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.

image: dedeking.com for IKEA

Take the stress out of getting dressed in the morning and update your closet lighting design.  See colors more vividly and surround yourself in flattering illumination with the latest closet lighting tips.  Whether you are building a new closet or updating an existing one, there are specific rules for safely and effectively lighting this valuable space.

The options abound in closet design from choosing the number of shelves and drawers to the dimensions of hanging space and shoe storage.  Some closets may serve as dressing rooms with areas for makeup application, as well.  Providing sufficient lighting is tantamount to making the best use of your space; for all that planning is wasted if you cannot see well enough to distinguish a black sock from a navy blue one.

1. When using surface-mounted incandescent or LED(light emitting diode) luminaires within an enclosed light source, be sure to install fixtures at least 12 inches from all storage areas.  If opting for a single surface-mounted light fixture, size the fixture to allow for a clearance of 18-24 inches from the wall. Usually one centrally located surface-mounted fixture will be sufficient to illuminate a standard size closet.

2. For surface-mounted or recessed fluorescent light fixtures, a minimum clearance of 6 inches between the light source and storage space is required.  LED and fluorescent light fixtures run cooler than incandescent, so they are the top choice in closet lighting design.

3.  When choosing surface-mounted or recessed LED light fixtures, go for top quality luminaires and buy from a reputable dealer.  LED lighting may cost a bit more, but the energy-savings, maintenance-free operation and safety features of LED will prove to be well worth the investment.

Now that you have the holes for lamp sockets, we need to start wiring the lamp sockets.

Kevy, an eCommerce Marketing Automation ​company that specializes in automating and personalizing the shopping experience. ​ ​​Kevy gives online retailers the tools they need to help visitors find the products they care about most. When she is not at Kevy, Brooke and her husband Ryan love creating new projects and are always looking for a new DIY opportunity around the house.

Anyone who has undergone a home inspection on an older home has likely heard the term “GFCI” in regard to outlets. For many people this is a “huh?” or a “smile and nod” type of moment. If you did rudimentary online research and still don’t really understand what the heck GFCI is, why it’s important, or why you should care, then read on for an understandable explanation, courtesy of our residential electricians.

Ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets may sound foreign, but they are actually very recognizable; have you ever noticed a couple of buttons on a power outlet? That is a clear sign of a GFCI outlet, and those buttons are made to test the integral function that differentiates this type of outlet from the standard version. Basically, GFCI outlets can very quickly perceive when power that was put out is not going to the correct place and can very quickly trip the breaker to shut off the outlet, potentially preventing injury, fire, etc.

These protective outlets can go pretty much anywhere, and they used to not be required to go in any particular places. Now, they are typically required in bathrooms, kitchen counter areas, in and around swimming pools, on external outlets, and many more specific residential areas. Basically, GFCI outlets are required anywhere that appliances used can come in contact with water (ie, kitchen counter, bathroom, in the event of snowfall piling against an external outlet, etc). These outlets are becoming more and more standard throughout the home and could potentially become necessary for all outlets in new construction in the near future.

If your home was requested or required to comply with GFCI outlets, or if you are concerned that your family or home is at risk, please give us a call. As Des Moines’ Top Rated Local® residential electricians, we would be happy to help make your home a safer place.