One affordable way to stay cool in the summer heat is to install ceiling fans.

“The best way to understand the benefits is to do a few simple calculations,” Joe Rey-Barreau, education consultant for the American Lighting Association, said in a news release.

If the ambient air temperature is 80 degrees F, your body will feel as if it is 72 degrees F if you’re seated under a ceiling fan. In fact, most ceiling fans can make a room feel 10 degrees cooler.

Have you ever wondered what size ceiling fan to buy?

To get maximum comfort and energy savings, it is necessary to choose the correct size fan for a room.  Blade span is the key.  A fan that is too small or too big for your room may look awkward.  A fan that is too small probably will not move enough air and a fan that is too big might overpower the room.  We recommend the following:

• Large Rooms – For rooms up to 225 square feet (15′ x 15′) and larger, use a fan with a blade span of 50″, 52″, 54″, or 56″.
• Medium Room – In rooms up to 144 square feet (12′ x 12′) we recommend fans with blade spans of 42″ or 44″.
• Small Rooms – Rooms up to 64 square feet (8′ x 8′) should use a fan with a 32″ blade span.

Now is the best time ever to buy a ceiling fan because Creative Lighting is offering 10% off all ceiling fans to our social media customers. Click here to “Follow” us on Twitter and click here to “Like us on Facebook.

The US Department of Energy Building Codes Program created ‘Residential Requirements  of 2009 International Energy Conservation Code’. The code is applicable to all new home construction.  Before these criteria were developed, there were no requirements for lighting or home appliances. Below are the highlights.

 Criteria:

-50% of permanently installed lighting fixtures have to be high-efficacy lamps (has to take CFL’s or LED’s only, has to be pin-based not a medium/standard base)  All fixtures rated Energy Star will meet these requirements.

 -All recessed cans must have IC (insulated ceiling) rated housings with a gasket or airseal.  

 These criteria are required  in most states.  You can find out more information at www.energycodes.gov

The term “curb appeal” is used to denote the attractiveness or allure of the exterior parts of a residential or commercial property. Don’t forget to enhance the evening curb appeal of your home. One of the things that you can do is to improve the exterior lighting. Simply adding a series of low voltage lighting along the sidewalk or driveway can make your home look more appealing. You can also make your home look more beautiful and secure even at night if you put a decorative light fixture in the front porch.

Different Types Of Exterior Lighting

New technologies and many different types of outdoor lighting products make it easy to create lighting zones. Different areas of the landscape can be lit independently– to highlight a special tree or to cast brighter light on the grill in the outdoor kitchen, while keeping the patio lighting softer and more suitable for conversation.

In fact, lighting designers typically use four main kinds of outdoor lighting to get exactly the effect they want:

• Uplighting: fixtures aimed upward for accent and drama
• Downlighting: safety-oriented; used to illuminate large areas or define a pathway
• Zonal lighting: highlighting individual objects and plants
• Moonlighting: a natural effect, evoking light cast by a full moon. Fixtures are often mounted in trees; mix of uplighting and downlighting.

Right now is a better time than ever to design with light outdoors because Creative Lighting is offering a discount to our Social Media customer.  Save 10% on all exterior lighting through July 30, 2010 with our Social Media coupon.  Click here to “Follow us” on Twitter and Click here to “Like us” on Facebook.

Many designers have pointed to creative use of light as a kitchen trend in 2010. People are coupling overhead recess lighting with accent lights to create dramatic effects and interesting design elements in the kitchen.  Right now personal expression is in vogue. Whether it’s highlighting design elements with light, adding custom work spaces, or creating comfortable living spaces within the kitchen, homeowners are making the kitchen their own.

There is a continuing movement toward tapping into one’s inner creativity, finding one’s personal expression.  An easy way to save is by using lighting creatively.  Layering light and adding decorative task or accent lighting in the kitchen is a great way to highlight design features without dishing out the dough.  Since the kitchen is such a busy space it needs to be bright — here are some ways to light it up:

• Install uplights on the tops of cabinets to highlight a  ceiling.

• Undercabinet lighting is always a popular way to brighten countertops and light your work spaces.

• Lights inside a cabinet can showcase cherished collections.

• Task lighting is an important part of any kitchen design, whether it’s over an island or counter. Installing a hood with built-in lights helps out when cooking at the stove.

• Don’t forget dimmers when planning a lighting scheme.

This 10-watt fixture produces more light than a 54-watt xenon

Undercabinet lighting has come a long way since the days of flickering T12 (fat) fluorescent tubes. While these are still fine for laundry rooms and ‘man-cave’ workbenches, they don’t do much to flatter the high-end countertops and custom cabinetry that today’s homeowner demands.

For over twenty years, customers have had the option of using color-true halogen undercabinet lighting. Halogens will make granite dance, but will also produce so much heat as to ruin spices and even warp cabinets if used for many years. Xenon has all but replaced halogen as the go-to undercabinet lighting choice, but even xenon still produces a fair amount of heat (25% less heat than halogen).

LED (Light-Emitting Diode) technology seems to be a perfect fit for undercabinet applications. Long-life, energy-efficiency, and very low heat output seem to crown it the new king of undercabinet lighting.  The very thought of kitchen lights that last for 18 years of average use may make you want to rip your current system out of the wall.

Is it really that simple?  As of July, 2010, I can confidently tell you, yes.  Even folks’ main objections to LED- high initial cost and light quality- are much less of an issue today.

For instance, a high-quality low-voltage 22 inch xenon undercabinet fixture will run about $110, whereas a middle-range non-dimmable LED fixture with acceptable light quality will only be 40-50 dollars more.  You can certainly find higher-end LED fixtures with even higher color rendering and light output for a much higher cost, but I believe there are currently enough reliable LED choices in a reasonable price range to recommend over xenon lighting.

When considering an LED system for your undercabinet lighting, make sure it is from a reputable brand, offers at least a three-year warranty, and is purchased from a retailer that will be able to answer any questions you may have.

Most importantly, purchase a (returnable, of course) plug-in version of one or two brands of LED you are likely to choose so you can take them home and decide for yourself if the brightness and light quality meet your expectations.  Unlike xenon, LED brightness and color vary greatly from one company to the next, even in higher-end products.  Only after this test should you buy a whole kitchen’s-worth of LED undercabinet lighting.

There are myriad options for LED undercabinet lighting, and the staff of Creative Lighting would like to help you make the selection as smooth as possible.  A bright, cool, energy-efficient kitchen is just around the corner!

There are so many art glass pendant choices out there nowadays, and many people are using them over their islands, tables, sinks. They are a great way to add a punch of color or pull out the natural color in your granite countertop.

A few things to remember when picking out art glass:

-Consider the material the pendants are going over. For instance, if you’re doing a multi-colored glass pendant over your granite, make sure it won’t clash with your granite pattern and color, but rather compliment it.

-Take your time, and if you get overwhelmed with choices, take some resources home with you from a lighting store, to think about it.

-Scale is very important. Talk to a lighting specialist when choosing a fixtures.  Specialists can help you select the size that is right for your space and the quantity needed based on your island, table or wherever you’re adding pendants.

-It is called art glass for a reason- most is hand-blown by an artist. There will be some variations on color and pattern unique to each artisan and peice.  If you’re looking for three exact replicas, you may want a solid color pendant instead of a multi-colored or patterned glass.

-Art Glass is not just for contemporary spaces. There are many styles available; from sleek and clean to organic and curvaceous. Try to mimic the styles of your cabinetry, tile, range hood, etc. Most pendants are also available in different finishes such as, nickel, bronze, or chrome allowing you to have consistent finishes throughout your space.

-Most important… Have fun with it!

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Now through July 24th Creative Lighting is having an in store special for social media customers.  What does this mean?  Well, we have a coupon that is available on our Facebook page that we are also sending out over Twitter.  We see it as a way to say “thank you” to all the people who “follow” us on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook.  We realize that not everyone who either “follows” us or “Likes” us is necessarily a customer of our store, but we do know that some of you are. To those of you that are “followers” and “Likers” and also want to get really great deals on lighting, thank you and here is your chance.  If you are not yet “following” us on Twitter or “Liking” us on Facebook but want to, click here for Twitter and here for Facebook.  We look forward to sharing creative lighting ideas and more great deals with you in the future.

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