Lighting By Jean

Here is a quote from Nathan T. Frampton, Fanimation

 ”Items that are Energy Star-compliant and use recycled/renewable resource materials are direct responses to consumer demands for green products, as are products that have closed glass or upward-facing glass to hide the sometimes unattractive look of energy-efficient bulbs.  One energy-efficient yet attractive way the industry is responding to this demand is with ceiling fans.  Consumers can not only save energy but can have a functional fan with ambient lighting and endless design options.”

Check out our offerings of ceiling fans.

I was chatting with a friend who was sitting under the   chandelier in my living room the other day, thinking:  “My, she is looking much older.  I wonder if she is ill?” However, careful questioning revealed her to be in great good health.  Later I was browsing a magazine when I came across an article on this very subject, entitled:  “Getting Older and Changing Light”, in a Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publication called “Lighting”.  This explains my friend’s apparent change in look.

 It says that frequently people change eyeglasses as they age, but that light needs changing to as the people it lights up get older.

Aging causes our eyes to deteriorate and the lenses to yellow, because of exposure to ultra-violet light.  So when we add the warm light of incandescent bulbs (remember my article on the colour of light?) to the tendency of our own lenses to yellow, we get far less visual acuity, according to lighting designer Randall Whitehead.

 So the answer is to change your light sources to ones with a cooler temperature (lumen) which would be halogens or flourescents  “which can have a 5,000 degree Kelvin, closest to daylight and the coolest”.  He also recomends adding a light source at the centre of the room, to achieve higher levels of light, to supplement the other light sources in the room. 

In other words, folks, as we mature we need even more and cooler light for good sight, which is a really cool idea…check my website for help.

I

purchased a portable lamp for my study.  Most studies are surrounded by books and, while mine has some books, mine is filled with comics.  As is such, I wanted something that has personality and I found a few lamps, but this one from Lightingbyjean.com fit my want perfectly.  There are some other great lights that they have there and I want to add something special to my home.

My wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary recently and we decided to treat ourselves to a bronze chandelier.  This item illuminates our dim foyer and really adds a lot of character to our home.  It may seem like a really mundane gift, but I assure you, there’s nothing mundane about trying to beautify the place where you rest your feet.

Are these terms familiar words in your everyday vocabulary?  Can you toss them off in considering what light bulbs to use in your lighting scheme?  I’ll bet not, for most of us. 

Margot Austin, senior design editor of Style At Home magazine provides the following definitions that should help straighten out our thinking and provide a useful tool to get the just-right bulb for each fixture and for each use of our lights.

First of all, what do the terms mean and why should we care?  Each term is important in choosing the appropriate bulb, since manufacturers packaging can vary greatly in what kind of information they provide. 

• wattage:  the amount of energy used by a bulb
• lumen:  the amount of light emitted by a bulb
• kelvin:  the temperature of a colour
• warm light:  light with a yellowish cast
• cool light:  light with a bluish cast

If you are thinking about buying compact flourescents, you will find they come in a variety of colours to suit your decor.  The colour is determined by the kelvin temperature of the bulb; a lower kelvin temperature means the light will be warmer and slightly yellowish, a higher kelvin temperature means the light will be cooler and slightly bluish.

In my next posting I will talk about comparing flourescents and incandescents (the standard light bulbs).  In the meantime, take a look at my website to see the many beautiful, smart and up-to-date lighting fixtures that are available at low prices.