Recently, I was pointed to Justice Design Group by an electrician that I was working with to specify exterior lighting for a home renovation. I'd seen Justice products before, but I'd not had an opportunity to use them.
Well, I've found Justice to be a great example of excellence in design and quality. The materials used and the finishes available for both exterior and interior lighting are top notch. When looking for exterior sconces for front and side entries, I was presented with choices from ADA compliant fixtures to "dark sky" (environmentally and wildlife friendly downlight only) fixtures, and choices in both metal and ceramic construction.
For interior products, the families of chandeliers, bowls, pendants, wall sconces, bath/vanity lighting and freestanding fixtures are cohesive and well made, featuring hand-cast ceramics and hand-finished metals. The array of ceramic shades available, in many appealing shapes and designs (or "impressions"), reflects Justice Design Group's fine aesthetics and commitment to quality.
Architects, designers and contractors alike are drawn to Justice Design Groups fine selections and materials. Their website is easy to use and they have a showroom finder on their site for locating a showroom near you.
Disclaimer: I receive absolutely no compensation of any kind from Justice Design Group.
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 I recently read an online article about lighting that I found quite illuminating (pun intended).
With the current focus on phasing out incandescent lighting, on increased use of compact fluorescent lighting (CFL), and on new technologies like LED’s (light emitting diodes), the lighting field is changing at a very rapid pace, and it’s important for designers and consumers to keep up with the latest trends and technologies.
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 mandated the phasing out of incandescent lighting beginning in January, 2012. This chart illustrates phase-out dates and compares replacement options such as CFLs, halogen bulbs and LED’s.
With the shift from incandescent lighting to CFLs, questions about the mercury in CFLs abound. Here is a comprehensive look at compact fluorescents and mercury. Some of these facts may surprise you - they certainly surprised me!
Wishful thinking, but let’s hope someone comes up with a mercury-free, toxin-free every day household bulb that provides great lighting!
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 One of the most important aspects of kitchen and bath design or renovation projects is lighting. All of the other elements of a great kitchen or bath - cabinetry, plumbing fixtures, countertops, tile, paint or wallpaper - will not live up to their potential without good lighting. Kitchen tasks are much easier with good lighting, and bathroom lighting is especially important at the vanity/mirror area. Consideration for optimal lighting at different times of day is important as well.
Layered lighting for either kitchen or bath is an optimal solution. General, or ambient lighting can be provided by recessed and/or surface-mounted ceiling fixtures. It's important to avoid shadows at main task areas in the kitchen, so the placement of recessed lighting in relation to cabinets, countertops, and islands is crucial. General lighting is enhanced with task lighting for key areas.
For example, at the kitchen sink or at island/bar areas, pendant lighting or rail lighting can add just the right amount of additional illumination. The many varied options available for pendant or rail lighting present a wonderful opportunity to add interest or fun to the overall decor.
Undercabinet lighting is very useful for food prep, clean-up and other tasks at countertop areas, and can be virtually invisible in LED, line voltage or low voltage options.
To avoid shadows and dark zones in the bathroom, vanity lighting or wall sconces in addition to basic ceiling lighting are important, and offer great design options. The selections for vanity lights and wall sconces are almost endless, from simple, super low budget options to high end choices with wonderful metal and glass finishes. The coordination of plumbing fixtures, light fixtures and cabinet hardware will take the bath design to a professional, finished look.
One of the most useful articles I've read on bathrooom lighting is from "This Old House" and I refer to it occasionally when working on bath design projects since it addresses not only types of vanity and shower/bath lighting, but bulb types, dimmers, and safety as well. It's a great summary of the key aspects of lighting.
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This caught my eye in the New York Times the other day: an article about organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs).
The possibilities for the architecture and design world seem nearly infinite. As the article states, due to their diffuse qualities, OLEDs will not replace incandescent, fluorescent or LED lighting, but will supplement these and other types of lighting and will create eye catching and innovative applications for walls, columns, ceilings, windows, and accent lighting.
I looked up definitions online and found some good info here:
With a thickness of only 0.07 inches, and because OLEDs give off negligible heat when lit, designers and architects won't need to reserve ceiling or undercounter space for lighting fixtures when using OLEDs (just as flat-panel TVs have allowed for a variety of television installation applications). And with its very low power consumption and a 20-year life expectancy for an OLED, the opportunity for energy savings are enormous.
The flexibility of this type of lighting technology will enable incredibly exciting applications for interior design and architecture, especially as it's further developed and as costs inevitably come down. Can't wait to see some of the future results!
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Over the years, I've developed a great appreciation for designers in specialized areas - for example kitchen and bath designers, and lighting designers. Their expertise in their respective fields adds a great deal to the end results and overall success of a project, and should be recognized as a valuable asset when putting together project details. Rather than trying to "do it all" on a project, interior and architectural designers can benefit by bringing in a consultant who can provide design solutions for different aspects of a project.
I've highly enjoyed working with these specialized designers. For example, when working on a kitchen design project, I generally do the 'prep work' with clients to arrive at the overall look, including cabinet style and finish, countertop material selection, pendant or accent lighting selections and the like, and I then turn to the specialists to design exact layouts and dimensions. Tools such as 2020 Cabinet software and others facilitate the kitchen/bath designer's work and allow quick studies of variations in designs and dimensions (for example doors vs. drawers, cabinet interior features, and more).
With regard to lighting design, although designers usually receive a fair amount of education, and can stay current on innovations and trends, I've found it useful and valuable to consult with lighting designers who generally know products inside-out, who can evaluate spaces for most effective lighting, and who provide that extra level of expertise to assure that a projects' end result will be completely satisfactory for clients.
Once, as a fledgling designer, I was involved in a project that included a large amount of valuable original art in a gallery area of a client's home. The client requested that the design firm that I worked for bring in a lighting consultant to properly light the art. The head designer in my firm insisted that he was capable of specifying and implementing the right type of lighting, and that a lighting designer wasn't necessary. The client went along with the designer in good faith, but the end results when the art went up were less than spectacular and the client was very unhappy. It was an expensive learning experience for all involved, as lighting was removed and replaced, and ceilings and faux painted walls had to be repaired and refinished. Ultimately, it was the client's decision not to call in a lighting specialist, but the designer played a large part in that decision.
While it's important for designers to research and learn as much as possible about specialized areas of design in order to keep current with the latest technologies and trends and to be able to converse in an informed manner with clients and specialists, designers can often gain a great deal by collaborating with qualified experts.
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Have you seen Applied Coating Group's new Color MirageTM line of decorative glass products? They're very cool. I haven't used them on any projects yet, but I'm sure that I will at some point in the near future.
Their offerings include glass wall and floor tiles as well as glass blocks, panels, lighting fixtures and tableware. All of the products and materials have one thing in common: they appear to change color as the light sources associated with the products change in direction or intensity. The colors also appear to change as the viewer's perspective changes. Even a rising or setting sun will change the color of the item being viewed. Cool!!
According to their website, the effect is accomplished with optical thin film dichroic coatings that are applied to the products. A particular coating dictates which colors (light wavelengths) are transmitted through, reflected off, or absorbed by the material.
All of their product and application types seem like they'd be equally wonderful in either a commercial or a residential application. Their product literature says that their glass blocks are available in a variety of patterns, colors and sizes and that each individual block is unique with its own subtle color variation. Visit the SwiftTrack Glass Block System website to see some example glass block applications. The SwiftTrack site also provides a video that gives installation instructions.
Here are some sample photos that show some of the possibilities that the Color MirageTM and SwiftTrack products offer:
Color Mirage
TM - Gorgeous Glass Blocks
Color Mirage
TM - Glass Block Bar Application
Color Mirage
TM - Glass Block Kitchen Application Using SwiftTrack System
Color Mirage
TM - Lighting and Tile Applications
The Color MirageTM glass material can be used for custom applications such as railing banisters, restaurant dividers, wall panels and tempered glass (once a final size is determined). See the examples shown above and below.
Color Mirage
TM - Custom Commercial Railing / Divider Application
The Applied Coating Group has also showcased their colored glass Modono TileTM on their website. The Modono tiles can be used for flooring accents, backsplashes, and a variety of other applications. Simply beautiful!
Modono Tile
TM - Stunning Flooring Accent
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The third annual "Earth Hour" took place this year on March 29th. The first Earth Hour took place in Sydney, Australia in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned off their lights for one hour to raise awareness of climate change and greenhouse emissions. In 2008, the numbers rose as 50 million people turned off their lights worldwide, and in 2009 hundreds of millions of people "turned out the lights" for one hour starting at 8:30 PM. One thousand cities in over eighty countries participated in the World Wildlife Fund-sponsored 2009 Earth Hour by dimming nonessential lights between 8:30 and 9:30 PM in each respective time zone.
Click on the images in this very cool Boston.com Earth Hour article to see photographs of buildings and landmarks from major cities around the world before and then during Earth Hour.
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