| Setting the Mood-ometer |
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Lighting is as important to home décor as paint and accessories. 
If you read last month's article from the Shock Doctors, you are now an expert on the terms ambient lighting, task lighting and decorative lighting and how they work together to energize your kitchen.
To refresh your memory, ambient light is the wash of light that fills the room. If it is good, you should hardly even notice it.
Task light draws your attention to specific focal points and is achieved by spot lighting and directed lighting.
Decorative light enhances the décor by adding sparkle and visual interest.
How you blend these three types of lighting helps create the mood of your room.
If you want to achieve a cozy and intimate feeling, first minimize (not erase) the overhead ambient light. Close the drapes or blinds, and don't forget the dimmer switches because they are key in setting the mood. Using a number of lamps will create a comfortable glow especially when combined with warm or darker colour shades. Avoid floor lamps that direct light upward.
Task lighting is still essential, but take care to position reading lamps to shine on the pages of the book and not into the reader's eyes. Focus track lighting on the seating area and centerpieces to draw the eye to a central glow.
Accent lighting (decorative lighting) is that extra dimension that can really bring a room to life without disturbing the general ambiance. 'Wall grazing', is a down-lighting technique used to highlight highly textured wall spaces like fireplaces and mantles. The down-lights are positioned 6-12 inches from the wall, with the fixtures 12-30" apart and aimed downward for a grazing effect. For non-textured surfaces, 'wall washing' is best. Position the down-light 2 to 3 feet from the wall on ceilings up to 9 feet high (an extra foot if between 9-11 ft). Space the fixtures the same distance apart as the lights are from the wall.
Use these tips to play with the mood of your living room or family room. You may find yourself welcoming the frosty winter weather now that you have that enchanting, intimate spot to cozy up and thaw out..
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| Home Energy Audits |
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We want to take this opportunity to remind you of another way to save money on some of your home renovation projects you may have on your to-do list. The Ontario Home Energy Savings Program is an energy conservation program from the Government of Ontario that is in effect until March 31st, 2011 .
 A Home Energy Auditor assesses your home energy usage and identifies where energy is being lost.
The Government of Ontario will pay 50% of your Home Energy Audit, up to $150. The auditor identifies improvements you can make to your home's heating, cooling, hot water heating and other energy uses that could result in hundreds of dollars in energy savings each year and describes the available rebates for each.
Many of the energy-saving upgrades identified by your Home Energy Audit will qualify you for rebates under the Home Energy Retrofit Program. These rebates from the Governments of Ontario and Canada can reimburse you up to $10,000 when you complete improvements identified by your audit. Replace that energy-guzzling old furnace, upgrade your A/C to a high efficiency model, improve your insulation, change drafty windows and doors and complete other retrofits suggested in your audit report and you could qualify for up to $10,000 in Ontario and federal rebates.
The companies we use to provide these audits complete all the government paperwork for you as part of their energy audit service. You choose the items you want to tackle and after they are complete the auditor comes back, does a follow-up audit and sends in your approval for your rebates. Wait 4-6 months for the cheque. It is that simple.
Spending a couple hundred on the audit first, could save you thousands of dollars on your next project not to mention the energy savings down the road. For more on the type of projects that qualify, see the Ontario Home Energy Savings Program. |
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Energy Auditors
Contact us for information about local certified energy advisors. |
| Ask the Doctor Headline |
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 Dimmable enery savers
I put energy efficient CFL lamps in all my lights in order to conserve energy and now the bulbs flicker all the time and sometimes don't even stay on. What the heck? It's only in the recreation room and the dining room. Bedroom and baths are okay.
Doc says: You have installed energy saving bulbs in a circuit controlled by a dimmer. The dimmer cuts the available power to the bulb which affects the electronics that fire the gas in the bulb. You must buy dimmable CFL bulbs |
| Do YOU have a question for the Doctor? |
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 If you have a question about the health of your electrical system or just wondering about a little "plastic surgery", ask the doctor. Just click below and send your question.
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We hope you have enjoyed our two part series on designing with light and that this has helped you get your light "just right", just in time for Valentines Day,
Cheri & Terry
The Shock Doctors
ECRA of the ESA #7001377 |
