Creating a Beautiful Ambient Room with Lighting Ideas

Farrey's N. Miami Showroom

When we are decorating a room, we pay attention to the colors, the furniture, the type of floor, the style of the windows, but do we pay attention to the lights? Do we really choose the right lighting?

In this post, we will go over the main types of lighting. We will share with you the different styles of lighting fixtures and their functions, as well as the special places they can be located to create a unique living space.

Lets’ get started…

1. General Lighting (Ambient Lighting) generates light from corner-to-corner and can be found in almost every room of your home. Ceiling-mounted fixtures, pendants , recessed or track lighting, and chandeliers can be classified within this category. Generally speaking it is best to choose a light fixture based on the décor style.

Ceiling-mounted fixtures can be found almost in any room of the house; especially in the bedrooms, foyers and halls.

What does it happen if we have high ceilings? The best recommendation here is to choose pendant fixtures to create a better ambient lighting result. Usually these areas are: foyers, stairways, dining rooms, and sometimes kitchens.

But, if what we want is to add a unique touch, chandeliers are the perfect option since they incorporate the style and functionality in one piece. Today, the trend has become more eclectic, being able to find chandeliers placed over the bathtub, creating an elegant and inviting atmosphere.

Photo Courtesy of Murray Feiss



2. Task Lighting – The intention of task lighting is to make easy lighting in a special area assisting you to perform specific tasks such as reading, cooking, working, etc.


For example, if you have an office area in a room, it would be a very appropriate to have a table lamp placed on top of the desk with the correct bulb wattage. This way you and anybody else will be able to read joyfully for hours.

Also floor lamps, track lighting, recessed lighting, table and desk lamps, pendants, and under cabinet lighting can be considered task lighting fixtures.

Floor lamps are a perfect solution for small spaces because they don’t take a lot of space, and with its three adjustable bulbs makes it a very flexible lighting alternative.

3. Accent Lighting is a perfect solution for enhancing indoor spaces in a creative way. Its main goal is to create a visual interest. Usually it is used to enhance paintings, sculptures, plants, and other accessories that through illumination can boost the beauty of the room. Recessed and tracking lighting as well as wall-mounted lights are the most used to accomplish these goals.

After going through all these types of lighting, we can conclude that lighting a space is not as easy as we thought but that doesn’t mean that is impossible; it just requires attention to the space, to the details and also to the needs of each individual using this space.

Simple to Install Bathroom Plumbing

Working in sales I often have the challenge of communicating product installation to contractors or plumbers. As a salesperson it’s my job to help my customer achieve their vision for their bathroom project. So when I learned about the Axor Starck Shower Collection created by Philippe Starck, I knew I had a product I could sell without worries. So what’s great about it? It works by interlocking solid brass rough-in channels that can be installed vertically, horizontally or asymmetrically.

What does that mean to a homeowner? The system allows for ease of installation while preventing water leakage. This means the installer uses fewer raw materials and installation happens in less time.

How does it all come together in the end? Once all the plumbing is set in place and walls are tiled, all the exterior trim lines up perfectly. All shower components: thermostatic mixer, volume controls, hand shower and shower-head are all based on a 5” square. Axor likes to refer to this system as haute couture or high fashion. That’s because at the center of this modular approach is the use of geometric shapes. The evenness of size in the shower trim and the use of first-class quality materials help create a modern bath sanctuary.

So how can you create the perfect bathroom? A homeowner does not need to have a large master bathroom to benefit from this Axor product. Since all the pieces are sold individually the consumer can order the full package or just the basic components. For a customer I recently created a shower system using the Stark Shower Collection. By supplying her with only a handful of items her small bath project was converted into a one of a kind shower oasis. The perfect bath may not exist, but one designed for your personal needs can be heaven.

Humberto Delgado
Decorative Bath & Hardware Consultant
Farrey's Lighting & Bath
http://www.farreys.com/

Big Lighting Ideas for Small Spaces

Do you have a small room and you would like to make it bigger, but you don’t know how... Guess what? With just simply choosing the right type of lighting and coordinating the placement, can transform this small space into a big room full of bright ideas.

The American Lighting Association (ALA) have shared with us some bright tips on how to the make a small place look larger, and here at Farrey’s we would like to share it with you.

Photo Courtesy of Murray Feiss

Integrate accent lighting with functional lighting – A bedroom or living room can instantly look larger by placing table lamps and small accent lamps all over. By avoiding one point of light and incorporating several focal lighting points significantly increases the perception of the space. The ALA suggests adding torchieres, which direct light upward, and can add a dramatic ambient lighting to smaller spaces with vaulted ceilings.

Pay special attention to the wattage when using portables, since these lights should not be bright. The use of dimmers is an excellent idea in these types of lamps. In case that your lamps do not have a built-in dimmer, a table top dimmer is a great solution.

For a space without a lot of floor or area for portables, wall sconces are a great idea. This type of fixture offers functional and ambient light at the same time.

Photo Courtesy of Maxim Lighting

There is an effective and useful technique called “wall washing” which is excellent in making spaces look larger. It consists of arranging one or more sconces in one wall so the light feed the wall, creating a dramatic effect transforming the room’s size by taking the attention outward.

Lighting a space can be challenging, especially if the space is very small, but keep in mind that there is a variety of lighting solutions that can become your space full of life. That’s why it is important to use the natural light in combination with the artificial light. Avoid using heavy curtains and open up the windows to invite the light into your room.

Now there is no excuse for small rooms to look dark and boring. Start using these tips and make your small space a real heaven.

5 Tips to Know When Choosing an LED Light Bulb

Photo Courtesy of Lutron

When you are buying a light bulb, it is common to think about watts, but did you know watts do not indicate how bright a light will be?

Many years ago, there was only one type of light bulbs; and watts were the only unit of measure used to help us decide the perfect light bulb for our lamps.

Today it is very easy to get confused with so many models and styles of LED bulbs. Farrey’s sales experts want to share with you useful tips you should know when choosing an LED light bulb for your favorite lighting fixture.

Before choosing an LED light bulb, it is very important to understand the difference between watts and lumens; since most of the times these terms are confusing. Watts refers to how much energy a bulb will consume when is on; on the other hand, lumens measure brightness.

So, after knowing the difference between watts and lumens, we can say that the more lumens, the brighter the bulb.

1. Tip Identify how bright a bulb you want - After defining this, you will be ready to begin analyzing other factors such as the energy cost, life span run cost, and so forth.

2. LED bulbs do not have mercury - With LED bulbs, all concerns about adding mercury to the environment are gone. LED bulbs do not have any mercury, so there are no worries when handling or disposing of one of these bulbs.

3. Instant light and Dimmable!- If you have a space where turning lights on and off is a constant task, LED light bulbs are the perfect choice. LED bulbs reach full illumination, producing a steady light which doesn’t flicker.

Many LED bulbs now are dimmable, a very suitable feature. Also it is important to note that these bulbs do not burn out, but just dim over time.

4. UV-free LEDs bulbs do not attract insects- Typically flying insects are the first guests in an outdoor party. We usually think that they come because of our sweet blood, but the truth is they feel attracted by the ultraviolet light. So, the next time you are planning an outdoor party and need light bulbs, just check the label for UV detail information.

There are also LED bulbs with yellow lenses, especially intended for outdoors. These yellow bulbs will not attract the bugs and illuminate the area very well.

5. Price should not shock you - LED bulbs initial cost seems a little bit higher compared to the cost of an incandescent or CFL bulb, the savings can be seen very fast over time because these bulbs will last longer and use less energy than other bulbs.

It is very common today seen many residences and commercial locations adapting LED as their new light source. Very soon, all of us we’ll be using LED bulbs and the prices and consequently the prices will drop down.

These tips will help you to identify the perfect LED bulb for your favorite space. No more worries and confusions. LED’s huge variety of styles and types met all spaces unique. They will help you save money and also illuminate any room in a very special way.

How to Clean your Favorite Chandelier?



Photo Courtesy of Eurolampart

When we buy a chandelier we usually ask questions regarding functionality, warranty, type of bulbs used, technology, type of illumination and so forth, but have you ever asked how to clean it?

This is a very simple question, but actually the answer can be very tricky since most of us think that a simple cleaning product spray will solve that problem; but guess what? This simple method can destroy completely the frame of your beautiful chandelier.

Farrey’s experts today want to share with you how to properly clean a lighting fixture

The first recommendation is BE CAREFUL!!! When we are cleaning, the tendency is to spray, scratch and wipe; but when cleaning a lighting fixture, these steps have to be used with a lot of discretion. We are not saying do not use them at all; but crystals can be scratched very easily, damaging the beauty of your fixture.


Photo Courtesy of Schonbek

 So, before starting the cleaning process, make sure to turn off the lights and remove all light bulbs. This way any accident can be avoided.

No matter what finish your lighting fixture has, it is always recommended to use soft cloths rather than paper towels since most of these can be like an abrasive to the crystal.

Another important recommendation is to avoid spraying cleaners directly on your lighting fixture. The protective finish can be damaged very badly. So, it is always a good idea to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you still have any concerns at all, dry cleaning is always the best option.

Photo Courtesy of Schonbek

 Using the dishwasher is always a temptation, especially if your lighting fixture has glass shades; removing each crystal can be time consuming and a tedious process; but the new Da Vinci LED by Schonbeck makes this cleaning task a fun project. This stunning piece is considered the world's first dishwasher safe crystal chandelier. Its perfect sphere design which is composed by thousand of crystal octagons comes apart in sections to fit into a standard dishwashing machine. The smallest parts can be cleaned in one load; and the largest may take several loads.

Although a trip to the dishwasher may not seem well-suited with fine crystal, Da Vinci is in fact composed of the finest crystal in the world: Strass or Swarovski Spectra crystal.

Cleaning your favorite lighting fixture can be a fun task, especially if you follow these recommendations. Always remember to enjoy the process and be proud of yourself next time you turn on the lights!