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Toronto lighting

Light Up Your Life in Toronto

 150 150 Nisha Muire
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Exterior lighting around your home can truly enhance your property’s beauty and curb-appeal. The right lighting design will not only provide security and safety to your home, but it will also change its aesthetic once the sun goes down. It is an easy and sure-fire way to dramatically alter your home’s landscape without too much effort – although you should be prepared for the cost behind the installation of good quality lights.

The right design

Before simply going out and buying whatever exterior lights are on sale, it is good to have a lighting design to follow. If you are unsure of how to design a lighting plan for your home, you can always consult the readily available online planners such as the one found over here //bit.ly/1h2sBlx. Some key points to keep in mind when designing a lighting plan include using lighting:
to accent key features such as the facade of your home, trees, fountains & outdoor cooking areas
to provide illumination along pathways and stairs
to create an inviting ambiance that will make you want to spend time outdoors in the evenings

The right lights

Different types of lights are available and are used for different purposes. Uplights and downlights are exactly what their names imply – one shines the light upwards, the other downwards. Spotlights focuses a beam of light on a particular feature. Fairy lights are almost like Christmas lights except they can come in a variety of shapes and forms including flowers, fairies, stars, etc… Deck lighting are small lights that you can embed into your deck for a seamless finish while some designers have gone so far as to incorporate time LEDs into swimming pool designs to make it look like there are stars in the pool at night.

Aside from the type of light you choose for your design, the kind of lightbulb will also play a crucial role in how the ultimate plan will look. Most lighting designers opt for the warm look of incandescent lighting – cold, white lights are not very popular as they are less appealing. Soft, warm lighting can now be found in LEDs, which is a terrific innovation that provides gives you the same inviting look and ambiance of incandescent lighting but at a fraction of the long-term cost. While LEDs are initially more expensive upfront, they last longer and will burn for years compared with ordinary bulbs.

To hire a designer or not

If you are unsure about how to create your own lighting plan, you can always hire a lighting designer to help you out. Should you decide to hire a lighting designer be sure to certify that the person in question specializes in outdoor lighting design and installation and that their company focuses solely on exterior lighting. Also be sure to the designer listens to what you want and delivers the kind of ambiance you envision.

Regardless of how you go about installing your exterior lighting, once it is done you will enjoy the results for years to come.

Lighting Up Your Life

 150 150 Nisha Muire
By:
0

Lights can add atmosphere, create a mood and really get a party going – they can also soothe a child to sleep and help drain the stress from your body. Finding the perfect lighting for your Toronto home takes just a little effort. However, once you find that perfect mix of atmospheric and functional lighting, your home will go from blah to brilliant with the simple flick of a switch. Before going out and buying any old light fixture you have to determine the lighting needs of each room and then work out a lighting design that will provide the optimal illumination for each potential scenario.

Principal Areas
A good rule of thumb in principal areas is to have both functional and mood lighting present. The functional lighting can be for everyday uses while the mood lighting would be used for entertaining purposes. Pot lighting is an expensive but very attractive form of lighting that is ideal for functional uses. It sheds a softer glow than other forms of lighting, but they are not as striking or statement-making as a pendant light or chandelier.

In the living room wall sconces, table and/or floor lamps and chandeliers are all good suggestions while in the dining room a pendant light hanging low over the table is derigeur along with either pot lighting or wall sconces.

The kitchen is the one area in the home that requires good functional lighting – especially over work spaces. If you have a centre island then pendant lighting or another form of mood lighting is often used and in a breakfast area people opt for a mix of both functional and atmospheric options. Ensuites and bathrooms are another place for functional lighting is preferred over mood.

Private Areas
The private areas of the home including bedrooms, family room and recreation areas can be a lot freer-flowing with lighting. Although it is good to provide some strong lighting for desks and other areas where any kind of work might be done, these rooms are best served with mood lighting. If you have a home gym, then strong, bright lights are the best option.

Choosing your lights
Once you have determined the kind of lighting required by each room in your home, it is then time to find the fixtures that best suit your style and the lighting requirements. There are a number of retailers that offer a wide selection of great choices. The more adventurous among you can even shop online or through the better known auction sites where you can find high-end merchandise at sometimes a third of the cost.

Regardless of where you find your lights – be sure to have them installed by an electrician and try to opt for energy-saving bulbs if possible.