Tag Archives: lighting

How to Decorate With Desk Lamps

Posted on by

Buying desk or study lamps can be almost as personal as choosing a pair of glasses. This is because of all of the lamps that you could possibly purchase these lamps must be easy on your eyes. The type of study or desk lamp that is best for you is probably dependent on your reading and study habits are and also how good your eyes are.

For example a lot of the study lamps and desk lamps that are out there on the market come with halogen bulbs in them. However halogen bulbs, which are the brightest bulbs you can buy are not the ideal type of light for everybody. For one thing halogen bulbs are so bright that they can cause contrast and glare to be a problem when you are studying print. This can be very fatiguing on the eyes and even cause you to see spots of green and red if the glare on the page has enough contrast.

If you find that the glare of halogen bulbs is hard on your eyes then there are thousands of study and desk lamps on the market that take ordinary incandescent bulbs, or energy saving bulbs. If you like a really bright light when you study but don’t like halogen bulbs, you can also try using a full spectrum light bulb in your desk or study lamp. That way you get the brightness of daylight without the headaches that can be caused by halogen light.

Desk and study lamps that use regular bulbs come in a variety styles. The design element that seems to mostly define a study lamp or desk lamp is the bendable neck that is usually made out of plastic or metal. This helps you focus the light where you need it most, however unlike halogen lamps, these more old fashioned lamps also have a bit of a soft glow that helps light up the rest of the room.

Not all desk lamps or study lamps have bendable necks. One very classic style that can be found in almost every lighting or hardware store has a squat, curved neck. Usually an oblong shade, made of brass or green glass, sheds light on the surface of the desk. This type of study or desk lamp, which reminds one of something that belongs in crime writer Raymond Chandler’s office, also looks good on top of a piano and poised so that it lights the piano keys.

How to Decorate With Lighting

Posted on by

It is not only cinematographers and lighting designers that can use lighting to enhance a room. You too can enhance your environment by using the same tricks that these professionals do to make a room look more dramatic, cozy or romantic.

If you are after a dramatic look then the key is to choose lamps that have light bulbs with a high strong beam and that can be directly focused to highlight only certain objects. Drama is created using light through contrasts so the idea is to not have too much ambient or “stray” light.

The best type of lighting to create dramatic effects is created with halogen bulbs. You can find all kinds of styles of halogen lighting online or in stores but the most versatile style will resemble an octopus with bulbs at the end of the arm. Usually these are made of bendable metal so you can angle three or more of the light sources wherever you want in the room. To create a dramatic effect, try aiming these bulbs so that they specifically highlight a display of flowers in a vase, a valued piece of freestanding art or a favorite photograph on the wall.

Another example of a very dramatic lamp is the style from the seventies that features a long wire arm that extends like a fishing pole with a globe shaped glass lampshade on the end. This is the ultimate in seventies retro right now and very much in fashion if you want to make a strong statement.

To create a cozier look you want to choose lighting that is smaller and that has large shades crouched over the bulb. This means choosing a more traditional lamp with a stem and that has a glass or paper shade.

Choosing lamps that have yellow or cream shades also helps add to create this cozy effect. Another good choice is a lamp with a Tiffany shade, which has colored panes of glass that spread a soft warm glow.

Japanese rice paper shades can create the effect that the “lights are turned down low.” The odd glowing shapes that this style of lamp, most commonly available at IKEA and Japanese shops also have a sensual flair.

You can also buy lamps that have bulbs shaped like candlesticks that are on dimmers and that can be adjusted to the quality of light that best suits you. Lamp shades that cast a pink or rose light are said to be the most flattering to aging humans. Another rule of thumb is that the broader or more conical the lamp shade shape is the softer and dimmer the light shed from it is said to be.