Lighting Up a Seniors Life - Baby Boomer Alert!
Lighting for seniors requires attention to some specific details. When planning a lighting design for aging baby boomers we want to provide both adequate light to see clearly and a safe environment. With a combination of recessed, pendant, track and wall fixtures, these needs can be met. It is very important that certain areas be well lit. Areas like stairs and bathrooms where so many accidents occur or basements, which are usually dark. Kitchens require a great deal of light so food can be prepared safely. It is fact that as we age our eyes needs change and we need more light to see properly. What may be suitable at 25 may not be good enough at 40 and what may work at 40, just won't cut it at age 60. Task lighting can help in a kitchen by installing under cabinet lights. A good choice for under cabinet lights is fluorescent for the simple reason that they require very little maintenance. This is another important aspect to consider. We want to try to choose lighting that requires very little maintenance and does not require tools to change bulbs. Placing the light fixtures in a location that makes it easy to reach to change light bulbs is also a good choice. Wall sconces are a good choice to solve this problem. A wall sconce placed in a stairway for instance can provide light as well as eliminate the need for a ladder to change the light bulb. Wall sconces can be a solution in other rooms as well. Two wall sconces; one on each side of the vanity does a great job of illuminating the room and ease of bulb replacement. Just be sure when choosing a fixture that the wall sconce has an open top or bottom so the bulb can be replaced without having to remove parts. A bar light above the vanity with exposed bulbs is another good alternative. The fixtures you want to try and avoid are those in which small screws need to be loosened or removed to get to the bulb. Another point to consider is outdoor lighting for security. Be sure to provide plenty of light at all entrances and exits. These lights should also be on a timer or photocell so that they are on when needed. Someone may leave expecting to be home before dark and get delayed. In this case having the lights come on automatically will allow them to enter the house safely. Motion detectors can also be used in places that we don't want to keep the lights on for extended periods. Areas like walkways along the side of a house or a path where the garbage is taken out. Driveways are another good location for a motion detector light. In fixtures where changing a bulb is a little difficult, using a compact fluorescent is a good choice. With a compact fluorescent, the bulb will last as long as 3 years and sometimes longer. A great place for one is in a shower light, just be sure to get a big enough bulb to light the area adequately. Outside light fixtures are also a good choice unless you live in an area where the temperature gets below freezing a lot. Another place for fluorescent fixtures are closets, which can be extremely dark for an elderly person. The key points to remember are to make sure all areas are adequately illuminated and use fixtures that require a minimum of maintenance. Paul forte has been in the lighting industry for over 25 years. For more info and tips on lighting and other electrical needs please visit Lighting Tips -
for help with laying out recessed lighting
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In our homes, as in other parts of our lives, we are happier when we live with balance and harmony. Just like the rest of our lives, balance in the rooms of our homes is sometimes hard to create.
For many years, decorators and home owners tried to create this physical balance by having pairs of everything: 2 matching end tables, a matched pair of wing chairs, even sets of twin beds in the master bedroom. This certainly created a balanced room. It also created rooms that were sterile, formal and visually boring. In a formal setting or a Federal or Georgian home, this is still the way things should be to look 'right.' Our ancestors valued this perfect balance so highly that they created false doors in hallways so that both sides matched or doors that looked like windows so that the right and left sides of the back of a house matched perfectly. This can still be seen if you go to visit some of our historic homes. A notable example is the Hammond-Harwood House in Annapolis, Md.
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A dark corner has more 'weight' than one filled with light.
If you want to prove this to yourself, gather together a group of assorted objects and use a tabletop/mantel and try out different scenarios. Be sure you have different sizes, colors, textures and shapes. You can put a larger framed picture against one end and a slightly smaller one in front of it. On the other end of your table put a heavy pot. Do the same thing with a matching pot at each end. Try pairing the picture group with an assortment of candles in candlesticks. Each time you create an arrangement, step back and look at it. In fact, if you have a digital camera, take a picture of it. If you do this for a while you will start to get a feel for balance. You can actually give the illusion that the tabletop is tilted slightly by throwing off the visual balance.
The same effect can occur in your room arrangements. If you doubt this, close your eyes and try to 'see' a room in which you felt physically uncomfortable or slightly disoriented even though there was no obvious reason. A room in which the heavy items are all on one side of the room, almost feels as though the floor tilts. Once you have a feel for balance you can start to create a harmonious home.
Stand in the doorway of any room in your house that you feel isn't 'right.' What do you see? Does the burgundy chair stick out like there is a spotlight on it? Does the entertainment center overwhelm the room? Do you have a TV and a fireplace battling for focal point? Do your easy chairs look like they were made for children next to your mammoth sofa? Does your fireplace mantel look like you are setting up for a tag sale? Your room is out of balance.
Move the furniture around and try different arrangements until you have one that works. Unless you have a room that is just for show like a Victorian parlor, you need to be able to use the room comfortably. Once the practical set-up is done, look at the room from different angles. If the room is out of balance use color and accessories, plants and pictures, groups of like objects, light and volume to create an illusion of balance.
Try grouping the accessories on your mantels and tabletops. Balance the entertainment center on one side of the fireplace with a tall plant or group of plants on the other. Note: avoid having the tops of everything at the same height. You might as well draw a line around your room. Repeat the color of the chair in pillows, throws, lampshades or the matting around a group of pictures. You really will be amazed at the difference it makes.
We may all be born craving balance but except for the lucky few, we have to learn to achieve it. There is a myriad of books on the subject and it can help to read them and look at the pictures, but the best way to get a feel for balance is 'hands on.' Experiment with portable objects until you get a feel for what works and then enjoy creating your harmonious home.
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