Illuminations

2023

9 Surprising Ways to Glow Up Your Home Exterior (Literally)

9 Surprising Ways to Glow Up Your Home Exterior (Literally)

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Most neighborhoods look the same when you drive at night. Because no matter what makes homes unique during the day, they almost all only use a porch light or two at night. But your home doesn’t have to lose its character and statement features just because the sun went down!

You may be surprised that there are at least nine ways to light your home’s exterior. We’ll dive into expert tips to unlock the unexpected for your evening curb appeal and outdoor activities. From increasing safety to creating drama to inspiring luxury, mix and match these lighting methods to customize an unforgettable “evening look.”

1. Accent Lighting

Accent lighting uses light to draw attention to a feature of your home or garden. In fact, any of the following eight lighting techniques can be used as accent lighting! For example, try using a spotlight to show off a flagpole, up-lighting on a few trees to increase their impact, or silhouette shrubbery for subtle mystery.

A tip from the experts: Trying to figure out what to accent on your home exterior? Make a list of your favorite things about your front yard (or what you’d like to add to your yard).

2. Down-lighting

Want to increase visibility for outdoor activities? Try down-lighting! This lighting technique positions the light source up high with a shade that concentrates the light towards the ground. The bright light makes evening play safer and keeps the party going after sundown.

A tip from the experts: Trees are a great place to nestle down-lighting sources with finesse.

3. Highlighting

You’ve likely seen yards in a fancy neighborhood that look like their trees are glowing somehow. They’re probably being highlighted! By shining a spotlight or two from the base of a tree or other feature, the light will reflect only off the object. This concentrated glow makes the object look like it is lit from the inside!

A tip from the experts: Highlight is a simple way to immediately make your home look upscale and luxurious.

4. Moonlighting

Are you looking for more magic and romance in your outdoor space? Then try out moonlighting! Like down-lighting, moonlighting uses a high-up light source to concentrate light downwards. However, this method uses more subtle sources and dimmer light– mimicking the softness and mystery of a full moon!

A tip from the experts: Moonlighting is most effective in backyards and wooded areas, where the soft light can trickle down through the leaves.

5. Silhouetting

Silhouetting is the opposite of highlighting, but its effect is equally dramatic. Instead of lighting the feature itself, you can use the light source behind a tree and the wall. This will shine the light on the wall and cast the tree or other features into shadow. So you’ll get the soft shape of your feature, giving impact in a subtle way.

A tip from the experts: Make sure to angle the light towards the wall to create the greatest effect!

6. Shadowing

Want to spread the beautiful pattern of your tree leaves against your home? Then shadowing is the perfect technique for you! Shadowing combines highlighting with silhouetting for a completely new effect.

Like silhouetting, you’ll position your light source towards a wall behind the tree. But, like highlighting, you’ll put the light in front of your tree. As a result, you’ll cast a dramatic shadow of your tree against your home while clearly illuminating the trunk.

A tip from the experts: This works best with tall, leafy trees for an enchanting summer evening. The bare branches will look stunning in the winter too!

7. Path-lighting

Upgrade the magic and safety of your front walk or garden path with path-lighting! Solar lights are easy to install and come in endless designs and colors. Not only will path lights make your home safer, but you’ll get to enjoy your plants and landscaping around the clock.

A tip from the experts: Space your path lights 5 to 10 feet apart, depending on the lamp’s brightness.

8. Up-lighting

Want to add drama with a contoured view of your home? Up-lighting uses spotlights to throw light upwards on your home exterior. You’ll work with the natural layers of your home to create interest and luxury. Even in a cookie-cutter development neighborhood, your home will stand apart!

A tip from the experts:  Try staggering these lights along the ground level and roofline to maximize the impact of your home’s features.

9. Wall-washing

Our final lighting tip brings us to wall-washing. This method uses focused ambient lighting to cast even light across an entire wall. Instead of the dramatic shadowing created by up-lighting, you’ll get a clear picture of the garden or home wall without harsh light.

A tip from the experts: The key to great wall-washing is placing the light source at a wide enough angle. Hide the source in low foliage for added mystery.

Need Help?

Proper lighting is essential to a fully functioning home– but it can be challenging to nail balanced brightness, great fixtures, and a budget! Contact the experts at Illuminations for advice on your project!

3 Top Tips to Boost Eye Health With Proper Home Lighting

3 Top Tips to Boost Eye Health With Proper Home Lighting

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Your eyes are responsible for sending about 80% of the total information that goes to your brain so it’s crucial to keep them healthy. While technology has made certain things better for our eyes, it’s also introduced new challenges.

And while it may be common sense that balanced lighting promotes eye health, what really goes into balanced lighting? First, we’ll explain how to create the best lighting for your eye health, then cover three main ways your home lighting habits may negatively impact your eyesight.

Ways Light Affects Our Eyes

Our eyesight is 100% dependent on light– the way it bounces around a space makes it possible for us to  see color, depth, and texture. Without light, there wouldn’t be any data for our brains to process. The quality of light you use has a big impact on your eyes – and your overall health – so getting the right types of light throughout your day is important. It can be a bit of a balancing act!

Bright light is essential to do good work– and working without enough light can strain or damage our eyes. Whether you’re reading a book, working at a computer screen, or slicing up veggies for dinner, you need lighting that supports your focus and subtle movements.

But dim light is also essential to eye health! Living with only bright light can seriously strain your eyes, particularly if you don’t decrease brightness in the evening. Top offenders include office fluorescents, overly powerful LEDs, and of course our phone and computer screens. 

Finally, we need a break from all light every day. Sleep resets our entire body, including our eyes. Dark spaces promote restful sleep, reducing dry eyes, itchiness, and vision-related headaches and increasing healthy eye nerves.

So how do you balance the need for bright, dim, and total darkness? And how does this apply to your home? Let’s dive into some specific tips.

3 Ways to Make Your Home Light Healthier

So, how customized does your home lighting need to be to pull off the perfect balance for your eyes? While high customizations are available, there’s no need to overdo it! By focusing on the following three categories, you can confidently know that your home has healthy lighting.

1. Screen Light

Screens are the number one culprit of today’s eyestrain and deteriorating eyesight for two reasons: the type of light and the proximity of the light.

All tech screens use blue light, from phones to tablets to computers. Blue light sends high-energy waves like the sun. This light spectrum shows true color and activates the brain to pay attention. So it’s typically a good thing that our screens use blue light.

However, shining that bright light at close range for eight or more hours a day can cause a lot of damage over time. To reduce the wear on your eyes from necessary screen time, consider the following tips:

  • Use task or bias lighting. Introducing additional light sources behind or next to your screen will help break up the contrast. Try adding lamps, improving your overhead light source, or sticking an LED strip around the back of your TV or computer monitor  to diffuse the light.
  • Take regular breaks. Experts recommend taking a screen break every hour for 5-10 minutes. Children should take more frequent breaks since their eyes are still developing. Kids should take a break every twenty minutes of screen time
  • Use blue light glasses. Blue light glasses help filter out harmful light waves and allow you to work longer, doing less damage.

2. Match the Light to the Room’s Needs

You use your kitchen, office, and bedrooms in a variety of ways throughout the day, so their lighting should change too! Otherwise you may accidentally strain your eyes with too much or too little light for what you need. With a bit of thought and a few simple tools, you’ll have your high-traffic areas perfectly prepared for all your needs, day or night.

  • Work Zones: Bright light is best for areas where you are performing skilled work. It will help you avoid mistakes and stay alert. So kitchens, offices, makeup tables, garages, and craft areas all need bright lighting. Make replacing current bulbs a priority in these rooms.
  • Resting Areas: Bedrooms, living rooms, and bathrooms are mainly for relaxing. Warmer, dimmer light is better for these locations. This will help you to give your eyes a rest, blend colors, and signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down.
  • In-between Places: You may have some spaces performing multiple functions. Bathrooms are a great example: you need bright light to get ready, but you also need a place to relax with a bath. Consider adding a dimmer switch in these rooms, or test out some color-changing LED bulbs that can be warm or cool with just the touch of a buttom.

Did you know that local lighting experts can help you get the right tools for your space? Bring your tricky areas to them to get help matching the proper lighting for your needs.

3. Types of Bulbs

Finally, let’s talk about bulbs. Your bulb selection will help you get the right balance for your eyes and avoid having them work too hard. Here’s a rundown of common bulb types and their effects on your eye health:

  • Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs): These twisted bulbs were trendy in the early 2000s as a domestic fluorescent option. However, fluorescent lighting is generally hard on eyes because it emits more UV rays. They also flicker at a high rate, so even though you likely won’t notice it, flourescents are associated with headaches and eye strain. So we’d recommend using another bulb first.
  • Incandescent: Incandescent bulbs are quickly phasing out as a non-efficient energy light. But, with no UV rays and low blue light emission, they’re “easy on the eyes.” So you could leave a trusty incandescent bulb in your favorite reading lamp!
  • LEDs: LEDs are highly customizable, meaning you can easily adjust brightness and temperature to help reduce strain on your eyes anytime. However, they emit quite a bit of blue light. They also flicker at a high frequency– it’s not visible to most people, but those prone to seizures may be triggered by too many LEDs. In general, LEDs are a safe option!
  • Halogen: Halogen bulbs are very bright, making them great for task and outdoor lighting. They’re also dimmable, making them more flexible than CFLs. However, they can get very hot and have been known to cause fires. Handle these bulbs cautiousl!

A little research will help ensure that you have the best bulbs, lumens, and temperatures for your family.

Need Help?

Proper lighting is essential to a fully functioning home– but it can be challenging to nail balanced brightness, great fixtures, and a budget! Contact the experts at Illuminations for advice on your project!

2023 Interior Design Trend: Creating a Cozy House that Feels Like Home

2023 Interior Design Trend: Creating a Cozy House that Feels Like Home

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It’s 2023 and this is your wake-up call! Your home needs you – it’s ready for a refresh! This year, we’re all looking for a respite from the stress that always seems to work its way in. Designing a comfortable home will make you feel the extra happiness and productivity you’ve been in desperate need of. These 3 expert tips will make your home a haven you’ll be itching to get back to at the end of the day!

1. Choose a Soft Color Palette

It’s no secret that colors have a huge effect on your mood and the feel of a room. These rooms knock the color palette out of the park without sacrificing personal style or comfort. Achieving a soft color palette doesn’t have to be difficult – go with neutrals, a pop of color, or choose a monochromatic color scheme and you’re set!

Neutrals

A neutral color palette seems like an obvious choice when you’re going for comfort, but it can be tough to pull off – without color, other elements like texture or shapes will have to do the heavy lifting.

The heavyweight champions here are definitely the plants! Adding some green to an otherwise neutral-heavy space brings some life and vibrance without destroying the tranquility you desperately need. Finishing this look with a variety of textures and shapes from the hard wood edges to the pair of round tables to the woven area rug makes this space feel comfortable, creative, and cozy.

This neutral bedroom incorporates beige and white with black accents to ground the space. The night stands with pendants hanging above elevate the space, giving you lighting and a gorgeous focal point! We love how this space feels lived-in without looking cluttery. With neutral tones, the soft textures of the rug and blankets are what make this room feel comfortable and cozy.

Picking a neutral color palette for this sitting area really make the shapes shine. We love how arches are carried throughout the design from the furniture to the architecture. This chair looks like a cloud and with the gorgeous light above it, anyone sitting here would feel like they’re in the heavens!

Pop of Color

A cozy home doesn’t have to be colorless! If neutrals don’t speak to you, try mixing them with a pop of color. It’ll give your room some excitement, but not so much that it’ll feel busy or chaotic.

This living room took a bold color and ran with it. The navy blue is a stunning contrast to this cozy tan leather couch. If we could copy and paste this look into our homes, we would! The neutrals pop against the accent wall and we couldn’t be more obsessed.

These red velvet pillows and drapes contrast with the neutral room and bring in some cozy texture. The bright colors spice up what might otherwise feel like a bland living room.

Monochromatic 

Choosing a monochromatic color scheme is a 2023 trend we love. It’s bold, but still soft. In a true monochromatic space, there isn’t extra visual stimuli for your brain to process. This gives your brain a sense of peace and calm you may not feel in a room with more going on in terms of color. These rooms use a simple color palette and the effect is cozy with a touch of elegance. 

Green is one of the most soothing colors. It can bring a sense of peace and harmony to your home. This couch and wall combo is no exception! Choosing to pair them with beautiful browns makes this sitting room look like it was plucked straight from nature, then given a facelift.

This kitchen uses the monochromatic color scheme to make it look bigger than it is. We especially love that extra wood cabinet with accent lighting both for functionality to store more and for decorative purposes. The calming blues make this a space you’d want to do some stress-baking in!

2. Add Soft Textures

Texture is a vital tool in an expert’s tool belt, especially when comfort is your end-goal. A space can be gorgeous, but if it feels like a place your grandma will yell at you for touching anything in, it won’t really feel comfortable. Texture is what takes a space from formal and austere to a beautiful, cozy space you can actually live in.

There’s no question this bedroom is gorgeous, but it also feels like a space you could spend time in without completely messing it up. The intentionally unkempt linens on this corner of the bed add simulated texture that makes it feel like home. We also love the green velvet accent pillow and floor pillows for an extra cozy touch! A lamp and pendant allows you to have dimmer or brighter lighting to accommodate your changing needs.

There is no world where a chunky-knit blanket and lots of pillows won’t scream comfort. The touches of fur on the rug and the side bench give it an extra dose of coziness. Anyone would love to curl up and hibernate here all winter! Light a few candles in the lanterns and switch on the pendant for the perfect reading spot at night.

This feminine bedroom is a corner of paradise! The colors are soft and gorgeous, but the textures are what really make this space magical. The velvet headboard brings delicate softness to the space. The textured pouf and cane-detailed night stand here are working overtime – and they should get paid for it! They bring elements of texture and give some seating and storage space. The blanket and soft rug are the finishing touches that would have anyone making excuses to retreat here for peace and quiet.

3. Soften Your Lighting

Harsh lighting is the opposite of comfortable! It’ll leave you with a headache and can actually make it harder for you to sleep at night. To bring in some much-needed comfort, you’ll need to soften up your lighting. In a room with soft lighting, the transition from light to dark is gradual and easy on the eyes. Avoid harsh shadows and balance your lights out using these three tips and your eyes and mood will thank you!

Dimmable Lighting

Switching to dimmable lights is a relatively simple way to soften your lights and make your lighting customizable. This cozy room is the perfect place to recharge your batteries. Dim the lights 2 hours before bed to help yourself sleep better, then brighten them in the morning to jump start your mood and your day!

Layer Your Lights

Layering your lighting is a fool-proof way to give you adjustable light. Every room in your house should have at least a few light sources to make it feel more comfortable and eliminate any dark corners. Adding a few lamps across a room and some pendants will give you flexibility to have more or less light depending on your need and mood.

Accent Lighting

Accent lights are the finishing touches that make a room feel complete. They’re the piping on top of the icing on the cake! Adding them makes a room instantly feel warmer and more comfortable. Plus, they soften up your lighting by eliminating harsh shadows in areas that might otherwise go overlooked. Put sconces on an empty wall, strip lighting under cabinets like in this kitchen, or pendants above conversation areas. A room with warm, balanced lighting is a guaranteed ticket to having the relaxing ambiance you need for comfort.

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Listen, it’s 2023 and it’s time you started living your life in comfort! Choosing to design a cozy home is about more than just aesthetics. It’s about overall wellness! You deserve to live in a home you love, so it’s time to get started. With a little inspiration, the expert tips above, and help from Illuminations you’ll be set! Give us a call and we’ll help you soften your lighting and give your home the extra relaxing boost it needs.