d out the coral of the flowers. Silky custom pleated sheers completed the interior design of the room. The look was a huge hit especially with the chandelier lights dimmed to a soft glow.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
A Window Treatment Fresh Idea- Quilted Cornices
My client’s dining room got a “quiet elegance” interior decorating makeover last week. The beautiful quilted cornice boards played a big part in the decor. The grey Chinese wallpaper in the room had a soft luster to it. Soft coral flowers with green stems were randomly placed on the wallpaper. Grey peau de soie cornices in a custom quilt pattern nicely coordinated with the wallpaper. The carpeting pulle
d out the coral of the flowers. Silky custom pleated sheers completed the interior design of the room. The look was a huge hit especially with the chandelier lights dimmed to a soft glow.
d out the coral of the flowers. Silky custom pleated sheers completed the interior design of the room. The look was a huge hit especially with the chandelier lights dimmed to a soft glow.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
More On The New Lightbulbs
The Kelvin number is important in deciding whether you want a yellow or white glow in your room’s décor. It is also important when considering the use of a room. 2700K is considered good for bedrooms and dining rooms. 4100K is used for general lighting and for offices and work areas. To read, a 5000k bulb is recommended.
Lumens - This term indicates how much light is produced by a particular bulb. A 75 watt standard bulb or an 18-25 watt CFL (spiral fluorescent) bulb will both give you about 1100 lumens but the CFL bulb uses one-third of the wattage. Think of the energy savings possible for your home and others around the world just by changing to CFL bulbs!
CFLs or compact fluorescent lamps are being met with mixed results. They do last very long and cost less over their lifetime. I know you are saying they are plain ugly and do not give off bright light. I can now get them for you encased in a bulb like the standard ones we all want. As far as their light output, there are now different “lumens” and “colors” available in CFLs to address every lighting need you may have.
Changes in our environments and lifestyles are never easy. It seems like we have used the standard incandescent light bulb in our homes forever. So, there is some learning and adapting to be done to understand all the new light bulb. This is the start for all of us on this important change that will affect global energy use. It is definitely a move in the right direction.
Lumens - This term indicates how much light is produced by a particular bulb. A 75 watt standard bulb or an 18-25 watt CFL (spiral fluorescent) bulb will both give you about 1100 lumens but the CFL bulb uses one-third of the wattage. Think of the energy savings possible for your home and others around the world just by changing to CFL bulbs!
CFLs or compact fluorescent lamps are being met with mixed results. They do last very long and cost less over their lifetime. I know you are saying they are plain ugly and do not give off bright light. I can now get them for you encased in a bulb like the standard ones we all want. As far as their light output, there are now different “lumens” and “colors” available in CFLs to address every lighting need you may have.
Changes in our environments and lifestyles are never easy. It seems like we have used the standard incandescent light bulb in our homes forever. So, there is some learning and adapting to be done to understand all the new light bulb. This is the start for all of us on this important change that will affect global energy use. It is definitely a move in the right direction.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
The New Light Bulbs
There are 3 things you will need to know to select the best light bulb for your needs.Shades of Light has broken it down into understandable parts for everyone. All bulb cartons will have a "nutrition label" stating color, lumens and lumens per watt. Read on for the explanation.
Color- The familiar incandescent bulb gave a "warm white" and was 2700K. You can now get a "daylight" bulb that measures 5000K.
Lumens- Measures how much light is produced. For example to get 1600 lumens of light, you need a 100 watt incandescent bulb or a 25 watt LED bulb. Same brightness from both BUT much less energy used!
Lumens Per Watt- measures how much light you get for the energy consumed by a bulb. The 60 watts of energy used in an incandescent only gives 13 LPW-not very efficient. Contrast that with a 6 watt LED bulb that gives 100 LPW- much stronger light with much less power used.
Hope that helps all of us be more energy efficient!
Color- The familiar incandescent bulb gave a "warm white" and was 2700K. You can now get a "daylight" bulb that measures 5000K.
Lumens- Measures how much light is produced. For example to get 1600 lumens of light, you need a 100 watt incandescent bulb or a 25 watt LED bulb. Same brightness from both BUT much less energy used!
Lumens Per Watt- measures how much light you get for the energy consumed by a bulb. The 60 watts of energy used in an incandescent only gives 13 LPW-not very efficient. Contrast that with a 6 watt LED bulb that gives 100 LPW- much stronger light with much less power used.
Hope that helps all of us be more energy efficient!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
The Fifth Wall
I want everyone to start looking up. To the ceiling that is! For years we have come up with color schemes for the 4 side walls in our homes. We have agonized over using the right shade of beige or blue. Many sample paints have been put on our walls to be stared at and pondered about. I have done it too! My friends and family have seen many paint cards taped up to my walls over the years. I am willing to bet that there is a can of “Ceiling White” paint gathering dust in the dark recesses of your garage. That color was a staple for our home for years. Are you ready for a change? I want to get you thinking about putting the same efforts into ceiling color decisions that you put into the rest of your walls.
If you are building or remodeling, there are architectural details available for the ceiling. A tray ceiling is easy to add during home construction. It can be contrast painted to highlight its features. I have seen rectangle and octagon styles that definitely make a statement. Paint a strong accent color on the angled sides of the tray for a great look. Also, a decorative painter can create the “look” of a tray on any ceiling. It is lovely!
Decorative crown moldings can be added into the tray ceiling. They also go nicely along the top edges of any room. It creates a level of interest wherever you want to add to the look of your home... The different shapes of the moldings can be layered for a more dramatic look. Painted or stained, it is a dimensional detail for your décor.
Decorative medallions can be added to the center of a ceiling alone or around a light fixture. You can “fake it” by faux painting the “look” of a medallion or center design on any ceiling They can be painted in just about any color and could be made like the design on an oriental rug you may have in that room. How about making the ceiling look like you are inside a luxurious tent for a little girl’s room? If you can dream it, I know the perfect person to create it for you.
Even just a coat of paint in a color other than white makes for a great look. In a sunroom, you could paint the ceiling a soft blue, like the sky and feel more like you are outdoors. Dark paints used on the ceiling can add a great bit of drama to a room. Any wall color can be mixed with white to create a tint for the ceiling that is low risk.
Well there you have it. I hope that I have sparked your imagination to think about your ceilings and enhance your interior décor style. If nothing else, at least
give your ceiling a fresh coat of that “Ceiling White “paint and the whole room will brighten. Just in time for spring!
If you are building or remodeling, there are architectural details available for the ceiling. A tray ceiling is easy to add during home construction. It can be contrast painted to highlight its features. I have seen rectangle and octagon styles that definitely make a statement. Paint a strong accent color on the angled sides of the tray for a great look. Also, a decorative painter can create the “look” of a tray on any ceiling. It is lovely!
Decorative crown moldings can be added into the tray ceiling. They also go nicely along the top edges of any room. It creates a level of interest wherever you want to add to the look of your home... The different shapes of the moldings can be layered for a more dramatic look. Painted or stained, it is a dimensional detail for your décor.
Decorative medallions can be added to the center of a ceiling alone or around a light fixture. You can “fake it” by faux painting the “look” of a medallion or center design on any ceiling They can be painted in just about any color and could be made like the design on an oriental rug you may have in that room. How about making the ceiling look like you are inside a luxurious tent for a little girl’s room? If you can dream it, I know the perfect person to create it for you.
Even just a coat of paint in a color other than white makes for a great look. In a sunroom, you could paint the ceiling a soft blue, like the sky and feel more like you are outdoors. Dark paints used on the ceiling can add a great bit of drama to a room. Any wall color can be mixed with white to create a tint for the ceiling that is low risk.
Well there you have it. I hope that I have sparked your imagination to think about your ceilings and enhance your interior décor style. If nothing else, at least
give your ceiling a fresh coat of that “Ceiling White “paint and the whole room will brighten. Just in time for spring!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
COLOR CONNECTION- PINK
Pink has claimed the title of hot new color for 2011. It is the color of optimism and has the power to lift our spirits and push aside our worries and gloomy thoughts. Everyone could all use a dose of it to help feel better about life with all its ups and downs. We are seeing the whole spectrum pinks being used for fabrics, paints and accessories. There is a passion and a depth to pink. It is flattering for all skin tones, making people look good and feel good.
If you are still not convinced to take the plunge into pink as your main color, I have some ideas for adding it in small doses. Try a pink candle, pink clothes hangers for the closet or thumbtacks in pink. Write your notes with a pink pen. Change the knobs on your bedroom cabinets to a fresh shade of pink.
The whole point here is to just give it a try. Check out the huge variety of pinks available in a paint deck. There is bound to be one that is just right for you.
One more thing, last year’s turquoise is still a strong color in home décor and will work with pink. So go shopping and have no fear of coordinating the two colors.
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If you are still not convinced to take the plunge into pink as your main color, I have some ideas for adding it in small doses. Try a pink candle, pink clothes hangers for the closet or thumbtacks in pink. Write your notes with a pink pen. Change the knobs on your bedroom cabinets to a fresh shade of pink.
The whole point here is to just give it a try. Check out the huge variety of pinks available in a paint deck. There is bound to be one that is just right for you.
One more thing, last year’s turquoise is still a strong color in home décor and will work with pink. So go shopping and have no fear of coordinating the two colors.
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