The nature of light in your home has a lot to do with the sensations you feel there. In fact, light is one of most influential elements of interior design, whether it comes from the changing rays of sunlight through a favorite window, growing from bright in the morning to warm and welcoming in the evening, or the energetic feel of the light you find in your kitchen, where a blend of efficiency and aesthetics is the key. Natural or designed, your light sources are a grand palette for artistic choices, if you wish, or an easy comfortable background for the ways you enjoy your home.
Because our sense of design begins at the roots, we sometimes consider how far design has traveled in making life more enjoyable in the home. It is hard to think of an element that has travelled farther than lighting in the choices and possibilities that are available. Within the memory of many grandparents, light determined what you could do at a given time of day. Today, it is the other way around. LED lighting has enabled people to make the light fit what they want to do instead.
What You Save
The factors in favor of upgrading to LED lighting are so persuasive from a practical standpoint that we suggest considering them for any home project, whether new construction of remodeling. Saving energy is a starter; LED bulbs on average use 75% less energy than incandescent lighting. A 20-watt LED bulb can do the job of a 60-watt incandescent bulb – and the cost of the bulbs themselves is 85% less than when you probably got your first impression. As a result, the savings are clear.
Saving energy is not the only way that LED lighting is green. LED bulbs contain no mercury, so at the end of their useful lives – and they last a long, long time – they don’t put a toxic element into the environment and no special handling is required when we dispose of them. They are 100% recyclable.
What You See
The aesthetic reasons to go LED are just as compelling. Whether for primary or accent lighting, LED makes a huge difference in the look and feel of a room. Can lights, tubes, strip lights, and even LED tape can be orchestrated to highlight interesting features, illuminate workspaces, or attract attention and motion to the flow you want for your room.
Color and intensity are “tunable” in many LED installations, giving you options to vary the appearance of a room or an area by occasion and use. Stairs are safer – and they become even more impactful design elements – when strips or tapes of LED lighting are used to outline or highlight them. Under-cabinet lighting gives dimension to kitchens and other rooms, setting off the 3-D impression of surrounding spaces. Corridors become inviting when lighted with LED effects, either from above or below.
Whether your inner engineer or your inner artist is in charge on a particular day, upgrading to LED lighting offers whole new ways to enjoy your home. Let’s talk about how it could work for you.
