A common problem in many homes is not having enough light, especially in the main living areas.  A very practical, and often times inexpensive solution to this problem, is making use of a torchiere lamp.

Torchiere lamps throw light up toward the ceiling allowing the light to reflect throughout the room and fill the entire space with light.  The most common way to use this type of lamp is to place one in a corner of a room which will not otherwise get adequate light, or to place one beside a couch or chair. There are a multitude of vendors  who design quality torchiere lights.  In our showroom we have designs ranging from contemporary to traditional, and prices ranging from the low hundreds to multiple thousands and everywhere in between.

If you are looking to increase your overall light level in any room of your home a torchiere may be the easiest solution to the problem.

Some people in the industry say that the polished brass finish will never go out of style. With that being said, when looking in various showrooms or online, one would be hard pressed to find any fixtures in polished brass.

What do you do when you have polished brass fixtures and hardware throughout your home and want to update?

Currently, bronze and satin nickel finishes dominate the options for finishes in light fixtures and hardware. Depending on budget and how long you plan on living in your home, you can minimize your polished brass by working with the newer finishes that are out there.

Let’s take a bathroom for example, in the past, most of the time the light fixture finish would match the sink faucet hardware. Which in turn, also matched the knobs on the door cabinets, shower and bath hardware and possibly the mirror. You can minimize the polished brass by replacing the light fixture with a finish that matches the colors in your vanity counter top, wall color, and or flooring color. If your bathroom has warm colors in the the three above mentioned areas, a bronze fixture with cream glass may look better. If you have lighter or white colors in your counter, walls, or floor; a satin nickel finish may work better. The mirror frame color could even match your light fixture for a further tie in.

Some bronze finishes have a mixed painted finish look in which multi-colors like brass and copper show through the bronze finish and can pick up those colors within your space.

A finish from Capital Lighting called Winter Gold has a silver/gold mix that could tie in with polished brass hardware.  Kichler Lighting has a Cambridge Bronze finish that’s a mix of antique brass and a bronze finish which makes it a lighter bronze.  Hinkley Lighting has a Brushed Bronze finish or a Brushed Caramel that is a lighter finished brushed brass look.

While polished brass may not be the current trend, by updating with the newer finishes that compliment and work with the brass, you can create an updated look for your home.

Watch this short 3 minute video posted by the American Lighting Association for some inexpensive ways to update your lighting and improve how your lighting works for you!

Video: How Lighting Can Update Your Home on a Small Budget

For more lighting tips, visit our website!

People have many options for purchasing lighting. You can go to big box stores, go to many online sites to do your searching and ordering or visit a local lighting showroom. Choosing to work with a consultant at a lighting showroom can be the most beneficial for you.

When working with a consultant, you are working with someone who works with lighting everyday and it’s their specialty. They have a knack for design, and can provide you with options you may not have thought of. Lighting consultants can help lead you through the lighting selection process by asking the right questions, analyzing your needs and space, helping select the best type of lighting and style for your space, offering you the opportunity to see what you are buying, and by providing you with follow up and local service.

Lighting showrooms carry a wide breadth of vendors so the options are limitless. If you are stumped with a lighting issue, (for instance, a wall sconce the needs to provide a lot of light located at the bottom of the stairs that has a low ceiling height, a narrow width and not much clearance) consultants can give you some options for lighting those spaces. Consultants are also knowledgeable about different bulb options, under-cabinet lighting, custom track/monorail lighting, dimmers and wall switches, and many other lighting options that can make a difference in your home and save you money.

Varaluz is a lighting company which Creative Lighting has supported for many years. More recently however, we have begun to feature their styles in a much more deliberate way, and for good reason! Varaluz lighting products are assembled in the Philippians where recycling is a way of life. This being the case, when you invest in a Varaluz light you are investing in a product which is made of at least 70% recycled steel and 100% recycled or reclaimed glass. Elements that are used in their glass ranges from recycled soda bottles to pearl shells.

With the heavy emphasis Varaluz places on recycled materials and sustainability, one might come to the conclusion that they lack style. Nothing can be further from the truth. The styles which Varaluz boast range in inspiration from the organic to the industrial. This being said, if you decide on a Varaluz light you can be confident you will have a fixture that is both fresh and unique.

To investigate Varaluz further please stop into our showroom where you will be able to see many of their creative and beautiful designs.

The American Lighting Association provides an easy to ready chart outlining the new incandescent bulb requirements.  Check it out if you have questions! 

http://www.americanlightingassoc.com/About-ALA/Press-Releases/New-U-S–Energy-Efficiency-Legislation-for-Light-B.aspx

Crystorama Lighting is a leader in quality lighting products.  They continue to introduce innovative  designs while staying true to the classic styles that go back to the orgins of the company.

Crystorama Lighting was founded in Brooklyn, New York, in 1958 by Abraham Kleinberg. The company was initially established as a primary importer of crystal chandeliers from Bohemia-Northern Czechoslovakia and offered the finest selection of classical crystal designs. Abraham Kleinberg’s passion as an artist and designer was inspired from various cultures around the world. Through his travels he has incorporated into the product line the full hand cut crystal, the craftsmanship of decorative ironwork, and the meticulous manner by which ornate castings are hand chased to bring out their intricate detailing. Crystorama’s rich heritage has continued over the last 50 years by working with design communities in Europe, India, Asia, and North America. The classically designed chandeliers continue to use the authentic molds and patterns to maintain the traditions of our forefathers. In a world of mass production, Crystorama Lighting continues to offer classical chandeliers that require years of experience and specialized craftsmanship.

At Creative Lighting we appreciate the impact a great lighing fixture can have in any space.  Visit our showroom to see some of the latest Crystorama designs like these shown here.

Authenticity Lighting made it’s debut at the January Dallas market.   This new company was founded on a simple premise: produce beautiful, high quality lighting with an honest and straight forward approach.  To accomplish this they took a fresh look at every aspect of the process, from initial sketches and design to material and finish selection, all the way through to final production and delivery.

Seen above are two peices from the Monarch Collection.  It  features four styles in two finishes: Antique Gold Leaf or Rustic Iron.  It’s shape and seeded glass panels echo the floating freedom of a butterfly in flight.  Monarch is offered in two chandelier sizes, plus a mini chandelier and a two light wall sconce.

Come to the Creative Lighting showroom to see a gallery of fixtures from Authenticity Lighting!

Attention all metal finishes….Gold is BACK, and better than ever. It’s good news for anyone that is currently struggling with trying to update their brass hardware based home with new lighting. Gold is on the trend…Again! Not that shiny show-every-finger-print kind of gold…a NEW gold. The lighting world is filled with lovely brushed brass and soft painted gold options this year. Some manufacturers have even succeeded in incorporating sleek and more sophisticated modern designs with the new hue, and the result is nothing short of fantastic. If you desperately want to rid your space of the old brass and glass fixture blues, but need something that will still work with all of that gold hardware, this is your time! And to any of you who are tired of the stainless and silver days, I encourage you to give gold a chance…again.

Art Deco Pendant

What’s hot in lighting for Fall 2010? We have rounded up the best ideas happening in interior design and lighting right now and put them in an easy to read list:

• Art Deco fixtures – Deco lighting is timeless, going from Victorian to Contemporary interiors. Particularly nice for a bit of warmth in a a black and white decorated room. Deco lighting was plentiful, so there’s plenty affordable pieces in the secondhand market.

• Environmentally friendly fixtures are in – just like in every aspect of interior decorating, “eco-conscious lighting” is brightening the day for “eco-conscious homeowners”. Dimmer switches help keep energy usage down, as do automated lighting control. LED light fixtures enable longer lamp light along with compact fluorescent bulbs in traditional fixtures. Look for lighting to go more high tech as this trend continues.

• Larger lighting lingers in design, as great rooms and larger multi-purpose rooms need the big fixtures for scale.

• Metal bases for table lamps shine with the metallics that are setting the design stage in 2010.

• Barring a metal base – look for more organics, such as bamboo, cork, wood veneers and even vines to be used in lighting.

• Lighting is going global with Japanese influences sneaking into fabric styles, look for the trend to continue to lighting as well.

Japanese Influence

Organic Material

Metal Base