4 TYPES OF LIGHT BULBS AND HOW TO LIGHT YOUR HOME

We all know that lighting really sets the mood for any environment. Think about the lighting you encounter when you go out to dinner, for example, if you go to a fine Italian restaurant chances are that the lighting is dim and sets off a warm atmosphere but if you go to a casual pizza restaurant the lights are likely to be brighter and set off cooler atmosphere. My point here is that the lighting in your home definitely has an impact on the atmosphere.

Some of you may have the benefit of living in a home that has a lot of natural light (this has been in my wish list for years!).  I live in a garden level apartment where I get virtually no natural light. For full disclosure I could get some natural light if I opened the shades but I do not really want passerby’s looking through my windows! So, the next best option for me is to switch out the lighting throughout my apartment to liven up my place.

Light Bulb Round Up

Here I have summarized 4 of the most common types of light bulbs you will come across when light bulb shopping:

LEDs | Light-emitting diodes are the newest options we have in terms of light bulbs and what is great about them is that LED lights use a fraction of the wattage other types of bulbs require. In other words you will save money overtime if you switch to these light bulbs. Why overtime? Well, they are pricier than your other options, but for good reason.

CFLs | Compact fluorescent lights were all the hype a few years ago (at least it was in my parents’ house!). These light bulbs were great until studies showed that their life expectancy dramatically decreased if they were shut on and off frequently.

Incandescents | These are your old fashioned light bulbs where the electricity that is powered through the bulb heats it up to the point that the filament glows into a light.

Halogens | These bulbs are slightly more efficient than the incandescent bulbs because there is actual halogen inside the little tube that holds the filament. What this gas does is that it allows the used up gas to remain usable to a longer period of time.

How to Light Your Home

Now that you have an idea of the different options you have to light your home you can start to think about how you’ll implement light. I am slowly converting all of my bulbs to LED for a few reasons. Like mentioned above they will save energy and money overtime, they are brighter and they are a newer technology (I’m a sucker for new things!).

There are two main types of atmospheres you may want to incorporate into your home – ambient or productive. I like both and like to have both options and in order to achieve both options I like the dimmer lights – bless the person who invented these! Most homes have the regular on/off light switches, if your home has these, you will need to install (or have installed) dimmer light switches. These are relatively inexpensive; you can find good options that range between 20-30 dollars at your local hardware store. Of course, there are fancier options, but they basic ones will cut it for me.

Also, if you do convert to LED lights it is important to note that not all LED bulbs have that capability so look for the bulbs that say “dimmable” on the packaging. On that same note, not all dimmer light switches are compatible with LED bulbs so if you do install these make sure the ones you purchase are compatible with the bulbs you decide to go with.

There you have it! Lights in your home have a power to create any mood you want. Like I mentioned in the beginning of this post, my apartment is pretty dark and I absolutely love bright and open atmospheres – this is why I need bright lights in my home and why I chose to go with LEDs.

Have you made the switch to LEDs? Did your conversion go smoothly and have you seen a difference in your energy bills?

A 5 STEP GUIDE TO FIND YOUR DECORATING STYLE

In last week’s blog post, 6 Different Types of Decorating Styles, we explored 6 common types of decorating styles. This week we will look at few tips and tricks that can help you define your decorating style.

Finding your decorating style is not as easy as it seems. It has taken me years to start honing into my own decorating style and trust me there has been a lot of trial and error! But like I said, creating a space that truly defines your style does not come so naturally and effortlessly all the time. Sure, you can drool over all of the beautiful pictures in home magazines, in Pinterest, on HGTV - then you get inspired, then you want to re-decorate your entire living area then you go shopping for gorgeous new pieces and … crickets! Re-decorating is easier said than done and before we go crazy buying pieces that we will not be 100% satisfied with in the long run I invite you to take a few minutes to really think about your decorating style is.

Why is Home Décor important anyway?

The majority of us spend a lot of time at home, especially in this digital age, many of us have the option of working from home either once a week or (if your one of the lucky ones!) every day. This is one of the reasons I believe it is so important to have a space that is not only inviting but also relaxing and stress free. That is where I see the need and benefit to decorating your home in a way that compliments your personality.

First we have the need (the practicality of it) -  well this is the obvious , you need a couch (or two), a television (maybe), a rug, a coffee table, side tables, a couple of lamps and so on. Then there is also the benefit (the psychological aspect of it) – this is how you feel when you are in your house. For me, I find it extremely important to have a relaxing, organized comfortable and inviting home environment.  So, here we go:

1.       Take inventory of what you already own

Make note of pieces in your home and list them in one of two categories “Love it” or “What was I thinking”. In order to truly define your decorating style, you need to be brutally honest here, if you do not love a piece of furniture or art, ITS OK, it does not mean you need to get rid of it maybe you can make a DIY out of it by refinishing it or painting it – if it’s a piece of furniture, for example.

2.       Take a good look at your closet

Your fashion style will provide great insight to your decorating style since your fashion style is really an extension of your personality and your home is a reflection of your personality. So look in your closet - do you have a lot of classic and timeless pieces? This is a nod to a more traditional decorating style. Or do you have a lot of chic and trendy pieces? This could mean you are more into the contemporary decorating style.

3.       Think about your travels

Where have you traveled to a place that really inspired you, for example, did you really love that rustic little town in Italy or are you more of a beach lover and enjoy the openness and colors of a tropical beach. When you do this, really try to hone in to how it made you feel. That is the key.

4.       Create a Mood Board

Go through some home magazines and cut out any and all pictures that speak to you. When doing this exercise it is imperative that you do not think too hard about it. For example, if there is a picture of a living room that you like but there is a lamp in that same picture that you absolutely love, cut the whole picture out and circle the lamp, this way when you look back you will quickly be able to see what it was about that space that drew you in. Once you have a solid amount of cut outs (I had 40-50 cut outs when I created my mood board) lay it all out on the ground, take a picture of it on your phone and keep the picture handy for when you are shopping for new home décor pieces.  You can just as easily do this on Pinterest; however, I find that you can just as easily become distracted by pinning other things there too!

5.       Take a walk

Walk around your neighborhood and pay attention to what piques your interest. Are there any particular types of homes you like – modern or traditional? Maybe rustic? Also look at the color palettes are you more drawn to. Maybe you like cool light neutrals which is a nod to transitional décor. Or maybe you like a very vibrant mix of color which would likely mean you like eclectic décor.

Do you already know what your decorating style is? What methods did you use to pinpoint your style?

6 DIFFERENT TYPES OF DECORATING STYLES

Ah! Home décor, one of my passions :) there are some people in my circle of friends and family that do not fully understand why I am so passionate about home décor. For me, having a nicely decorated home goes way beyond just the materialistic aspect of it, when you are able to dig deep you can find that it is about bringing positivity and creativeness into your life. I’ve always wondered why some homes are decorated completely different from others and why that is. So, this is something I did some research on a couple of years ago when I was brainstorming topics for my grad school thesis. What I found is that home décor is really an extension of one’s personality! To many of you that may have been obvious, but to me that was an AH HA moment!

There are many types of home décor styles and some very tasteful ways of combining a couple of different styles together.  I have put together characteristics of the 6 styles that are the most commonly seen today. While some homes will typically fall into one general category, many homes do a great job at combining two (or even three) different styles and make it look divine.

TRADITIONAL

A traditional style home décor is very warm and welcoming. You will see a lot of dark and rich colored furniture. Walls are usually painted in a neutral palette (think: tan, beige). Furniture placement for this style is typically very formal and symmetrical. Another thing you will likely find in this style home is an oriental rug – these as you may know are the epitome of the traditional style.

CONTEMPORARY

A contemporary style home will have a lot of clean lines and a “less is more” attitude. The use of color in furniture is quite neutral, however, white seems to dominate this arena. The color palette in a contemporary home is also neutral but in a bit more sophisticated manner – light grey-blues, creams and white. Another common theme found in this style is a lot of natural sunlight and open space.

TRANSITIONAL

A transitional style home is a perfect blend of traditional and contemporary. The furniture for this style can be dark rich tones or light tones (think white furniture), but the common thread here is that the furniture will always have elegant yet clean lines. The color palette for this style is (like the traditional style) neutral palette – tan, cream, grey. Pops of color in this style can be found in throw pillows, lamps or a rug, for example.

RUSTIC

A rustic style home is rugged and will leave you feeling as if you were in nature. The furniture in this style is typically comprised of natural wood in rich tones, you will also see plenty of beams in these homes. The color palette for this style is very earthy colors, meaning you could see a lot of brown tones, some red and few splashes of green or yellow.

COASTAL

A coastal style home is in one word – beachy! The furniture used in this style is very casual and for the most part white, however, every now and then you could find light brown tones. The color palette in coastal style homes is also typically white if the walls are not white, you will find other crisp pale colored walls.

ECLECTIC

An eclectic style home is quite colorful, playful and bold. Furniture for this style is a free for all, you can find all types of styles, textures and colors – you could see a blend of traditional (an oriental rug), coastal (a piece of art with sea shells) and contemporary (a glass coffee table), for example, and it would look like a piece of art. As far as color for this style home, you will find an array of colors and patterns, however, the trick to pulling this style off is to make sure that they feel cohesive with one another.

What’s my style?

I find that my decorating style falls very much in line with the transitional style, with a slight tilt towards the contemporary style. I LOVE white contemporary furniture but find that most contemporary only style homes feel sort of cold and un-cozy. So insert the transitional style, it is the perfect blend of traditional (which screams cozy) and contemporary (which screams clean lines and openness). I love white furniture and am a sucker for light grey-blues, light tans for wall colors and pure white trim. In an upcoming post I will share tips and tricks that worked for me in defining what my decorating style is. If you are not sure what your decorating style is, that’s okay! Not many people are able to pin point that as quickly as it may seem.

So, how about you? Which style resonates the most with you?