Decorative home lighting consists of many layers of lighting sources including display, general, accent, chandeliers and table lamps.Indoor decorative lighting should enhance the interior features of a home without overpowering the general, functional lighting required for daily living and home security. Within the home’s interior, decorative lighting should focus on accentuating key elements of interior design and distinguishing works of art and specialty displays with an aura of significance. Interior decorative lighting should also be used to support positive emotional states by complimenting special activities, celebrations, relaxation, and home entertainment. Lighting control systems and dimmers are important elements of interior decorative lighting because they allow for multiple themes and effects to be created with a single group of fixtures.

Because the interior lighting design of a home contributes so much to the essence of a person’s unique, individual lifestyle, lighting designers should begin their work with a careful assessment of the home’s existing décor. The dimensions of a room and its respective furnishings should be studied to locate patterns of symmetry, pattern, and color. The height and nature of the ceiling is also very important because it can function as both a direct lighting and an indirect ceiling lighting source. Not only can it function as the source of general overhead lighting, but it can also work as a source of indirect home interior lighting. Decorative cove lights and rope lights shine their light upward to the ceiling, which in turn reflects it back down the walls and into the room in an ambient wash of color and light.

It is a good idea to treat fine art, specialty display and architectural custom lighting as a separate science. Decorative lights for collectibles and fine art require special fixtures, lenses, and lamping configurations to effectively light the subtleties of fine oil paintings, rare antiques, and special edition collector’s hardbacks. Decorative lights for fine art must also have special UV and infrared filters to protect oils and canvases from the harmful effects of invisible light. As a general rule, retail picture lights do a very poor job of dissipating heat and should be avoided. We recommend using either recessed halogen lights with UV filters or a specialty art projector for advanced filtration and adjustable, optical effects. Display lights also need to be adjustable in order to balance with general lighting in the room. The best display lights are typically linear light strips with Lutron wallbox dimmers that allow light levels to be controlled at will by the homeowner.

Decorative indoor lighting also plays a role in highlighting activities and establishing a positive state of mind. Every home has certain rooms that are used for special tasks, and other areas used specifically for relaxation and entertainment. The den or bedroom is a preferred place to read. The kitchen is a place for social gatherings and festivities. The bathroom is the mainstay for personal grooming. The home theater is the place for high-tech escape from the mundane drudgeries of society. These are but a few examples of what we mean here by activities that create mindset, and they are familiar to almost every American. Every one of these locations is also prime real estate for interior decorative lights. LEDs are excellent home theater lighting and supplemental reading lights, and they use only 20% the electricity as incandescent fixtures. Cabinet and under cabinet lights in kitchens can cast a special glow over the countertop for a cooking demonstration, birthday party, or wedding celebration. Cove lights in living rooms, foyers, and kitchens can shine light up the walls wrap around the edges of the ceiling, replacing dark shadows with ambient fields of radiance.

Lighting controls of some sort are essential to every home’s interior decorative lighting system. To maintain overall aesthetics and avoid overpopulating the house with fixtures, a minimum number of actual lights should be used. A specialized electrical contracting firm such as ILD to install both the lights and a home automation, lighting control network pays off in many respects. It Spartanizes the system with a less is more approach to equipment, and it overlays multiple themes and effects onto a single set of fixtures that can be controlled at will with wall mounted dimmers and remote wireless hand held controls.

Water-wise “naturescapes” offer savings

When it comes to watering your lawn and paying water bills, sound gardening practices can cut down homeowner investments of effort, time and money, reports the American Association of Nurserymen. And, you don’t have to turn your lovely colorful landscape into a rock garden featuring a sprinkling of cactus plants.

This popular approach to water management and water-conserving landscape design has been commonly known as Xeriscaping, and because the term comes from the Greek for “dry” many people assume it describes desert landscapes. That couldn’t be further from the truth. In contrast, the approach focuses on working with nature’s guidelines to create a lush looking landscape. As a matter of fact, “naturescaping” can be another way to describe this water-wise landscape design and management.

Turning your yard and garden into a “naturescape” requires some common sense and planning. That entails choosing the best plants, soils, locations, and irrigation systems for efficient water use. Some of those water-wise plant materials include vibrantly colored perennials and lush varieties of shrubs.

The keys to “naturescaping” involve how, when, and what you water in taking care of your property. Low-volume irrigation systems such as drip-watering devices reduce water use by 50 percent. Early-morning watering cuts down on evaporation.

Water-wise “naturescapes” offer savings. Grouping plants by water requirements is a smart way to guard against overwatering some plants and underwatering others. Save water by replacing leaky parts of irrigation devices and positioning sprinklers to shower areas of vegetation, as opposed to the driveway, garage, or deck.

A constant among guidelines for being water-wise is maintaining the health of your plants. Strong plants don’t need as much water as weak ones do. We have many reports from gardeners that Spray-N-Grow helps their plants withstand drought much better than those not sprayed with Spray-N-Grow. That’s because Spray-N-Grow helps plants develop a better root structure-more roots that are larger and longer. Plants that have a better root structure are more able to “find” any available moisture.

Be sure to add the needed soil amendments and mulch around plants to keep the roots moist. When adding to your landscape, don’t forget to include drought-resistant plants and grasses to those you already have.

Before you begin planning your new “naturescape” or planning how to convert your current landscape into a more water-efficient one, be sure to check with the experts at your retail nursery/garden center. They can offer the most valuable assistance for getting the best results.