one room in your house in what we call a Zen style, because most Westerners would find it hard to live without all their ‘stuff’.

No knick-knacks, very little furniture and bland colours are the order of the day. So, it would be best to start by taking everything out of the room, because it is easier to put a few items back than to take a lot out. Then paint the walls white or off-white, say ‘smoke white’ – a very pale shade of gray.

An inspiring photograph with a Zen proverb could go on a wall. Maybe something by Matsuo Basho like: ‘Do not seek to walk in the footsteps of the wise men of old, seek what they sought’.

Feng Shui Interior Design

‘Feng Shui’ is usually translated into English as ‘Wind and Water’ and it is the art of arranging objects to achieve harmony. Once again, Feng Shui originated in China, not Japan.

The real Feng Shui disciple uses the art not only for interior design but also to choose a house and a burial plot. Devotees believe that Feng Shui has an effect on health, prosperity and personal relationships.

Early Chinese Feng Shui employed astronomy to discover the equilibrium between man and the universe and Feng Shui measuring devices have been found in tombs going back to 278 BC

Modern Feng Shui seeks to locate places with good ‘Qi’ (pronounced ‘Chi’). These areas are deemed to be good for humans to live in, others should not be settled and left as nature intended.

Qi means ‘air’ and is used to describe the flow of energy, perhaps founded on solar energy. It is the balance between two entities and is the principal behind Feng Shui. The opposites in this equilibrium are the ‘Ying’ and the ‘Yang’.

Feng Shui was almost unheard of in the West until Richard Nixon went to China in 1972. Unfortunately, it has been re-invented in the West and now has been mixed up with magic and mysticism in the USA

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with researching wrought iron candelabra. If you would like to know more or check out great offers, please go to our website at Wrought Iron Light.

There is a vast amount of choice when it comes to choosing bathroom lighting. The choices lie between harsh lighting, such as spotlights and soft lighting, such as back lighting. As ever, lighting is really the most important factor when trying to create atmosphere. Functionality is equally important. For example, you will need a strong light for shaving, but most people would rather a soft light when relaxing in the bath.

The over-riding factor has to be safety. Some light fitting are just not capable of resisting moisture – they just were not produced with water in mind. Some countries have by-laws in place about the fittings you are allowed to use in your bathroom. For instance, in the UK, an electrician may only fit pull-cord switches in bathrooms. You can fit what you like, but a professional cannot. It could be a good idea to follow suit.

No matter what style of bathroom you decide to adopt, there are plenty of safe fittings to satisfy your needs. There are several factors that you ought to keep in mind, when selecting a bathroom style. For instance, some styles, such as a boudoir style bathroom, require soft lighting. however, this will not suit someone with impaired vision. A bathroom is necessarily wet and that can be dangerous, if you cannot see properly.

You could find the middle ground if you are in a family and have strong lighting for when it is required, but you could have wall sconces holding candles for when you want to relax.

Having said that, even spotlights come in different types. There are narrow, wide and very wide beam spotlights and you can also swap the bulbs so that they just glow.

Never forget natural lighting. It is wonderful to have a long hot bath with the sun pouring in through an open window or skylight, if you cannot be overlooked. If a skylight is not an choice, then you might like to consider some form of chandelier. Chandeliers look great in a bathroom, whether you like a candle chandelier of an electric one with flickering light bulbs.

There are many shops and department stores that have specialized sections on interior lighting and you ought to visit a few of these places to get a few ideas before you buy anything. While you are there it is worth picking up brochures from various manufacturers so that you can study them at home.

Having mentioned studying at home, have a look on the best research facility that mankind has ever had – the Internet. There are practically limitless choices, suggestions and thoughts about bathroom remodelling and lighting online. . Two last pieces of advice though. The first is to always bear in mind the size of your bathroom. Some styles would look fairly silly in a tiny bathroom, whereas others would look strange in a large room. The second is to employ a professional for the dangerous bits, if you have any doubt about your capabilities. Here, I am specifically referring to electrics, but maybe plumbing too.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on several subjects, but is at present involved with researching wrought iron floor lamps. If you would like to know more or check out great offers, please go to our website at Wrought Iron Light

Energy demands are increasing everyday. To reduce expenditure on power consumption, there are a few measures that can be taken. One of this is the introduction of LED lighting San Francisco. It is also another way of taking care of the environment. This is because these lights are efficient.

LED has been around for some time, but it is only now that people are starting to take notice. They are usually of very high quality and of high efficiency too. The manufactures are aware that for this technology to be adopted widely, it must offer more to consumers than alternative light sources.

Their outstanding advantage, however, is that they are green. These lights have been proven to use less energy per unit of electricity consumed, if you compare them to the incandescent. These lights are available in different models and brands. Depending on the brand you purchase, you can get long lasting ones too.

There are some home designers who really know how to play around with these lights. If you give them a free run of your house and enough materials, they can customize it wonderfully. In fact, the decorations that can be carried out in this case are limitless.

In San Francisco, there are numerous places from which one can get insight into this technology. The companies which manufacture these bulbs usually hold trade fairs. These are intended to enable their customers to learn more about the products. The customers include individuals, institutions and even the government.

However, there is probably no place where this technology can result into huge savings than the street lights. That is what the project on LED lighting San Francisco is trying to achieve. With improved useful lifetime and efficiency, the city is definitely moving in the right direction as far as street lighting is concerned. led lighting san francisco

Find out more about led lighting san francisco at our website