As much as some good task lighting and a ceiling full of recessed cans will make a room come alive, there’s nothing like airy, natural light. You can change your home’s color, its style, and even its structure, but when it comes to the amount of sun you get, you can rarely change much. How much natural light you home receives depends on so many different factors both in and outside of your house – the direction your home faces, the topography and structures around, the number of windows you have – these can be costly or just impossible to fix.

So, when you’re on the market for a new house, be sure to consider the lighting potential of any dwelling – lest you end up with a dungeon, or an oven.

Here are some questions to keep in mind when scoping out a new property:

Normally, south-facing homes get sun at the front of the house, and for most of the day. They tend to be brighter and warmer. A house that faces north gets light at the back and is cooler and darker. This may be especially important to note depending on your climate. When it’s cool most of the year, you may want a house that’s naturally a little warmer, if it’s warm for most of the year, you may prefer a house that doesn’t make you cook.

Also be sure to take a look around your property and note what could potentially affect your light. Does your house face an open field, or another row of houses? Are you at the base of a hill that will cast a shadow for most of the day, or at the top, almost always exposed to sunlight? These factors will influence the brightness in your home, and also the temperature.

Once your house is built, it can be costly and time-consuming to add or remove windows. So, before taking the plunge and becoming a home owner, make sure to consider the size, shape, and placement of your windows, and what that means for the home’s natural light levels.

Are there large trees close to the house blocking out the light? Will a close-by lake reflect directly into your windows? Are the windows crazy tiny or just too big? Be sure to consider modifications – window coverings you’ll have to buy, foliage you’ll have to trim – and whether or not they would make a difference.

Indoor Generator Provides 20,000 Watts of Stored Renewable Energy to a Ranch Home, Even When All External Power Supply is Unavailable

Dallas, TX  December 30, 2011– Doug Kerr is the proud owner of a stretch of land located in the rural area of Kaufman County (Texas) where the air is fresh and the hustle and bustle of city life is non-existent. One thing Doug’s land doesn’t have, however, is a city power grid. Traditionally, to gain access to power in an area that hasn’t already been included on the electrical grid, you can pay the local electrical provider a large sum to run new electrical service to your location, or be forced to use noisy, polluting, and high-maintenance fuel-powered generators.

As a rule, the bottom of any hanging light should be at least 6’8″ off the ground – unless it’s over a table or island. When you have an 8′ ceiling, this doesn’t give you a whole lot of room to play. If you long for the grand impact of a decorative

A room with a single light fixture is depressing. Kick the shadows by adding multiple light sources. A few stylish flush-mount ceiling lights. Some table lamps. An accent light here or there. When you have multiple lights shining in different directions, the space will feel lighter and more open. Make sure to place ceiling lights at least 3′ from the wall, any closer and harsh shadows will make your ceiling seem lower. 

By Clarissa Allison | March 31st, 2017

Of the Cosmic Leaf by Artemide: “It appears as a digital leaf from another World , embedded with scales like a reptile or an insect which gather light and shadow on its body to seduce a mate.” Materials: chromed steel structure; body lamp-diffuser in transparent methacrylate with texture; painted metal lighting unit.

Contemporary lighting design would not exist today without the heavy influence of lighting movements from the past.  Mid-Century, Art Deco, Bauhaus, and various other instantly recognizable “Mad Men” retro looks still have a profound influence on today’s lighting designs and styles. The infinite array of modern lighting fixtures available for purchase on www.LouieLighting.com will dazzle you and are manufactured by the top brands in the industry! Today’s designers are combining timeless materials like glass and wood with natural metals such as copper, and are also marrying classic structures made of chrome with startlingly unique silhouettes. The clean lines of these straight-forward designs create the ideal focal point in the modern home or business. The result is innovative, functional art that boasts optimal functionality and high style! Read on for 4 of the best contemporary lighting fixture collections, and click the photos to learn more.

Ross Lovegrove, an industrial designer based in the UK, is the man behind Artemide’s Cosmic Collection. He is a  visionary who’s work is “considered to be at the very apex of stimulating a profound change in the physicality of our three dimensional World. There is always embedded a deeply human and resourceful approach in his designs, which project an optimism, and innovative vitality in everything he touches from cameras to cars to trains, aviation and architecture.” View the entire Cosmic line and other amazing Artemide fixtures here.

Watch Ross Lovegrove discuss his approach to design:

Bromi Design is a premier lighting brand that works to bring some of the most innovative designs and energy efficient light sources to any user’s space. Whether you are illuminating a cozy bathroom or a sizeable commercial space, their products that are both functional and uncompromising in their high quality design. Bromi has an inspired approach to furnish and finish a space with a piece of architecture that can elevate the aesthetic of any interior motif!

The Hunza® Border Light Twin Head (shown below) is a 12 volt adjustable outdoor light that projects two wide spreads of soft light filtered through its frosted lenses. This Border Light is one of several similar pole lights created by Hunza. Use it for lighting garden paths or low level planting with a soft wash of light. This fixture is precision engineered and hand assembled in New Zealand.  A transformer or LED driver is required. These fully-adjustable lights boast a 360° rotation and 0-90° elevation.  The fixture itself is made of Marine grade 316L stainless steel, solid natural bronze/copper or aluminium powder coated in several colours!

Since 1988, Ultralights Lighting has been in the business of the design and fabrication of lighting for decorative purposes. The company has aimed to achieve “better design, better materials, better construction, better lights” for its clients. Today, Ultralights’ product line includes more than 200 interior and exterior fixtures like wall sconces, chandeliers, pendants, etc., in varied finish, diffuser and lamp choices. With its mix of traditional, modern and transitional products for commercial, ecclesiastical, retail, hospitality and medical applications, Ultralights Lighting offers customers multiple design possibilities for every conceivable usage.