Tag Archives: lighting

Digital Camera Tips: Working with Light

When using a digital camera, lighting is especially important. Traditional film cameras can be very forgiving with light, and film can be pushed to bring out more light or detail. Generally with film, the detail may be there on the film, even if the light is too dark. With a digital camera, however, light is everything. Too little light, and the camera may even refuse to take the photo. Have you ever noticed how outdoor photos tend to look so much better than indoor photos when you are using a digital camera? It all has to do with lighting. When … Continue reading →

Make Your Small Bathroom Feel Larger

While some of these tips may help free up a bit of space, they probably won’t add much in the way of square footage in your small bathroom. Still, they will help make it feel larger and less confining. A great way to make a small bath feel more spacious is to remove shower doors, especially those that are not clear glass. Remove the entire structure, clean the area thoroughly, and hang a shower curtain rod and curtain in its place. While most people close the shower curtain after use to allow it to dry, it is a good idea … Continue reading →

Change the Feel of a Space with these Decorating Tips

Sometimes, a few touches go a long way. Try these tips to change the look and feel of almost any space in your home: Cool Down I’m not talking about the temperature but about the color. If you have a space that’s filled with warm colors, adding a touch of a cool color may help create balance. A burst of blue or silver or even white can help bring the heat down a notch if it is overpowering. Adding a piece of artwork, some accessories, or a couple of accents such as a rug or pillows in cool colors may … Continue reading →

Are the Walls Closing In?

A small or dark room, especially one without much natural light or no windows at all, may feel rather claustrophobic. It’s probably not a space you, your family members, or your guests enjoy spending much time in. A woman I know had her basement finished to include a play room for the kids, an extra bathroom, and a guest room. The bathroom had a window, and the playroom had to small vent style windows but the guest room was an interior room due to the layout. Even after painting it a light color and adding more lighting, the space felt … Continue reading →

The Frugal Light Revolt

How many people does it take to turn off a light bulb? Apparently just one. You see, my family is under the incorrect assumption that lights simply turn themselves off. When I raise the issue of leaving the lights on, my family just shrugs. My husband says,” but I was going back in that room next week.” My oldest child says,” I thought we had robots that turned them off.” My middle child says,” I can’t reach. (Hmm, then how did they get on in the first place, and why is there a pink plastic chair near the light switch … Continue reading →

Cool or Lame Lighting Product? Reveal Lights

When I saw this product, I thought it was kind of cool for homes or apartments without enough windows. I had a small one-bedroom house years ago, that had few windows and always felt too dark. I think something like this would have been perfect, because no matter how many lamps I turned on, it still felt somewhat depressing when I spent a lot of time inside. The product is called Reveal Lights and it looks like a small can-light. It contains a small projector that emits an image of a window frame with trees waving in the wind. It … Continue reading →

Lighting and Your Home: The Master Bedroom

I am a lighting fiend. I blame it on my poor vision. For years I suffered from frequent headaches, eyestrain, and yes, on one occasion I accidentally paired navy blue shoes with black pants (and that was with my contacts on). I finally determined I am someone who functions better with proper lighting. It may sound cliché, but don’t underestimate the proper placement of lighting in your home. It can save you from sore eyes and some most embarrassing fashion disasters. My ophthalmologist provided me with the following preferred placement measurements for different lights: A General Rule to Remember: For … Continue reading →

Frugal Lessons: Eiffel Tower Is Turning Off Its Lights

On Thursday evening, the Eiffel tower will go dark, turning off its light for five minutes to save energy. The reason for this is to bring attention to the issue of global warming. This frugal move will extinguish, at least temporarily, the more than 20,000 flashing lights on the Eiffel Tower. The lights will all be shut off just hours before a long-anticipated report on the seriousness of global warming. According to the Associated Press, “The darkening of the landmark in the City of Light comes at the urging of environmental activists and is timed to coincide with Friday’s release … Continue reading →

Non-Frugal Light Bulbs May Soon Be Illegal

For anyone concerned with lighting their home, fluorescent light-bulbs are the way to go. Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFL) use about 25 percent of the energy that traditional, incandescent light bulbs use. They also generate much less heat than a conventional light bulb, as much as 70 percent less heat. The CFL bulbs are known for their spiral shape. If you live in California, you may be forced to give up your traditional light bulbs and made to use the CFL bulbs exclusively. Currently on the agenda for a California law maker is a law, that if passed, would ban … Continue reading →

On Lighting for the Home

My daughter asked what I was working on and I replied, “I’m going to write about lighting.” “Well, duh,” she said, “we need light so we can see.” I had to laugh. It’s true that lighting is an element that provides a basic function in every home, creating enough light to see, but there is a little more to it. Lighting can also be used to set a mood or to make a room feel cozier. Bright light can make a space appear larger and give it an airy feel. There is also task lighting, like the light that sits … Continue reading →