Hearing scary scrabbling noises coming from your kitchen at night? Need some task lighting while slicing and dicing your empty beer cans and rusty nails with your Ginsu knives? Often, the light from overhead kitchen fixtures leaves a lot to be desired. It may be coming from flickering fluorescent fixtures, or recessed lights that don’t quite hit the G-spot (that’s G for Ginsu…). You may even have a sad, underpowered little unit like the one at left, begging to be replaced. Fortunately, if you have upper cabinets, it’s pretty easy to get lit up; the recessed area under most upper cabinets provides the perfect platform from which to light up your world. [Read more...]
Installing Under Cabinet Lighting – A Flash of Brilliance For Your Kitchen
Coast LED Lantern – Light it Up Not Burn it Down
Last year there was an epic power outage that effected a good chunk of the southwestern United States. There’s nothing like an extended power outage to get you back to the basics of what you truly need when modern conveniences like electricity fail. If that power outage lasts into the night, one essential you’ll want plenty of is light. Without it, basic survival tasks like cooking or even finding food in the dark recesses of your home can become impossible. Many people rely on candles for emergency lighting. On the plus side, they never run out of batteries, they’re cheap, and as long as you have matches or lighters, they’re ready at a moment’s notice. The downside to candles is that they can very easily burn down your house. That’s a pretty big downside, and it’s also good reason to consider investing in something like the Coast LED Area Light. [Read more...]
Ferrowatt Reproduction Incandescent Light Bulbs
Ferrowatt, a registered trademark of AAMSCO Lighting, Inc., manufactures reproduction light bulbs, replicas of Edison-Era light bulbs and lamps. They use original molds from the early 1900s and offer eight different models. Ferrowatt ‘s incandescent bulbs are ideal for use in museums and historical preservation projects because of their low wattage, (bulbs are available in 30, 40 and 60 watts) and they create an intimate ambiance for spaces like restaurant settings. [Read more...]
The Plumen Light Bulb – Eco Goes All Fashionable
If you’ve been a long-suffering light bulb environmentalist, enduring the ugliness of your pig-tail-shaped fluorescent bulbs in order to save Mother Earth, you’re going to be happy to see what’s new in eco-bulb design. The Plumen light bulb, heretofore available only in Europe and now made available in These United States, adds pizzazz to your high moral standards. It’s amazing how a simple style change turns something ugly into a fashionable feature. [Read more...]
Love Boardwalk Empire? Get The Look At Vintage Lighting and Fan Shoppe
I’m a sucker for period pieces. Jane Austen films? I own them all. Mad Men? I’m obsessed. Happy Days? Aaayyyyy. (That’s my Fonze impression.) It should therefore be no surprise that I’m all over HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, a show set in Atlantic City during the prohibition era. It’s a semi-fictionalized glance into the world of the speakeasy, “classic” mobsters, and flapper dresses. The second season has recently started and we’re again treated to the show’s most enticing eye candy of all: Steve Buscemi sets decorated to exacting detail with the look of the time – the transitional period between art nouveau and art deco. If you oggle the fixtures during the show and ask yourself, “why don’t they make beautiful things like that anymore?” I’ve got a website you’re going to love. [Read more...]
Pottery Barn Mayfair Sconce – Way Cuter than a Floodlight
The extent of my experience with lighting pretty much ends at an uncanny knack for getting electrocuted. Eight times and counting, folks. At this point, I’m just waiting for the big one. Maybe I’ll be able to speak Italian when I regain consciousness. (Or, does that only happen after surviving a lightning strike?) This is probably why Pottery Barn recommends hiring a professional electrician to hard wire their Mayfair Sconce. [Read more...]
Striker Magnetic LED Light-Mine, a Super Idea
At first glance, the Striker Magnetic LED Light-Mine looks like something out of a Nintendo Super Mario World game. It’s cute, colorful and really itty-bitty – and for some reason, I imagine Mario or Luigi tossing it at one of those evil mushrooms.
But despite appearances, it’s a mighty little light and incredibly handy to have with you when you’re working in dark places.
Joby Gorillatorch Review, Illuminating Las Vegas at NHS
At this year’s National Hardware Show, one unexpected surprise was running into Joby, makers of the handy little Gorillapod flexible tripods used for everything from point-and-shoot cams, to camcorders, to iphones (with their Gorillamobile product line). I’ve used a Gorillapod enthusiastically for quite some time, so I was happy to see them at NHS showcasing the Gorillatorch. For those of you that just finished up watching Lost, you might be thinking this is an actual torch. Lost episodes made use of so many torches I kept mistaking certain scenes for the Olympic opening ceremonies. Anyway, to clarify for Lost fans, Joby wisely nixed the open-flame option and decided to go with the more conventional battery operated light for the Gorillatorch. But the battery is about the only thing that is conventional about the Gorillatorch. [Read more...]
Northern Industrial Rechargeable 27 LED Worklight: The Force Is Strong
Let’s get the obvious (to me) out of the way: Yes, you do feel a bit like a Jedi holding a stubby lightsaber with the Northern Industrial Rechargeable 27 LED Worklight. And that is awesome. But before you go nuts and create your own Star Wars Kid video, you may want to think about why you shouldn’t bandy this light around so recklessly. The fact is, it’s an excellent tool to have, so it’s best to keep it safe (plus, you know you’re going to be mocked if that video ever sees the light of YouTube – so just don’t). [Read more...]
How to Choose a Chandelier
I love a good chandelier and ceiling pendant light. I think when chosen right, they can add a lot of personality to a room. I also love a southern drawl, so when I discovered that this eHow video about chandelier choices was presented by Nashvillian, Ann Myrick, I had to post it y’all. Here are some basic insights on how to choose the right chandelier for your space: [Read more...]
