Lighting Creates the Mood

For balanced illumination, try blending these three types of lighting styles.

Proper lighting is something that everyone desires, but it somehow remains a mystery to achieve. Perhaps it’s because we often choose lamps based on their looks—not function. Or maybe because it’s simply overwhelming to walk into a lighting showroom and understand the qualities of each fixture when hundreds of units are on simultaneously.

Marilyn Schulman of Bay Shore Lighting & Home explains that working with a lighting designer during your renovation can help remove the difficulties in making proper lighting choices.

“People have a lot of stuff going on during their remodeling process and lighting is hard to do yourself. It’s important to consider an expert who will work with you and answer the questions beyond ‘Does it look good,’ and ‘Will it give me enough light?’ explains Schulman.

“It used to be that the contractor put lighting in and that was acceptable, but now lighting has become part of the homes’ decor. We spend the time to figure out what people want, weed out the bad quality and allow them to buy with confidence.”

In a beautifully lit space, there are many layers of lighting. Task lighting, from a traditional table-lamp for example, is suitable for reading. Artwork requires ceiling- or wall-mounted spotlights, and ambient light mellows the room.

Instead of relying on lamps that can fall over, large spotlights and inefficient recessed lighting, consider that each of these three lighting tasks can be accomplished in a more modern way

by using a bendable rail-system. Once the basic power strip is installed, task-specific fixtures can be mounted to the rail.

“These are not old-fashioned track-lighting systems. They have beautiful, hand-blown globes, and there are so many uses, from gentle curves to S-curves. And they are not just for contemporary homes. Styles can ranges from traditional to European to American Colonial,” offers Schulman.

Photos: Tech Lighting

Connect with Bay Shore Lighting & Home: www.bayshorelighting.com

Read this next article about Energy Conservation on Long Island