The latest designer lamps and home accessories from Hinkley, Quoizel and Schonbek are beautifying springtime holidays like never before.  Bring enlightenment and renewal into your home with outstanding lamps, chandeliers, pendants and energy-efficient outdoor lighting.

Hinkley Lighting has been proud to offer its lighting products to consumers through Capitol Lighting as another family-owned and operated business that prides itself on exemplary service and quality. —Rick Wiedemer, President, Hinkley Lighting

-Quoizel designs are timeless, blending effortlessly with changing decorative schemes unaffected by passing trends, fads or style crazes.

-The Lenox Lighting line is graced with the finest silk shades perfectly shaped and proportioned to maximize lighting effects. The china is crafted to surpass the highest quality standards in the industry. Every porcelain finial is designed exclusively to match the coordinating lamp.

-Quoizel Lighting stands apart in distinction with an outstanding collection of mirrors, unique ceiling fixtures, superb outdoor lighting, stylish bath lighting, and one-of-a-kind tiffany style lamps.

-Quoizel artisans work tirelessly to ensure their Tiffany lamps are composed of individual handcrafted pieces of art glass.  Some of the Tiffany designs are reproductions of original Louis Comfort Tiffany and others are Quoizel’s unique creation. Outstanding new Tiffany style lamps employ color combinations in materials such as jade, agate stone and mica.

*Schonbek is a member of the Swarovski Company.

Thousands of homes each year catch on fire as a result of faulty electrical wiring. A study from the National Fire Protection Association showed that an average of 22,000 home fires between the years of 2003 and 20007 were a result of wiring and related equipment or lighting equipment. These fires resulted in over $700 million in direct damages, 350 deaths and 880 injuries. 72% of these fires were caused by an electrical malfunction or failure of some sort. You can prevent most home fires by making sure that your electrical wiring is properly maintained.

Most electrical fires in the home do not happen because homeowners are careless with their home maintenance on purpose. In fact, most homeowners are as responsible as they know how to be. They just do not have as much information as they should have about electrical wiring safety. Not all homeowners, for example, realize how important it is to keep their homes free of pests.

Even though the connections in your electrical system may be perfectly installed by an electrician in Beverly Hills, insects, rats, mice and other pests could be tearing apart your electrical system if allowed to get out of control. This can greatly increase your risk of fire in your home, because it only takes one frayed wire to create a short that sparks something else to flame.

In order to prevent mishaps like these from happening, you should have your electrical system checked periodically for any safety issues. Although this may seem like a simple step to make, the average homeowner has not had their electrical system inspected in 20 years or more. Having The Electric Connection come inspect your home could end up saving you from a potentially devastating fire. To get in touch with us, or learn more about electrical safety, head on over to our website at www.theelectricconnection.com.

There are plenty of reasons to install new indoor light fixtures in your home. Perhaps you want to update your interior aesthetic, or save energy by upgrading to efficient LED bulbs. Maybe you even want to bring your lighting into a smart home control system. Although wiring a new fixture is usually a simple job, complications can crop up if your home still uses an outdated wiring system. In order to comply with your local building code, you may have to perform some extra electrical work to ensure the safety of your new fixture. Read on to learn more.

Bringing Older Electrical Work Up to Code

If your home still uses knob-and-tube wiring, the law prohibits connecting new light fixtures to the old wiring. You don't have to replace the entire wiring system itself, although that’s not a bad idea, because it can reduce your risk of an electrical fire and lower your insurance rates. Even if you don't have the time or money for such extensive electrical work, though, you can remain in compliance with your local code by installing an electrical box between your wiring and the light fixture.

You can purchase an appropriate electrical box at most local hardware stores – but make sure you verify that it is designed to meet local code guidelines for installing new light fixtures. From there, after you turn off the power to the room, you have to cut a hole in the wall where you want the fixture to go, large enough for the box to fit. If you're lucky, the fixture will be near a stud or part of the frame so you can mount the box easily. Otherwise, you have to cut the wall extremely carefully to ensure you leave enough lath and plaster keys to support the box.

Wiring the New Light into Place

Next, once the box is ready to be installed, follow the manufacturer instructions to clamp in the home wiring to the back of the unit. You may have to add a ground wire as well, depending on the specific scenario. Anchor the box using metal supports, and when it's all in place, connect the light fixture. When everything is securely connected, you can turn the power back on and give your new light a trial run.

Remember, knob-and-tube wiring can be a fire hazard, and performing electrical work in general can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. If you have any doubts or questions about installing your new light fixture, the best route is to have a professional electrician give you a hand.

Expert Assistance with Your Electrical Work

For assistance with all your electrical work, including installing new light fixtures, contact a qualified residential electrician today.