Tips and Advice

Choose a chandelier that complements not only your interior, but also your lifestyle. Whether it’s simple with clean lines or totally wild and fun, chandeliers play an integral role in defining a space. Try to select a chandelier or pendant that has a diameter roughly ½ of the width or diameter of your table. When hanging lights over a table, start at 30” above the table and work up from there if necessary. As a fun option to chandeliers, consider bendable monorail that will allow you to place pendants where you want them. Always consider installing a dimmer with your chandelier.

If you are lucky enough to have an island in your kitchen, consider hanging pendants over it. The right set of pendants will bring the space to life by complementing your countertop and cabinets. Pendants are made of glass, metal, or stone. Glass is blown in places as far away as Murano and as close as Kailua. The choices can be endless, so if you don’t have an idea of what you want bring in a sample of your counter and cabinets and we’ll be happy to help you select.

Outdoor and landscape lighting are often overlooked but will provide safety, security, and accentuate the architecture of a home or building. Outdoor lighting can be set up with a photocell that allows the light to stay on from dusk to dawn, or simply on a timer.

To calculate the wattage needed to properly illuminate a room, get the square footage of the room and multiply by 1.5 and that will give you a rough idea of what you should be looking for. This is just a rule of thumb, not a rule to live by as all fixtures cast light in different ways. The type of light bulb will also change your formula. Fluorescent lights provide about 4 times the light per watt as compared to incandescent lights.

Recessed lights can provide general lighting, accent lighting, and task lighting. For general lighting, place these evenly throughout the room no closer than 4ft. apart. To accent walls or to highlight artwork, place them 18” off of the wall on an 8’ ceiling to minimize glare.

In situations where electrical sources are limited, consult an electrician to determine how you can add lighting to your space. Or stop in and chances are we have prior experience in solving your dilemma.