Guides on Planning an Outdoor Lighting Layout

Guides on Planning an Outdoor  Lighting Layout

Outdoor lighting projects such as garden lighting, park, landscape lighting need a serious planing. A successful outdoor lighting plan requires selecting the right fixtures, then placing and wiring them correctly. The first thing before planing an outdoor lighting is Selecting the right design and components, Walk into any home center or garden center this spring and you’re guaranteed to run into a towering display of low-voltage lighting. You’ll find $69 prepackaged sets and $100 individual lights; plastic fixtures and metal ones; lights you can shine down from trees and up from ponds.
Use waterproof pond lights for illuminating pools, fountains and other water features; offset path lights for lighting walkways; cone lights for highlighting both walkways and the surrounding plants; tree-mounted spotlights for simulating moonlight; and flood lights for illuminating trees, buildings and other large elements.

basic Outdoor  Lighting Layout
Consider that a Special lights need special effects too, A MOON LIGHT should be installed 15 to 30 ft. high and have one or more branches between it and the ground to simulate moon shadows. Provide at least 24 in. between the light and branches to prevent “hot spots.”
Planning an Outdoor  Lighting Layout on tree
Here are another tips on designing an outdoor lighting plan:
  • If your lights come with press-on fittings—the type that bite through the insulation and into the wire to make their connection—cut them off and use the wire connectors shown in Photo 4. 
  • The farther a light is from the transformer (and the more lights installed between it and the transformer), the less light it will put out.  
  • Always leave a little extra wire as you hook up the lights. This will give you the freedom to move a light after you’ve hooked it up for testing or after you’ve installed it.
  • Burying the wires should be your last step. Lay everything out, hook up your lights, test your voltage, and look at your results at night before burying the lines.
  • Purchase a transformer with a built-in photocell and timer. Orient the photocell with some western (sunset) orientation so it doesn’t turn lights on too early.
real Outdoor  Lighting Layout
more information: rd.com
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I've been interviewed!

A fellow blogger, Liz from Brambleberry Cottage interviewed me! You can click on her name to go over and read the interview! Thanks Liz, that was fun! (the photo above is from Liz's blog)Note: Liz is having a" 14 Days of Love" Valentine Party. You can find out details on her blog or click here!!!
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Outdoor Lighting System of Confort Myojindai with EYE CERA ARC lamps

Outdoor Lighting System of Confort Myojindai with EYE CERA ARC lamps - main view
The outdoor  lighting system for this housing complex was revamped along with exterior improvements of the housing development. Pole lights and approach lights of human scale and height have been set up along the pathways for the development. Here is an outdoor lighting system of Confort Myojindai, located in Yokohama City, Japan.
Outdoor Lighting System of Confort Myojindai with EYE CERA ARC lamps - Environmentally-friendly lighting system
By combining wide-span light distributing Cerca fixtures and highly efficient EYE CERA ARC lamps, a lighting environment was created, which contributes to energy conservation while ensuring sufficient illuminant for safety. Environmentally-friendly lighting system that controls light pollution gently illuminates the garden.
Outdoor Lighting System of Confort Myojindai with EYE CERA ARC lamps - Cerca-L provides sufficient illuminance for safety
The solar LED blocks are set up along the roads, for creating a visual guidance effect and therapeutic space, so it make a romantic and safety road to use the roads. [eye]
Outdoor Lighting System of Confort Myojindai with EYE CERA ARC lamps - Solar LED along the roads
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Show and Tell Friday

First off before I say anything...I'm on Benadryl and I am so tired I can hardly think straight ! I got some weird allergic reaction this afternoon. I got a few hives under my left eye and on my neck and now I look like I got "punched in the face"....those were Lauren's exact words! The area under my eye is so swollen! Anyway, I'm sharing my birdhouse I have in my bedroom. I planned to tell
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Thank you!

I didn't really have anything planned for my blog this morning but I wanted to at least say thank you for all the kind words yesterday about my new shop!I went shopping yesterday and found some more treasures for you and I plan to do a little more shopping this weekend. I'm so happy I have an excuse to go shopping for vintage treasures now! Why didn't I do this years ago?I'll be back with
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Bathroom Lighting Design in Several Specific Area Lights

Bathroom Lighting Design in Several Specific Area Lights - ceiling lighting

Bathroom lighting is an important element in creating a convenience bathroom, a well designed bathroom lighting can bring your bathroom alive at night or in the day (if you don't have a natural light outlet). As compared to the amount of money you end up shelling out for the cumulative of bathroom accessories including the bathroom vanity. There are several areas that should specific in creating a bathroom light, you can choose one of them or combining several of bathroom lights focus.
The first area is the ceiling bathroom lighting, Scones work out perfectly for a central lighting, usually at the center of the bathroom ceiling. Try to keep central lighting to minimum, it should be just enough to illuminate the bathroom to a visibility level.
Bathroom Lighting Design in Several Specific Area Lights - shower lighting
The other bathroom lighting design is on the shower room or steam room bathroom light. Here again you can experiment with wall inset lights or go in for frosted bulbs. If you use the shower room for shaving also, then do consider placing the bulb so that there is no reflection or glare onto the mirror
Bathroom Lighting Design in Several Specific Area Lights - mirror lighting
Bathtub lighting can bring the atmosphere of romantic sense. Ensure the use of water resistant sockets near the tub. You can have inset lights along the top corner of the wall near the tub with the lights pointing away from the center of the tub. You can have a artificial candle lights surrounding the tub to give it a romantic touch. Cove lighting would be the best preference for tub lighting as it adds a air of soothing illumination.
Bathroom Lighting Design in Several Specific Area Lights - bathtub lighting

Bathroom Lighting Design in Several Specific Area Lights - bathtub lighting
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Lakefront Green Home

The design is underway for a lakefront home for our clients, a newlywed couple building on their property overlooking Chase Pond in Wilmot, NH. The home is a traditional New England style home designed at approximately 2500 square feet.

Goals for this custom home are energy efficiency, low maintenance, and flexibility in the design, as our clients are planning to live in it well into their retirement years. The home has several special features: an open floor plan, three bedrooms, each with private baths; a tower, and a large media room.


Having an open kitchen, dining area, and great room are a priority for this couple. Holidays are filled with visiting friends and extended family.

The second floor Master suite will be the couple's private retreat. Years down the road they will be able to move to the first floor suite.


Check out our other house plans in the works on our website!
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A Shop of My Own!

It's always been my dream to have my own little shop one day. I'm not ready to give up on that dream but I'm not in a place financially where I could do that right now. The next best thing would be to start an online business with my own website but since I work full time I was a little afraid to make that commitment. I've now decided to set up a vintage shop on etsy! This is my way of taking
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Playing with my dishes again!

I know there are a lot of people that put things in their china cabinets and hutches and don't touch them for years...or even decades!!! I'm not one of those people! Mine get changed a few times of year...at the very least! I recently took out all the blue and white plates that I put in there last Fall and replaced them with my collection of pink mismatched dishes. Here is what my hutch looked
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Something new with no money spent!

Look at this beautiful cherub cake plate that I made with things I already had. I used one of my ceramic cherubs, a plate and my etched cloche. I didn't want to use a permanent adhesive so I used wax to hold them together. This is a great product not only for keeping things in place in case of an earthquake but it also holds things together. The good thing is it can be removed easily. As you
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Choosing Area and Type of Outdoor Lighting for Garden

Choosing Area and Type of Outdoor Lighting for Garden

Outdoor lighting type and design should considering several lighting effects, by placing the light at the base of a wall or hedge the light 'cover' over the surface creating a soft glow effect. However this can also be achieved by 'lifting' the light at certain angles to cover the desired area eg. garden area. Good areas and features to concentrate on:- Dining and seating areas, walkways, sculptures, water features, pots, specimen planting, trees, architectural features, garden features, buildings, etc can all be highlighted in a garden to create wonderful, varied ‘textures’ of light.
Choosing Area and Type of Outdoor Lighting for Garden
Uplighting, down lighting, mid-level lighting, step lighting, etc?
You may want to take into consideration how the garden will be used and how the garden will be viewed from the house. Also, consider security aspects, lighting can deter unwanted intruders! Consider how the lights are going to be ‘switched on’ – exteior switch or interior switch? How many lights are required to be switched on at any one time? If you require some areas of the lighting to be separate from others you will require different lighting ‘circuits’. You may want to consider ‘remote control’ lighting, whereby the lighting can be operated with a small keyfob, as opposed to using a switch. Do you require ‘sensors’? [greenways]

Choosing Area and Type of Outdoor Lighting for Garden

Choosing Area and Type of Outdoor Lighting for Garden
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Show and Tell Friday

This week I'm going to share some of the mirrors I've made over. Most of the mirrors I have hanging on my staircase wall originally had gold plastic frames. I bought them at thrift stores, garage sales and flea markets for less than $10 each. The one above was one of my favorite mirror makeovers. You can see in the photo below what it originally looked like. It had a great texture to it so
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Outdoor Lighting Basics for Designing Garden and Landscape

Several garden and landscape designer forgot to designing the outdoor lights elements, Outdoor lighting is an often over looked, but crucial element to creating great outdoor spaces. Outdoor lighting extends the function of outdoor spaces into the evening, and helps define a warm and inviting living space. A variety of lighting effects are possible through proper use of outdoor lighting.
outdoor lighting basic for garden 1
Uplighting: Uplighting can be used to highlight a vertical object in your outdoor space such as a specimen tree, an interesting façade, or landscape structure such as trellises and arbors. In order to prevent glare, fixtures should be aimed away from viewer. For objects viewed multiple sides, well lights with louvers should be used, and located as close to the base of the object as possible.
outdoor lighting basic for garden 2

Spotlighting: Special landscape features such as sculptures, specimen shrubs or benches can be lighted from above utilizing shielded spot lamps. Lights should be concealed in adjacent trees or structures, and should be used judiciously in the landscape.

outdoor lighting basic for garden 3
Path Lighting: Patch Lighting is accomplished by utilizing low mounted spread lights along one edge of a path. Path lighting is available in an endless array of styles, and often becomes a feature of your outdoor space.
outdoor lighting basic for garden 4
Moonlighting: By strategically locating small ‘up and down’ fixtures inside of large trees, it is possible to replicate the effect of moonlight filtering through the branches. It is crucial the fixtures are specially designed for this purpose.
The key to all these affects is to not over due it. Nothing is more tacky than washing your property with gigantic flood lights. Remember, part of what makes a beautiful outdoor space at night, is the fact that it’s dark out!
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Valentine's Day...coming soon!

Click on photo to enlarge I just love Valentine's Day and it's less than a month away! My favorite Valentine's Day was when I was about 10 years old. My dad came home from work with a big heart-shaped box of chocolates and a big bouquet of red roses. I assumed they were both for my mom but after he handed my mom the roses he turned to give me the HUGE box of chocolates! I could not believe they
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Outdoor Lighting Ideas with Energy-Efficient Technology

Before designing an outdoor lighting, anyone who plan a new home or refurbishing an existing one should give early thought to lighting. Timely planning of electrics pays off: it enables comfortable, energy-efficient outdoor lighting solutions to be taken into account in the design phase.
Outdoor Lighting Ideas with Energy-Efficient Technology
There are four types of outdoor lights, with varying energy efficiency.
LED Outdoor Ligths are energy efficient. Look for multiple bulbs and higher wattage for garden beds and sculptures. A low-voltage LED (light-emitting diode) has a transformer to convert 240-volt household power into a safer 12 volts.

Low-Voltage Halogen Lights are brighter than LED but use more electricity. They’re best used for accent lighting around the deck area, and they also have transformers to convert power to 12 volts.
Outdoor Lighting Ideas with Energy-Efficient Technology
Solar Lights have rechargeable batteries powered by solar panels. They’re inexpensive to run, with the occasional battery replacement needed, but aren’t as bright as other types. They don’t require wiring and are good for lighting pathways.

240-Volt Halogen Lights are the most powerful and good for lighting trees, but require installation by a qualified electrician. They consume the most electricity so consider using with a timer for energy efficiency.
Outdoor Lighting Ideas with Energy-Efficient Technology
Dining under the Stars Extend the outdoor dining and entertainment area with lights for function and ambience. Always check if the lights are suited to being used outside and use just one long outdoor extension cord for mulTIP:le lights rather than piggybacking lots of cords into one power outlet.

Task Lighting should be unobtrusive and focused over the dining area. Set up a spotlight with a soft glow rather than harsher white light to brighten the dining table.

Accent Lighting adds texture and a decorative element. Highlight planters or position lights for dramatic effect with shadows. Connect outdoor lights to automatic sunset timers that sense dusk and dawn to operate more efficiently.

Ambient Lighting can be used on the table with candles or overhead with soft light from a chandelier.

Heavy Duty Lighting Minimise glare from floodlights by focusing them away from the direct line of view or diffusing the brightness by positioning rocks and foliage around them.

On the deck
Position matching downlights under the eaves for even light distribution onto the deck, and drape LED fairy lights along tree branches for year-round entertaining.
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Amazing Furniture Design

Amazing Furniture Design

Amazing Furniture Design
Amazing Furniture Design
Jonas Lyndby Jensen presents you with his new furniture design collection called ‘Twist Chair’. The design is a cocoon-like seating that ensures an amazing accent for your living room, bedroom or any place in your trendy apartment. A backrest, seat or protective shelter, the twist chair, besides enhancing your home décor serves as an isolated world for all those bookworms who wish to escape from the dynamic world with a good book in hand. The Twisted Chair is built from a single twisted band and has an extra feature as a sound barrier to give you with a private feeling and space for reading your newly interior decorating books.Modern Living Rooms
Modern Furniture Design
Modern Furniture Design
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Saturday Afternoon

Last Saturday afternoon Lauren and I drove over to the beach for lunch. It's about a 30 minute drive from our place. We headed straight to the wharf and ordered clam chowder in bread bowls and sat outside. I figure that must have been, at the very least, my 35 extra weight watchers points for the week! Speaking of that...I'm down 14.4 lbs so far! Slowly but surely it's coming off...even eating
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Modern Living Rooms

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Furniture Design

Furniture Design

Sofa Bed Design
Furniture The Fashion Supersoft Gray Sofa by Paolo Lucidi and luca Pevere
Paolo Lucidi and luca Pevere, The Fashion Supersoft Sofa, which was designed produced by Italian manufacturer Calligaris, has been nominated for the Interior Innovation Award 2010 as part of the upcoming IMM Cologne furnishings show in Germany.

Living room Furniture  
Living room Furniture 
Living Room Designs
The Fashion Supersoft Gray Sofa by Paolo Lucidi and luca Pevere
Modern Sofa
 Modern Interior
The Fashion Supersoft Cream Sofa Living room Design by Paolo Lucidi and luca Pevere
Sofa Furniture 
Sofa Furniture

The Fashion Supersoft Cream Sofa by Paolo Lucidi and luca Pevere
Black Sofa Design
Black Sofa Design
Modern Furniture
Living room Design - black and white
The Fashion Supersoft Black Sofa by Paolo Lucidi and luca Pevere


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Mosaic Monday

click on photo to enlargeLauren and I drove to the beach on Saturday and had lunch out on the wharf. It was actually warm enough to put the top down on the car, although we had the heater on because it was only 60 degrees! I took a few photos but haven't had a chance to go through them yet. The photos above are just some old photos I've had on my blog before. I'm dreaming of sunshine and
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Smooth Bathroom Lighting System From K08 Karol


Smooth Bathroom Lighting System From K08 Karol
Smooth bathroom lighting system is suitable for this small K08 Karol Bathroom. With K08 collection, Karol pays a special attention to small bathrooms lighting system as well. By reducing to the reduced depth of the cabinets and to rounded corners, this collection is capable to answer the requirements of those looking for good quality and design of bathroom lights, even though not having much space available.

Smooth Bathroom Lighting System From K08 Karol
The basins, available in assorted designs and finishes, can be positioned either on the centre of the wash-basin cabinet or on the end of the corner to allow the full exploitation of the storage inside the cabinet and of the countertop. The lamps are installed on above the mirror, with small lamp,or with big white bulbs lamp. Main features of this collection are the attention to space utilization and the double finish option : lacquered + wood
Smooth Bathroom Lighting System From K08 Karol

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Home Decorating with Contemporary House Design

Home Decorating with Natural Contemporary Lighting in living room
Home decorating describe you how to arrange home furnishings, furniture, flooring, ceiling, wall design and all element of house. Contemporary house design is one of best home style design with several home decorating style. Decorating a home is started from the living room. Impressive living room should be well festooned and giving an inviting aura. It should create a homey and comfortable image.
home decorating ideas with contemporary  wall paint and mirror
Create space and depth for living room by positioning a mirror on a wall. Choose lighter and neutral colors for it should be used as any other room in the house. You can also give a more bright color such as red and white color combination in order to make the living room looks more live.
home decorating in contemporary home furnishing

home decorating ideas in contemporary red-white living room
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