Tag: indoor lighting

Lighting Techniques for High Ceilings

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lighting techniques for high ceilings

Figuring out indoor lighting for your home is already difficult. Figuring out indoor lighting for a home with high ceilings is even more difficult. However, if you are spending a lot of your time indoors recently (like hopefully, many Americans) now might be a great time to research some lighting techniques for your home’s high ceiling. This way, you can decide what will work for you and get a general idea of what you want your indoor lighting to look like. To help you out, the pros at Roman Electric have created a helpful guide about the most flattering lighting techniques for high ceilings!

1. Pendant Lighting

If you want a lighting fixture that draws attention and gives your home a more contemporary feel, consider adding pendant light. Pendant lights are usually larger lone fixtures that are suspended from the ceiling. Available at various home improvement stores as well as online, pendant lights come in various designs and offer different functions. Some of these lights can provide simple ambient lighting while others come in the form of fans that also have lighting fixtures. If you want something functional that also makes a bold statement, consider adding pendant lighting. This kind of lighting will look best in your living room and will serve both functional and decorative purposes.

2. Layer the Lights

If you want to use indoor lighting to really bring your home together, you will have to layer lighting. Generally, there are three types of lighting:

  • Ambient lighting is created by the primary source of light in the room.
  • Task lighting is meant to provide lighting for a specific task, work or activity.
  • Accent lighting is meant to draw attention to specific decorations, art or artifacts.

For ambient lighting, consider using recessed lights or pendant lights – or you can use both. Both these lights can be great for a high ceiling and won’t look out of place. In fact, they will add a modern look to your home. However, make sure it doesn’t look too overwhelming and isn’t too bright. It’s best to figure out ambient lighting before and work around it. Once you have decided what you want for ambient lighting, consider the other needs of your home. Do you often do a lot of reading in your living room? You might need effective task lighting for that—any kind of floor lamp might work. Do you have artwork or decorative pieces you want to highlight? You can use accent lighting to bring attention to them, specifically recessed lighting.

3. Use LEDs!

LEDs or light emitting diodes are energy-efficient alternatives to incandescent bulbs. They use at least 75 percent less energy and last up to 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs. So, if you want to save up on your energy bills, use LED lights for your high ceiling lights!

Want more lighting tips? Contact the pros at Roman Electric! Call today at 414-369-3798 or schedule a service with us on our website!

Proper Lighting for Stairs and Hallways

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proper lighting for stairs and hallways

A poorly lit staircase or hallway can be inconvenient and even cause safety problems for you or your family. That’s why it is important to make sure your stairs and hallways are well-lit just like the rest of your house. If you don’t know what lighting you should choose, don’t worry because the pros at Roman Electric are here to help you out. Here is a quick guide on choosing proper lighting for the stairs and hallways in your home!

1. Choose LEDs!

Before you start deciding what kinds of lighting designs or fixtures you want, it’s important to know that LEDs are most likely the best choice. Residential LED lights use at least 75% less energy and can last 25 times longer than standard incandescent lighting. LEDs can also come with dimming capabilities and don’t radiate heat, making them a safer option. So, if you’re planning on changing up the lights in your stairs and hallways, make sure you choose LED lights!

2. Avoid Glare

One of the most common mistakes when choosing indoor lighting, whether it’s for the stairwell, hallway or living room, is picking harsh lighting. Most people do this simply because they want to light up potential dark corners to prevent eye strain and tripping. However, harshly lit areas do more harm than good and don’t make your home seem like the welcoming and warm place that it is. That’s why it’s important to pick softer lighting that is functional AND aesthetically pleasing. The best and easiest way to achieve this is by mounting up wall-sconces. They are easier to maintain, and they illuminate your hallway or stairwell without being too imposing.

3. Use Pendant Lighting

If you want to make a statement, we recommend using pendant lighting. This is a bold way to provide functional and decorative lighting over your stairs and hallways. There are various designs and types of pendants on the market available online as well as in your local home improvement stores. Keep in mind that in some cases pendant lighting might either provide too little or too much lighting in your hallways and stairwells, so consider the structure of your home and your lighting needs.

4. Use Recessed Lighting

Recessed lighting, which is often achieved by “can lights,” has become a common method of indoor lighting because of its versatility.  It can be used to provide accent lighting, create shadows and illuminate specific parts of your home. Consider using “can lights” to provide softer lighting in your hallways and stairwells. This lighting method is an easy and affordable way to achieve a more contemporary feel for your home.

Want More Stairwell and Hallway Lighting Tips? Contact Roman Electric!

We hope this guide on proper lighting for stairs and hallways was helpful. If you have more questions about the ways you can light up your home, get in touch with the pros at Roman Electric! Call us today at 414-369-3798 or schedule a service on our website!

Creative Ways to Light Your Home

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creative ways to light your home

If you are looking for a fun project to start off the new year, consider changing up the lighting in your home. Good and unique lighting can make your home well-lit as well as give off the ambiance you want! If you don’t know where to start, don’t worry. The pros at Roman Electric have come up with a helpful list of creative ways to light your home.

1. Solar Pathway Lighting

A shadowy, unlit home at night is both unsafe and aesthetically problematic. Plus, it makes it harder for anyone walking in the front yard a little harder to see, increasing the chances of tripping and falling. To prevent this from happening, add some solar pathway lights. These lights are inexpensive, come in a variety of styles and designs and since they are solar powered, they won’t take up any electricity. These great pathway lights can come with photovoltaic cells that absorb sunlight, which helps to light the bulbs at night. Lastly, these lights are easy to install as they don’t require any wiring or cords—simply stake them in the ground and they’re ready to go!

2. Add Under Cabinet Lighting to Your Kitchen

Task lighting is important for various rooms in your home such as your kitchen. Having areas where you work, cook or perform tasks, require decent lighting—hence the name “task lighting.” If you find that the lighting is poor in your kitchen, consider adding under cabinet task lights. Plus, when installed properly, undercabinet lighting can add a more contemporary feel to your kitchen. For this type of lighting, LED bulbs will most likely be the best option, since they use less energy and last longer. Plus, they are dimmable and, more importantly, don’t radiate heat so you don’t have to worry about sweating into your food.

3. Get Creative with String or Fairy Lights

If you want to add some creative lighting to your kids’ rooms, you can never go wrong with string or fairy lights. Here are some ways you can creatively light your own or your kids’ rooms with these fun lights:

  • Hang Them Around the Mirror

One way you can add a nice, unique ambiance to a bedroom is by hanging string lights around the mirror. Use damage-free hooks to properly secure the lights and make sure you use LED bulbs in plastic encasings. Incandescent bulbs with glass encasings are more vulnerable and can radiate heat.

  • Fairy Lights in A Jar

Fairy lights are smaller and thinner than string lights and can be battery operated. You can either hang them in different areas around your room or put them in a jar to create a small lamp for yourself!

  • String Up Lights with Photos

The combination of hanging up lights with photos is very popular, especially among young adults. It gives personality to rooms and creates a warm, cozy effect.

4. Use Candle Sconces for Soft Lighting

If there are areas around your home that would benefit with soft lighting, consider using candle sconces. Your bathroom could be a great place for this, since bathroom lighting is usually harsh and unflattering. Using candle sconces with battery operated candles will achieve softer lighting and more importantly, will require less electricity!

Light Up Your Home with Roman Electric!

If you want to learn more about different creative ways to light your home, get in touch with the pros at Roman Electric! Call us today at 414-369-3798 or schedule a service with us on our website!

How to Choose the Right Light Bulb

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how to choose the right light bulb

Buying the right light bulb used to be a simple, straightforward task. There weren’t many options – if any at all – so your choice was easy. When Thomas Edison figured out how to create light bulbs, he definitely didn’t imagine the vast array of specialized bulbs we have access to today, but here we are.

Figuring out which type you would benefit most from can be time-consuming and a real head-scratcher. But it doesn’t need to be! The different varieties of light bulbs have different benefits and drawbacks, and we’re confident you’ll be able to find the right one with the help of the lighting pros at Roman Electric!

Let’s Work Through the Types

It’s best to start with a breakdown of the different types of light bulbs, just so you’ll have an idea of how the varieties you’ll encounter at a store will work.

  • Incandescent bulbs – These are what you probably envision when you think of a light bulb. They use a filament to emit light, and they’re the cheapest. But they’re also the most prone to breaking and to burning out, so you have to weigh how much you care about cheaper bulbs versus replacing them more frequently.
  • CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs) – All of those twisty bulbs you’ve seen are CFLs. They’re better for the environment and have a pretty long shelf life. However, they’re not great at emitting ambient light for a room.
  • Halogen bulbs – Usually brighter than incandescent bulbs, and they’re more efficient. These resemble the harsher light you see during daytime, which makes them not so great for lamps and things like that. They’re better for direct task lights.
  • LEDs – These bulbs are more expensive to buy, but they’re electric-based instead of heat-based. As a result, they last much longer and are way more efficient.

What Do You Need?

If you’re just aiming for the bulb that will light up your living room the best, then it’s hard to go wrong with an incandescent bulb (if you don’t mind replacing them somewhat frequently) or an LED (if you’d prefer to just get one bulb and forget about them).

But other times we need different features. For example, perhaps you need a bulb with dimming capabilities. If that’s the case, then you’d want to avoid CFLs, which can’t dim at all.

Look for the Lumens (and the Warmth)

It’s obviously a good idea to figure out how bright you want a light bulb to be. Brightness is measured in lumens (not wattage, which is just a way to tell how much power the bulb needs to emit light), and a traditional incandescent bulb that you’d use in a living room lamp will give off anywhere between 300-600 lumens on average.

With that baseline, you can begin to get an idea of how powerful you need a bulb to be when you’re browsing the aisles at your local hardware store.

 

Light bulb shopping doesn’t have to be stressful. If you’re in the market for a new lighting setup or just need a few pointers on how to make your space really “pop,” give the lighting experts at Roman Electric a call at 414-369-3798 today!

5 Summer Lighting Tips

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Summer lighting is something all Milwaukee homeowners should put effort towards maintaining. Not only does summer lighting boost your home’s aesthetic and comfort – it also can add to your home’s safety. But before you go out and purchase new lighting to compliment the season, you’ll want to learn about some easy summer lighting techniques from the experts. The professionals at Roman Electric have compiled 5 summer lighting tips for your Milwaukee home.

1. Utilize Sunlight

If the sun’s out, why not use it for lighting? Instead of simply turning on indoor lights while closing off the sun’s brightness, open your curtains and blinds to allow some extra sunlight to come in. Natural sunlight helps brighten your home without using any energy from lighting, and it can automatically boost your home’s aesthetic without any extra work! During the morning, sunlight is more warm and comfortable. But during noon, it becomes more neutral. 

2. Upgrade Your Light Switches to Dimmers

Depending on the time of day, you may not require a lot of light. However, some light fixtures are too bright for certain tasks. Fortunately, by upgrading your light switch to a dimmer, you can choose the right amount of brightness you want your lighting to produce. Not only will dimmers allow you to set the mood you desire with your lighting – they can also save energy by not fully powering your lighting.

3. Install Patio Lighting

When throwing a cookout or barbecue in your background, nothing fits the mood better than some patio lighting. Running some string lights from the top and placing flood lights around the corners can provide some beautiful illumination that fits a nighttime party aesthetic. Additionally, you can install some patio ceiling fans that hang above the patio table, helping to make outdoor dinners a more comfortable experience.

4. Brighten Up Pathways to Your Home

Aside from comfort, security is also an important aspect of summer lighting. We recommend using pathway lights to brighten up walkways to your home during the night. This provides safe passages for family members or friends returning to your home late at night, as you’ll be able to clearly see who is arriving at your door. Additionally, this can dissuade possible intruders, as they’re less inclined to be working within brightened pathways.

5. Invest in Motion Sensor Lighting

Speaking of safety, motion sensor lighting is an immensely useful component for any security system. It helps detect any person who arrives your door and can work in tandem with your security camera to capture a possible intruder. You can place these either on your walkway entrance, outside your front door, and any other entrances leading to your home.

Help boost the quality of your Milwaukee home’s lighting by following these summer lighting tips! And if you require new lighting installation or would like to upgrade your light switches to dimmers, contact Roman Electric for our lighting and light switch services. Give us a call at 414-369-3798 to schedule an appointment with the electrical experts you can depend on!

Related Links

Spring and Summer Energy-Saving Tips – U.S. Department of Energy

Summer Loving – Energy Efficient Outdoor Lighting – U.S. Department of Energy