Interior design

The seasons of warmth and sun are finally making their way across the US, and the time to get your beach house ready is now! From decorating to cleaning, there’s plenty of work to be done to have your beach pad ready for the spring and summer.  If you’re looking to update the interior and overall aesthetic of your beach house, follow these simple steps:

• Replace boring old ceiling fans with nautical ceiling fans for a classic beach house look. Nautical themes have been and are still extremely popular themes when decorating a summer or beach home.
• Opt for new wall sconces to replace old dingy lighting fixtures.  The Murray Feiss Mocha Bronze wall sconce looks like old candle holders that would adorn an old wooden ship. The warm glow of these stunning light fixtures are perfect for a beach setting.
• If you don’t want to stick to a nautical theme, consider going tropical. Tropical ceiling fans and brightly colored décor will transform your outdated beach house into a tropical haven.
• Blue and white are great color palette choices when it comes to decorating your beach house in a nautical theme. From paint to furniture, stick to complimenting colors to really pull the look together.

Updating your new beach home is the perfect welcome back summer activity. Making simple changes to your beach house interior can go a long way. Simply changing lighting fixtures or updating old décor can give your summer escape a much needed face-lift that can be enjoyed for summers to come.

There are many fun ways to update your home decorating style for the New Year. Whether it be updating your Crystorama chandelier or adding a new bold color to a room, a new look is what you need for 2013!

Valley Lighting takes pride in helping you with all of your lighting needs! However, home decor is also an important part of really making a room a shine. Valley Lighting sells beautiful decor to make your house go from drab to fab instantly. We carry a wide variety of wine holders, cheese boards, and other home decor.

With the holiday quickly approaching, home decor is always a popular gift idea for mom or for any other home owner on your Christmas list. We carry a variety of wine holders that will make your wine gift quirky and more personable. The shoe wine bottle holder is a great idea for any fashionista or wine lover in your life. The shoe wine bottle holder comes in black resin and leopard print to turn that boring bottle into an interest conversation piece. Throwing a party? Switch out that boring h’dourves plate with a wine bottle cheese board! We carry a selection of cheese boards that will make your finger foods look a little more elegant! If you?re looking for wine home decor, Valley Lighting has what you’re looking for. We also carry a large selection of decorative throw blankets, mirrors, rugs, and so much more. Let Valley Lighting handle all of your home lighting and decor needs!

You may have thought lighting your foyer, kitchen, and bathroom was easy; but now it’s time to shed light on a room that may offer some difficulties – the bedroom. While most of us think of the bedroom as a place to sleep, for many, it’s also the place to get dressed, relax, or get ready for the day. Bedroom lighting should be relaxing, functional, and romantic, all while creating a wonderful design. Keep our bedroom lighting tips in mind when you’re shopping for bedroom lighting fixtures.

• If the bedroom features a lower ceiling, avoid lighting fixtures with long bodies, such as pendant lights. Instead, choose ceiling fixtures, such as flush lighting fixtures.
• Don’t install fixtures directly over the bed, as people tend to look up at them as they’re lying down. Instead, install wall sconces on each side of the bed, or set a table lamp on a bedside table. This is perfect for couples who need individual lighting on each side of the bed!
• Hook your bedroom lights up to a dimmer switch, which allows you to adjust the light to the perfect brightness setting.
• Natural light is always a great way to brighten a bedroom. In fact, the lighting fixtures a bedroom requires depend greatly on the amount of natural light that’s let in.
• The color of the bedroom also affects how the lighting fixtures that are needed to brighten a bedroom. Keep in mind that dark colors absorb light, while pale colors reflect it. If the room is painted a darker color, you’ll need to brighten it using more light fixtures.

What types of lighting fixtures do you use in your bedroom?

Every room in the home should reflect the unique personality of the owner. Guest bathrooms and powder rooms are typically less ornate than the master bathroom, but all will benefit from the proper placement of bath and vanity lighting fixtures available from ValleyLighting-CT.com.

• The vanity is best outfitted with task lighting. Multiple fixtures with a downward focus ensure a clear view in the mirror.
• Bath bars are an excellent choice for vanity lighting. Place them directly above mirrors.
• Sconces evoke elegance in any bathroom lighting scheme, and they prevent shadows cast by overhead light.
• Sconces should always be placed about 28 inches apart and 6 1/2 feet high for bathroom and vanity lighting.
• A central feature, like a shade-loving plant, provides an accent for the bathroom.
• The focal point for the room is brought into sharp relief by accent lighting. A recessed fixture can provide the optimum amount of shadow.
• A flush fixture is perfect for overhead bath and vanity lighting. It won’t distract from your room’s fixture, yet the low wattage bulb will provide overall illumination.

Organize bathroom lighting around the vanity and one focal point. Use overhead fixtures to increase ambient lighting and bind the room’s features.

Organizing kitchen space is a powerful way to both increase the time you spend in it and enhance the overall appeal of your home. Even a well-designed kitchen, however, suffers from a lack of appropriate task and ambient lighting. Pendant lights are among the most useful and stunning kitchen fixtures. Undercabinet lighting is another choice for accenting specific features and increasing safety.

Task Lighting for Countertops

Counters are where the action takes place. Chopping vegetables, mixing dough, and reading a recipe book are all easier to accomplish with task lighting. Island lighting is also essential when a stove and island hood are not installed. Most task lighting is best handled with undercabinet lighting like the options here at Valley Lighting. These lights eliminate shadows produced by a single ambient light fixture in the workspace, and they utilize low-energy bulbs.

Enhancing the Island

Spacious kitchens are often organized around an island. Range hoods focus attention and provide island lighting, but you don’t need an island stove to catch wandering eyes. Many styles of pendant lights are available to both blend in with existing decor and augment it. This accent lighting provides a way to increase functionality, and the added versatility may replace a central light fixture altogether.

How do you use task lighting in your kitchen?

At Valley Lighting & Home Decor we believe it’s important to concentrate on lighting and decorating every room in your home, one room at a time. Over the next few weeks, we’re going to help you brighten and decorate your home, room by room, with this blog post series.

The foyer is the first room or area of your home that’s seen by guests, family and friends, which is why we’re going to start off our Lighting Your Home Room by Room series with tips for lighting and decorating the foyer.

Sometimes life is stressful, but your home shouldn’t be. Your home should be your sanctuary. It should be the one place you’re able to relax and unwind after a long day. It’s easy to create a stress-free home, and we have some tips to help you create your very own relaxing oasis.

• Decorate the foyer or entryway with lighting and furniture you love. Since these are the first things you’ll see when you walk into your home, it’s important to buy home decor items that will brighten your mood and make your happy.

• Fill your home with soft, relaxing light. Table lamps, floor lamps, and pendant lighting are just a few light fixtures that provide soft light that will instantly relax a room.

• Steer clear of unsightly messes by keeping things like old newspapers and mail neatly organized.

• Create space in a room by donating unneeded furniture to your local good will store. Creating space is a way to remove clutter, and can help you relax.

• One of the easiest ways to create a relaxing environment is decorating with plants and flowers. Simply setting a vase full of flowers on the kitchen table can create a relaxed feeling.

With less stress you’ll be able to relax and enjoy life more! At ValleyLighting-CT.com we’re always looking for new ways to unwind after a hard days work. Leave us a comment with your best tip for creating a stress-free home. 

Eco-friendly lighting!

As we continue with our lessons on lighting, this week we kick off with eco-friendly lighting which is a simple way to make your home more environmentally sound. Here we go with definitions E through F!

Eco-friendly Lighting – This type of lighting is made with recycled metal for the fixture and recycled glass for the bulb.

Emergency Lighting – When normal lighting fails during a storm or other type of emergency, this option of lighting kicks in.

Faceplate – A metal or plastic plate placed over an on/off switch or dimmer which goes over the wall opening to protect the wiring for the light.

Flexible Track Lighting System – With this system the suspended track holds light fixtures in place and conducts electricity to each fixture.

Floodlight – A high intensity light which is placed outdoors for vision at night. Floodlights are usually placed near garages or on patios with a motion sensor.

Fluorescent Lamp – This is a gas discharged lamp which uses electricity combined with mercury vapor to transform ultraviolet energy into visible light.

Learning more about lighting types and fixtures helps you to find what’s best for your needs. Maybe you wanted emergency lighting for your home, but weren’t sure it existed; hopefully this helped. Stay tuned for more definitions!

Have you been wondering what is missing from a certain room in your home? You might just be missing the perfect accent lighting in each room. We are here to help you decorate your home with style and elegance by choosing the most stylish and affordable lighting for each room. We also have listed the first five our our ten favorite affordable and stylish lighting below – in no particular order!

10. Island Lighting – Island lighting is a great way to elegantly light up your kitchen. Whether it be over an actual kitchen island or just over the kitchen sink this lighting is a great way to add the perfect amount of light to any kitchen space.
Example: Maxim 11669LTLG

9. Vanity Lighting – Light up your vanity or the whole bathroom with chic vanity lighting. Add an extra flush ceiling light for extra some extra lighting. Example: Trump Home Regency Vanity Bar

8. Chandelier Lighting – Chandeliers give a statement about your home. You can hang the chandelier in the foyer or in the dining room. If you have a foyer this may be the first thing your guests will see upon entering your home.
Example: Designers Fountain

7. Wall Sconces – Don’t let your family or guests walk down long dark hallways. Light them up with wall sconces. Wall sconces give the wall a decorative touch while keeping the path to the bedroom well lit.
Example: Maxim 11669LTLG

6. Semi Flush Lighting – Semi flush lighting works best in the kitchen or family room. It gives the room a nice calm and warm feeling with its dim lighting.
Example: Maxim 11669LTLG

Check back next time for the final five of our stylish list!