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RTC360 Lighting Kits - Laser Scanning Forum
Main Post: RTC360 Lighting Kits - Laser Scanning Forum
Light Fixtures: The Ultimate Guide to Room Lighting Fixtures
Main Post: Light Fixtures: The Ultimate Guide to Room Lighting Fixtures
Top Comment: This has taken my knowledge of lighting and completely exploded it.
Where do folks buy light fixtures?
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We’ll be installing some semi-flush and pendant lights. Are the ones at Home Depot/Lowes good quality, or should we get them somewhere else? Appreciate any recommendations from personal experience.
Top Comment: I'm not a fan of the box store look. I got all mine and a fan at an electrical supply house. Huge selection and none of it looks like HD or Lowes.
Where do you buy light fixtures? I am a Wayfair-budget-seeking kinda person, any other sites out there with great deals?
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We have a few left to get the old junk out from previous owner, just have prioritized most of the budget to other projects at the moment.
Top Comment: Lamps Plus has a bigger selection than you could ever imagine.
Changing entire home light set up : r/AusRenovation
Main Post: Changing entire home light set up : r/AusRenovation
What's everyone's light temperature choice? Did you use uniform lighting across the board or differentiate between rooms or areas? 2700k vs 5000k-6500k
Main Post: What's everyone's light temperature choice? Did you use uniform lighting across the board or differentiate between rooms or areas? 2700k vs 5000k-6500k
Top Comment: I religiously use soft white bulbs (3000k). Anything higher I find sterile and unappealing.
Light Fixtures. So many choices, where to start?
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We are in the middle of a full re-wire of our house and will be replacing all of the outdated fixtures. I'm overwhelmed by the number of fixtures to find, select and buy.
Does anyone have any good sources for helping in this? In my mind, it would be awesome if there was a massive photo book with rooms done up to flip/scroll through. Oopfh!
Top Comment: You may want to look for some lighting design books. The public library will have some, and home improvement stores often sell such things, though they are more likely to have electrical how-to books than lighting design. Keep in mind that lighting serves different needs: Security: Making clear that someone is home, and that being in the area means you will be seen. Safety: Things like steps and walkways are well-lit. Ambience: You need some general lighting to see a room. Focus: Particular things, like artwork, may need to be specially illuminated. Task: Having clear lighting where you need to do something, like a kitchen counter, helps a lot. If you only have general room lighting (say, from a ceiling fixture), then you cast a shadow over your work. Make sure you know what is happening in any given space you plan to illuminate. Do you intend to sit and read in the living room? Then you may need some kind of lighting for that. You may want to light a computer keyboard differently than the area around the computer. And think of your bedroom, where you need to see to put clothes away, or select them; read; or see how your clothing or face looks in a mirror. As a general rule, you generally don't want to see the actual lamp that's the source of light. This is why we have shades and masks and recessed fixtures: You see the light that's cast, but not the light source. Exceptions include things like chandeliers, or "antique" lighting where a dim-but-visible filament is part of the goal. Also give some thought to the color temperature of the light. Old incandescent light bulbs have a yellowish-orange color, whereas old ceiling fluorescent tubes tend to give off a blue-white coloring that's closer to full sunlight. The warmer colors can seem more comfortable to people, but the bluer colors can be used in places where clear lighting is needed; my mom has vision problems, so all her lighting is cool-white, because she has contrast problems with warm-white light when it comes to reading or fine detail. The good news is that you can usually change the color temperature after the fact, by putting in a new lamp. LED light bulbs generally indicate their color temperature. Some LED fixtures, though, may have the LEDs themselves directly connected to the fixture -- not a "user-serviceable" part. In that case, you want to make sure you buy an appropriate fixture for your area. Bright cool-white light may be wrong for a ceiling light in a bedroom, but not a bathroom. Some bulbs and fixtures have a feature that lets you change the color temperature of the light by turning power on and off quickly. When power is left on for a longer time, that "sets" the color temperature, so the next time it is powered on it comes up in that color. Apart from this, you should consider control mechanisms. You may have a light (like a table or floor device) that has its own switch. You may have a receptacle or ceiling fixture that has a wall switch. Some switches may be dimmer switches, that let you adjust the brightness. You can also get timer switches so that lights go on and off at set times, or for certain conditions (like ambient daylight outside). Lastly, you now have more software control of light. Such control can be run from a control panel, or an application on a computer or a phone. It can change light levels and even colors. I hope this helps!