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Quick Tips for Your Thanksgiving Day Prep

Posted by: The Lighting Lady Posted on: Oct 7, 2021 , , , , , , , , ,

It’s that time of year again! The time when families gather inside and celebrate their gratitude with one another. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the idea of hosting this season, don’t sweat it. We are here to help with three quick tips to make your home shine!

1) Clean Up Those Chandeliers/Pendants

From cobwebs, sticky fingerprints or just regular old dust- your lighting fixtures would probably benefit from a little TLC. Give your lighting fixture a quick once over with a dusting cloth, then take a look from different angles to find any of these pesky fingerprints or cobwebs still hanging about.

2) Quick Style Update? – Change Your Bulbs!

Making a little style update is a great way to keep you falling in love with your lighting fixtures without breaking the bank. Changing up the style of bulb in your chandelier can give you lots of options to prolong your interest with your lighting fixture. Having a themed party? Why not add a little whimsy and try a coloured bulb! 

3) Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

We all know it’s true, but can easily forget when things get crazy and we feel like we have to pull it off all on our own. But, you CAN ask for help! What that looks like for you may be different from someone else. You could ask another relative to bring dessert, or play “Power Hour Clean-Up” with the kiddos. 

And of course, don’t forget to take a little extra time to ENJOY the season too!

Home Office Lighting 101

Posted by: The Lighting Lady Posted on: Aug 20, 2021 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

With more and more companies moving to a permanent work-from-home situation, it’s no surprise that home offices are becoming a focus. Finding the perfect combination of lighting for your home office can be tricky, but let us help you with breaking down the most important tip for lighting your home office – layering your light sources!

Within your day you probably have many different types of tasks that need to be accomplished. Think of all the things you do in your home office – working on the computer, reading, talking on the phone, video calls, holding meetings, etc. Each of these tasks would benefit from a different style of lighting which all layer together to create the perfect home office! 

When layering your lighting it is important to consider three types of light:

1 – Natural Light 

Natural light (from a window) will serve to energize you throughout the day but it can also cause a lot of glare on computer screens. Natural light can be used in your home office through controlled use. Think of installing blinds or curtains to help manage brightness and glare throughout the day. 

2 – Overhead Lighting

Overhead lighting serves to illuminate a large portion of your room from one single light source. Overhead lighting can be a place to express your style and creativity in your office. It should provide enough light to keep the room bright for working, but not be so overwhelming to cause glare. If you are renovating you may have more ability to select where the overhead electrical box will be placed and can do so to avoid potential glare and shadows. Putting your overhead lighting on a dimmer switch is also a great way to create ambience in your home office.

3 – Task Lighting 

Task lighting is going to be your new best friend in your home office! Think of task lighting like your very own personal assistant helping you to focus and complete tasks with efficiency and less headaches. Task lighting allows you to highlight an area of your room, or desk, to help you stay focused and on task (pun intended). 

Think of all the different tasks you perform in your home office and how you like to perform those tasks. For example, if you like to read documents away from your desk and in that cozy armchair – then a floor lamp for reading is going to be a must! If you do a lot of handwritten note taking or writing at your desk – a table lamp would be a great addition to your work space.

When purchasing your task lighting be sure to include lamps with adjustable arms so that you accommodate a range of setups in your home. Ensuring that your task lighting has dimmable capabilities will also help to ensure that you have options to create a different feel in your office too!

If you are looking to update your home office lighting please feel free to contact us. 

Or better yet, come in for a visit to our showroom!

Summer Lighting Trends

Posted by: The Lighting Lady Posted on: Aug 6, 2021 , , , , , , , , , , ,

Needless to say, it’s been quite the summer for 2021. We are excited to be beginning to see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel and have enjoyed getting to reopen our doors this summer.

Since everyone has been spending more than the usual amount of time at home over the past year, it has been so interesting to see where our clients have been focusing their renovation energy on in their homes. Kitchen and bathroom renovations are still a main area of focus of course, but lots of clients have also been paying extra careful attention to the design of other areas of their home…

1 – The Home Office

With more and more companies moving to a permanent work-from-home situation, it’s no surprise that home offices are becoming a focus.  So what are people doing with their lighting in their home office?

Well we’ve found that people are really working towards using the natural light in their offices, adding functional task lighting and topping off the look with some statement overhead lighting pieces. People are really wanting to add a punch of personality into their home offices, a perk that many did not have before when working in-office. We have seen everything from crystal chandeliers, to geometric pendants and super modern flush mounts enter office spaces over the past few months! 

2 – Outdoor Lighting

Summer is the season to be outside and enjoy the sunshine here in Southwestern Ontario. With vacationing and travelling limited for another summer, we have seen so many families transforming their backyards into their own tropical paradise! From adding new gardens, putting in the pool they’ve been dreaming of, to finally updating the 15-year-old patio furniture – it’s no secret that Ontarians have been making magic happen in their backyards. 

As for lighting outdoors, we have seen families focusing on two main areas – the front door and the back porch. Our clients have been wanting to make their front and back porches more welcoming for the neighbourhood crew. 

3 – Kids Rooms 

The last area we have seen clients focusing on this summer is their kids’ rooms! This one seemed a little surprising to us at first but those preteens and teens have been stuck inside for a very long time and need a little refresh in their space too! Lots of kids’ rooms were not only their bedrooms this past year, but also their schoolroom, their sports training room and their safe space.

Interested in updating your kids’ rooms? Check out our post on Kid’s Bedroom Lighting to get inspired!

If you are looking for some summer inspiration please feel free to contact us. 

Or better yet, come in for a visit to our showroom!

Making a Grand Entrance

Posted by: The Lighting Lady Posted on: Jul 29, 2021 , , , , , , , , , , ,

Like it or not, first impressions matter. When guests visit your home there are a few key spots to put a little extra love and attention on. Your foyer is one of those places! Lighting for a foyer can be tricky to get right. There are a lot of different perspectives to consider. So let us help you with a few of those considerations.

1 – Scale and Sizing

Depending on the build of your home, you may have a one storey or two storey foyer. The amount of space you have will ultimately determine what type of light you may be looking for. People with two-storey foyers are often able to use larger chandeliers or pendant fixtures to fill their space. While people with one-storey foyers will need to focus on a flush or semi flush mount fixture. In either case you want to make sure that you keep approximately a 7 foot clearance between the floor and the bottom of your light. This will certainly make your life easier when moving furniture in or out of the house, hockey sticks are flying about or super tall Uncle Dawn comes to visit! 

2- Position of The Light Box and The Door

Another measurement to keep in mind is the distance between the light box and any doors in the space. Be mindful of the width or diameter of your light and ensure that you will be able to open and close any nearby doors without any interference.

3 – Sight Lines

When looking for your foyer lighting be aware that this is a high traffic area and an intersection point in the house. Take a look from the front door, down the hallway, dining room, etc and check to see what you can see within those different sight lines. You may want to choose a light for your foyer that compliments or contrasts the other elements within the space. 

4 – Style

And finally, it all comes back to style! Your personal style as well as the character of your home should inform your design choice in this space. Take some time and think about the feeling you want to create when opening your home to guests. Do you want your front foyer to be welcoming, to dazzle, to relax, or maybe to excite! The options are endless! 

If you are looking to update your foyer lighting please feel free to contact us. 

Or better yet, come in for a visit to our showroom!

Kids’ Bedroom Lighting

Posted by: The Lighting Lady Posted on: Jul 16, 2021 , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Oftentimes bedroom lighting is overlooked. And the kids’ bedrooms – even more so. But what people don’t realize is that these are the perfect rooms to play with your lighting design. Bedrooms are the one area of the house where you want the ability for the room to be completely dark, completely bright, and somewhere in between all within the same 24 hours. Luckily for you, we can help you make that happen!

When shopping for your kids bedroom lighting consider these three tips:

1) Think About the Purpose of Each Area of the Room

Depending on the age of your kids the purpose of their room may alter throughout the years. WIth young kids you may want to incorporate a small toy area, or cozy reading nook to cuddle up together in. While older kids may need a desk for school work and a reading light next to the bed. When looking at the layout of their room consider your options for layering your lighting. Maybe a desk light is needed. Or some bedside scones or hanging pendants would be neat! Or even the perfect floor lamp to complete your cozy reading nook and armchair. Remember – All of your light does not need to come from one source! 

2) To Theme or Not to Theme

As we all know, kids change their mind more than Mother Nature changes the weather. As badly as your little one may need a Frozen themed room, or may love Thomas the Tank Engine, they probably won’t love them for the next 10 years. And as much as we would love it if everyone changed their lighting fixtures every 1-2 years, you probably don’t want to do that! So if you want to theme your child’s room, we recommend opting to theme items that are easy to swap out like bedspreads, small table lamps, etc. While your overhead lighting should remain a little more fluid through the whims of your children. That’s not to say that every room should have a boring flush mount round fixture, but rather think through the possibilities for your fixture. For example if your child loves outer space, look around for some of our more modern designs that have that space-age look when surrounded by planets and stars on the ceiling, but will also age with them into their teen years as a piece of sleek decor (once the glow-in-the-dark star stickers are peeled off the ceiling.) 

3) Have Fun!

Bedrooms are the place where doors close when company comes over. The lights in your bedrooms do not need to match or compliment any other lights in the house. If you love that crazy over the top chandelier but it would look out of place hanging over your dining room table, then have a little fun in your bedroom! 

If you are looking to update your kids bedroom lighting please feel free to contact us. 

Or better yet, come in for a visit to our showroom!

Lighting Your Front Door

Posted by: The Lighting Lady Posted on: Jul 9, 2021 , , , , , , , , ,

Some people say that first impressions don’t really matter. But, we beg to differ. The first impression of your home can go a long way in making people feel welcome. So today we are here to help with our favourite lighting tips to make your front door a welcoming and inviting place for all!

Sizing

Often we find that clients have a tendency to undersize their outdoor lighting. We like to remind our clients that their outdoor lighting is largely being admired from the street or sidewalk. Therefore going up a size often helps these elements stand out with a bit more flair. A good rule of thumb to follow is that the front door wall light should be roughly one third of the size of the front door. From there you can go up or down to make your preferred statement!

Wattage

Lighting for your front door should provide enough illumination so that you can see and navigate your path or steps safely. However, you don’t want it so bright that your neighbours are complaining of glare through their windows! No one wants to live next to the Broadway-lit house. The wattage and colouring of your front door light will depend on the set up of your front door, proximity to neighbours, and any additional lighting you may have working in your landscape. Take a good look around and snap a quick picture before coming into the showroom so we can help you the best way possible! 

Style

The style of your outdoor lighting fixture should always compliment the style of your home. When this happens successfully, your home will always be welcoming to guests and have great curb appeal. We always recommend that our clients bring in a photo of the front of their house so we can help you choose something that reflects the charm of your house. 

If you are looking to update your outdoor lighting please feel free to contact us. 

Or better yet, come in for a visit to our showroom!

Ceiling Fan 101

Posted by: The Lighting Lady Posted on: Jul 1, 2021 , , , , , , , , , ,

Ceiling fans are the perfect fusion of function and style. Ceiling fans can provide refreshing air movement (and help cut those AC costs), while still illuminating your space and providing opportunity for fun style choices. However shopping for a ceiling fan can be a little overwhelming. But not to worry, we are here to help!

1) Ceiling Height

When shopping for a ceiling fan it is important to know the height of the ceiling for the room you are looking for. If you have a high ceiling (over 10’) you will likely want to shop for ceiling fans that have a down rod so you can lower the fan into the room. If you have an average ceiling height (lower than 10’) then you don’t need to shop for a fan with a down rod. 

2) Size of The Fan

The size of your ceiling fan should be proportionate to the size of your room. See below for a handy reference chart from our friends at Kendal Lighting.

Room SizeFan Size
Up to 75 sq. ft(Good for: bathrooms, breakfast nooks, utility rooms)20-36”
Up to 175 sq. ft(Good for: bedrooms, kitchens, dining rooms)42-52”
Up to 350 sq. ft(Good for: large bedrooms, family rooms, media rooms)52-60”
More than 350 sq. ft(Good for: great rooms, other large spaces)60”+

As a good rule of thumb, ensure that there is at least 24” of clearance between the edge of the blade and any surrounding wall. 

3) Air Movement

The great benefit of having a ceiling fan is the air movement. The amount of air flow is determined by the pitch of the blades. Most residential ceiling fans will be pitched between 12-16 degrees.There are also fans with higher pitches like 22 degrees for even more air movement. The greater degree of pitch will result in more air flow. 

4) Style

Of course, all lighting design choices come back to your preferred style. We want to ensure that you are creating a home to be proud of! When looking at the different finishes and colours of fans available its important to remember this good rule of thumb: a white fan on a white ceiling will blend in and allow other design choices to stand out, while a coloured fan on a white ceiling will stand out and work as a focal point in your room. 

If you are looking to add or replace your ceiling fans please feel free to contact us. 

Or better yet, come in for a visit to our showroom!

Lighting Your Table | Woodstock Lighting

Posted by: The Lighting Lady Posted on: Jun 24, 2021 , , , , , , , , , ,

Kitchen tables are no longer just the place where we eat. Kitchen tables are now part of our at-home office, the homework help center, the transition land of all lost items and the place where the family might eat if the game isn’t on. Lighting your kitchen table can be difficult while you keep the many functions of your table in mind. 

Let us help with a few quick tips:

1. Position of Your Light

A good rule of thumb when positioning your table is to aim to have your electrical box centered to your table. It’s important to remember that the purpose of this light fixture is to light your table, not necessarily your entire room. 

2. Sizing Your Light to Your Table

When picking out your over-the-table light, you want to keep three important dimensions in mind:

  1. Ceiling Height
  2. Height of your Table
  3. Length of Your Table

These three measurements will be incredibly important when finding the right size of light for your table. 

Knowing the height of your ceiling and table will allow our lighting experts to ensure that there is enough clearance from the top of the table to the bottom of the light, so that no one is bopping their heads when passing the buns. 

The  length of your table will determine the size of lights you can consider. Many tables may be able to add extra leaves into them for those bigger family gatherings, but you want to size your light for how your table will look 90% of the time. 

3. Style

Of course, everything comes back to your own signature style! To get the most out of your visit, feel free to bring in pictures of your space and table (with your measurements, of course). 

Some people prefer a light with shades, while others prefer the easier cleaning of fixtures with no shades. 

Tired of your light, but love it too much and want a cheap, easy fix? You can always change up the look of your light just by changing the shape or colour of your bulbs. 

And most importantly, remember that not everything has to be matchy-matchy! You can be complimentary with your design choices to the rest of your living space. 

If you are looking to give your dining lighting fixture a refresh please feel free to contact us. 

Or better yet, come in for a visit to our showroom!

3 Quick Tips for Your Kitchen Lighting – Woodstock Lighting

Posted by: The Lighting Lady Posted on: Oct 25, 2018 , , ,

Kitchen lighting can be a tricky subject. Where should you choose to go big? Where do you add that important task lighting? How do you let your lights match without being too “matchy-matchy”? There are so many aspects to this vital room in your house. But don’t fear, we are here to help you through it all! With our 3 best lighting tips your kitchen lighting will be perfect!

Make a Plan

Ensuring that your kitchen is well-lit should be your number one concern. Think of all of the work that happens in a kitchen. Not only is your kitchen lighting a décor factor for your home but it’s also a safety concern as well! The key to creating a great lighting plan for your kitchen is to incorporate all kinds of lighting from ambient overall lighting, to task lighting over your sink and accent/decorative lighting to add the style. And don’t forget about your natural sources of light too.

Think About All the Elements

Lighting in your kitchen should be a reflection of your style and taste. Kitchen lighting should work together with your other décor choices to create a functional and fun work space for you and your family. The number of fixtures and placement of fixtures will greatly depend on your other décor choices. For example, taller ceilings and darker finishes will call for more light. Whereas a kitchen with white cabinets and white counter tops will help to bounce the light around the room allowing you to choose to use less fixtures or lower wattages in your fixtures.

The Easy Refresh Button

The easiest (and most inexpensive) way to give your kitchen a quick pick me up is to change out your pendant lighting over your island. This area of lighting should be where you can take a risk and bring out a little bit more personality to your kitchen. Whether that be something a little bit more vintage-inspired or something bright and bold. You can easily switch out these pendant lights when needing a refresh for your kitchen lighting.

If you are looking to give your kitchen a refresh please feel free to contact us. Or better yet, come in for a visit to our showroom!