Most of us have all heard of chandeliers, but what about the many various parts pertaining to an italian chandelier.  Here in this particular article we’re going to talk about some of the significantly more unknown facts about chandeliers. Let us begin : Arm -: The light-bearing component of a chandelier, sometimes know as a branch. Arm Plate -: The wooden or metal block placed on the stem. The arms go in here. Baluster -: A moulded or turned wood stem forming the axis of a chandelier, with alternating bulbous and narrow parts of varying widths. Bobeche -: A dish which is fitted at the base of the candle nozzle, designed to catch drips of wax. It is sometimes known as a drip pan. Branch -: Another name for the part of the chandelier which bears light, also known as an arm. Candelabra -: Candelabras are candlesticks, usually branched, designed to stand on tables, or if large, the floor. Candlebeam -: A cross made out of two wooden beams with one or more prickets and cups at each end for securing candles. Canopy -: An inverted shallow dish at the very top of a chandelier from which festoons of beads are often suspended, lending a flourish to the top of the fitting. Drop -: A tiny piece of glass customarily cut into one of many patterns and drilled at one end so that it could be installed from the actual chandelier with a brass pin. A chain drop is usually drilled at both ends so that a series can be strung together to form a necklace or festoon. Dutch -: Generally known as Flemish, a style of brass chandelier having a bulbous baluster and arms bending down around a low hung ball. Finial -: The ultimate flourish at the very bottom of the actual stem. A number of Venetian glass chandeliers include small finials dangling from glass rings on the arms. Montgolfiere Chandelier -: Chandelier with the particular shape of “montgolfiere”, the early french hot air balloon. Neoclassical Style Chandelier -: A nice glass chandelier showcasing numerous fragile arms, spires and strings of beads. Prism -: A straight, several sided drop. Soda Glass -: A sort of glass utilized frequently in Venetian glass chandeliers. Soda glass remains “plastic” for longer when heated, and can subsequently be fashioned into fashionable bending leaves and flowers. Spire -: A high spike of glass, rounded in section or just flat sided. To which arms and decorative elements might be affixed, formed from metal, wood or glass. Tent -: A tent shaped structure on the upper portion of a glass chandelier where by necklaces of drops connect at the very top to a canopy and at the bottom to a much larger ring. Venetian -: A glass from the island of Murano, Venice but usually used to describe any chandelier which is in the Venetian style. Read more »

While light emitting diodes, or LEDs, have been around for quite a while, they are just now starting to make an appearance in the home for many of our lighting needs. They have been a favorite in electronics over the years because of their low energy use, ruggedness and long life, and low heat emissions. And it is these same characteristics that make them valuable in the home as well. Lighting takes up a significant part of any homes energy bill, as well as businesses. Imagine if you could get the same light output with only 1/20 of the energy you currently use. That is what LED lights can do for you and your energy needs. LEDs lights are so much more efficient than incandescent, halogen, or fluorescent lights. In fact, LEDs are 80% more efficient than regular incandescent bulbs and 40% more efficient than the new CFL bulbs offered for our home use. This can mean a great savings in your energy bills. The flip side is that since using LEDs lights in our homes is relatively new, the LED bulbs are expensive compared to regular light bulbs. While you must always be careful with regular and CFL bulbs that you don’t drop and break them, or even shake them too much, LEDs are much more impact resistant. They also have a much longer life, many into the 50,000 to 100,000 hours range. This makes things like LED spotlights for security lighting a no-brainer. The worse thing for a security light is for it to burn out. And the places where they are put are usually not very friendly to get to to change them out. Many also have great exposure to the elements as well. LEDs are not fragile like their counterparts and last many times longer, meaning reliable security lights. Another place where LED lights really shine is with their low heat emissions. This makes them ideal for grow lights. Many homeowners would love to use grow lights in their homes, but heat emitted by traditional HID grow lights demands the need for ballasts and venting systems – something most casual gardeners just don’t want to deal with. With LED grow lights, while they do emit some heat, the need for exhausting the heat just isn’t there. Now indoor gardening just got a lot easier. Take a new look at LED lights and what they can do for you. There are many uses in and around the home, and as the market steadily grows, more options and better pricing will come also. Read more »

Outdoor House Lighting can be defined as lighting that is installed on the exterior of the house, but can also include lighting that is used to illuminate the house itself. There are many ways to utilise outdoor lights and they can indeed be used to create very striking effects. The key to good use is to make a plan before you rush out and buy the first lights you think look good. Take a little time and get a simple plan together. Lights ON The Outside Of The House Try to go for a more modern approach and avoid the old standard light above the door. Single spotlights pointing upwards or down can illuminate the sides of the doorway, framing it with light and creating a great look. Down lights in the fascia boards of the house can look good – space them out well, sometimes less is more. Here you are looking for a lighting effect, not to light up the house. Outside floodlights can be useful to light areas where you need good strong light, perhaps around the pool or barbecue. Use spotlights where a softer effect is required – a couple of spotlights at ground level flickering across the surface of a patio can look good. Some great designs of lights are around today so look for that special one to make your home stand out from the rest Lights To Illuminate The house Here the technique is to carefully place lights around the garden and point them at the house to create a unique lighting effect. This is best done with spotlights, for most homes, as these are easily adjusted and you can experiment a bit with the direction of the light. Flood lights can also be used with this technique but can be over powering on smaller homes. When you have a few ideas together and are ready with a plan, then you can hit the shops or online stores. The range of lighting available today is amazing and it is now possible to get some decent quality, cheap outdoor lighting. But it is best to avoid the really cheap lights as these are often poor quality imports. Good luck and have fun. Read more »

Some of the top features in a shabby chic design scheme make it the perfect type of style for someone who enjoys creating things and getting personal with design. If you’re the type who enjoys really making your space about you and your sense of style, then you should look into creating a room or a whole house decorated in shabby chic. Light fixtures are a fun element of the design because the more unique they are, the better. Creating your own shabby chic chandelier is a popular option. You can make a chandelier from scratch using almost anything from a birdcage to a colander, or use an existing chandelier that you deck out in the way you want to make it fit your particular room. A hallmark of shabby chic is something that’s original, worn-looking and distinctive, so the more unique the shape and the embellishments, the better. If you start with an existing chandelier, look at what you can change. The finish is easy to change with something like enamel paint that can be sanded down in spots to give it an aged look. White or light colors are best, especially over a dark finish so that it can show through in places. Lots of dangling crystals and gemstones will add to the look, as most shabby chic chandeliers have a lot of these types of trinkets that catch the eye. Don’t worry about things like evenness or similarity. The more shapes, sizes and colors you have, the better. And don’t limit yourself to single crystals or pieces of glass. Old costume jewelry with big gaudy stones can be dangled from the chandelier, as can things like feathers, tiny trinkets or toys, beads, shells or almost anything that really fits the room’s décor and makes a statement about you or your design. Read more »

Considering the number of times a year that it’s possible to hold an event out on the patio, is it worth investing money in novelty patio lights?   The simple answer is, probably yes, because the more you can make a feature of your patio, and particularly after dark, the more you are likely to use it. If the weather’s kind and you are making the most of outside space, it’s a real shame to have to move the action indoors just because night has fallen.  With carefully chosen patio lighting, the festivities can continue with the ‘switching on ceremony’ of the lights, as a prelude to the evening fun to come!  Plus, using patio lights means that you can illuminate your event without having to worry about the safety element of candles, which can be problematic in terms of accidental knocks or any sudden breezes that could plunge your event and guests into sudden darkness. The fun of researching novelty lights for your event is that there is such a wealth of choice out there, that you will certainly be able to find something that suits both your budget and your purpose.   If you are canny about this, you will perhaps choose novelty items that can have repeated use across a number of festivities, so here’s a few ideas: Red lantern lights can be used for devilish effect at a Halloween gathering and again for seasonal cheer at Christmas. Choose a novelty shape that you know you will not get bored of too quickly and purchase replacement bulbs in a range of colors, so that you can ring the changes through use of color – a lot cheaper than replacing the whole set and without the hassle of re-stringing. Fruit and plant shapes will add an exotic appeal, which is part of the atmosphere created by partying or relaxing outdoors. Lastly, to get the best value from your set, choose novelty patio lighting that is not a passing phase or gimmick – easier said than done if the kids are helping you choose, but try to steer towards items that won’t have a limited novelty value in themselves. Read more »

When it comes time to update the lighting in your home you might want to consider installing chandeliers. These days chandeliers come in a variety of styles and sizes and this makes them perfect for almost every room in your house. One style of chandelier that is often overlooked is the wrought iron chandelier. They have a reputation for being clunky, heavy and limited. While that might have held true in the past, today’s styles of wrought iron chandeliers are anything but limited. While it won’t suit every design scheme, wrought iron décor is very versatile. There are delicate filigreed chandeliers that would be perfect for the dining room. In fact, there are styles to suit almost any home. While wrought iron lighting looks most at home in a Northwestern, or Southwestern style setting, you could find a wrought iron chandelier that would not look out of place in a Cape Cod. You have to decide if the rough and weathered look of traditional wrought iron has a place in your design scheme. At one point in our nation’s history the only kind of metal that could be worked was wrought iron. With the advent of steel, wrought iron production flagged. In fact, what we today call wrought iron, is truly a form of inferior steel. This allows craftsmen to be much more creative in making wrought iron lighting fixtures. You can find common styles for under $200. You can also decide to pay more for a custom piece. There several mail-order companies who specialize in handcrafted, specially designed wrought iron chandeliers. If you decide to go the custom piece, you can even go as far as to decide to use candles instead of electrical wiring. A decision like this could make a wrought iron chandelier perfect solution for outdoor lighting. As you can imagine, however, dealing with lighting candles on a chandelier is not for everyone. The important thing to remember is that the whole world of chandelier lighting is open to you. Don’t let preconceived notions of what particular materials will look like keep you from finding the chandelier is going to be the perfect accent for your home. So if you still have that old-fashioned idea of thick, heavy black iron chandeliers overpowering a room, it’s time to get rid of it! Read more »

Do you want to enhance the beauty of your home? Are you in need of fresh ideas that you can use in decorating your place?  Here’s the catch. You can definitely beautify your home without having to spend a lot. It is now time to check out the wide array of tripod lamps which will give you the aesthetic effect that you are looking for. The tripod lamps are now becoming very popular home accessories which serve many purposes. Like all lamps, they provide lighting in the room where they are placed. However, they do more than that. They also reveal and enhance the design and appearance of your home. What is most interesting about tripod lamps is that they are available in different designs and styles. It is easy to find the design that best matches your personality or the personality that you are trying to portray. You can choose modern, flashy, traditional or rustic looks. Tripod lamps may be floor lamps which are taller and table lamps which are smaller since they are placed on tables. If you have decided to accentuate your home design with tripod lamps, it is important for you to consider the many features that every tripod lamp has before you make your choice on what to buy. You can match the tripod lamp with the overall theme of your home or to the unique design of the specific room where you will place it. If the overall theme of your home is traditional, you may logically go for the natural look in terms of furniture and other accessories. The natural look can be achieved with wooden tripod lamps or those that have wax coating. Of course, no one can stop you if you choose modern furnishings to go with the home’s conventional theme. If you choose the modern home design, you can have the modernistic tripod lamps which may be made of aluminum, steel or other kinds of metal. Metal tripod lamps also make excellent choice because they are tough and strong. Consider the factors discussed above in deciding whether to buy tripod lamps or not and what type of tripod lamp to buy. Buying tripod lamps certainly create more benefits than cost. Read more »

Many people are under the false assumption that plugging their computer into a power strip is adequate protection from electrical surges. However, it is important to protect one’s entire house from major electrical spikes that may occur unexpectedly. Unlike power strips that only protect susceptible electronic devices, whole house surge protectors provide safety from major power surges for the electrical system of an entire building. A whole house surge protector works by forcing excess power into a ground wire. Typically, electricity flows through them; if a surge occurs, the extra power is diverted until flow returns to normal. Some have alarms or lights to alert the homeowner when a surge has occurred so appropriate precautions can be taken. Most of these devices can stop a surge of 40,000 amps or more. These surges can be caused by a variety of factors, including lightning, downed power lines, and even the use of electrical devices in the home. Though surge protectors that are wired into the service panel of a house cannot stop surges completely, they can protect against about 85 percent of voltage. Plug-in protectors such as power strips can take care of the extra 15 percent that makes it through the barrier. There are many different types of surge suppressors available on the market today. It is important to invest in a system that will effectively protect one’s home; the extra money spent on the protector will be far less costly than replacing expensive appliances damaged by power surges. The Intermatic whole house surge protector is one viable option. It protects from surges up to 48,000 amps and is fairly simple to install. It has a five year warranty and usually costs between 110 and 150 dollars. The Leviton whole house surge protector is another high quality and affordable option. It is effective up to 50,000 amps and is recognized for its instantaneous response time to surges. At 170 to 220 dollars, it is a little more expensive than some other models, but it provides extremely reliable and effective protection. Every homeowner wants to keep their house safe; a surge protector covering the entire house’s electrical system is an essential component of this process. Read more »

Solar lights are becoming more and more popular as an increasing number of people are looking for more environmentally friendly ways of lighting up their homes and gardens. Choosing solar lights for your home can be an eco-conscious choice but can also save you money. Because solar-power lights use the sun’s energy to create electricity, they do not need a power source and you do not have to connect them to the power grid. Although solar lighting can be initially more expensive to buy and to install than traditional lights, it can soon lead to significant savings on your electricity bills. If you live in an area that gets a lot of sunshine year round, you may be able to use solar power for lighting up your home most of the time. If the area you live in gets less sunlight, you can still use solar power for a part of your lighting needs and end up saving money. Solar-powered lights are usually very bright and can be easily placed in the garden or along the driveway as security lighting. Because you will not need any wiring, they can be installed wherever they are needed, and most of the time you do not have to call a professional electrician for the installation process. You can also place single lights outside the front door to provide bright lighting. A typical solar-powered light uses sunlight to create energy that it stores in a rechargeable battery, and one day of sunlight generally creates enough power for the bulb to function a whole night. Whether you need an environmentally conscious choice for security lighting, need to light up the driveway or want to place some spotlights in the garden to highlight special landscape features, solar lights for your home have many additional benefits over traditional light sources. Read more »

If you would like to enhance your outdoor area, solar lights are a cost effective and environmentally friendly way to do it. There are many different types of solar lights available making it easy to find something to suit your needs. The garden is a great place to start with some simple solar garden lights…which can often just be staked into the ground. Just place them throughout your garden for some gentle light, or use them around the garden edge to create a border. You can use fence post lights to create a border around your property or highlight your driveway with bollard lights. Solar lanterns and lamp style lights can add some character to your path or entrance. String lighting, in various colors, can be used along fences and edges, through trees or throughout your garden to create ambient light. Pools and ponds can benefit greatly from the use of solar lighting. You can get small lights that float, freely or secured, on top of the water. Your patio or deck can light up with the use of post lights or in-deck lights. The post lights sit at the top of your posts and direct light downward. The in-deck lights sit flush with the deck and direct light upward. Spot lights and flood lights can provide a larger amount of light directed to a specific area, like your outdoor dining area. If you add a motion sensor to these larger lights you can also have some extra security around your home. If you participate in outdoor activities like fishing, hiking or camping then you can use solar lights for these as well. Solar torches and lanterns are compact and lightweight, which is great for portability. Solar spot lights are ideal for lighting around your camping ground or inside your tent. Portable solar lights are also useful in cars, trucks, caravans and boats, particularly in emergency situations. Solar lights are available to suit almost any need you may have. They are safe, affordable and use free solar energy. They are the ideal choice for your lighting needs. Read more »