Paint & Decorating for Your New Home

Wall Coverings
They are the background of every room; they set the tone for your house; they are the first way that you begin creating your environment-they are your walls. With recent technological advances, fashioning a new mood has never been easier-or more fun. From paint to wallpaper to (yes) leather, today's wall coverings are only limited by your imagination.
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Lighting for Your New Home!

Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans are an important part of creating the perfect home decor. During the last decade ceiling fans have become much more technologically advanced and aesthetically pleasing. They provide cooling during the summer months and warming during the winter months, which saves you a lot of money on your yearly energy bills.
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Home Lighting
Home lighting is probably the most important element in home interior decorating, because it is instrumental in setting the mood of any room. It can affect performance, mood, morale, safety and security. When deciding what lighting to use in your new home it's important to consider how each room will be used, what fixtures are appropriate, energy efficiency and cost.
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Progressive Lighting

There's no single way to live, decorate or even light your home. Just as one person prefers the hustle and bustle of city life, another seeks the quiet solitude of the country. While one feels comfortable with a new urban look, another is coziest with cottage. And where one might pair two mini-chandeliers to accentuate a dining room, another might use a large chandelier with twin sconces. Yet living, decorating and lighting your home have one thing in common. All three revolve around style: lifestyle, home-style and personal style, making all three important elements when properly lighting each room.

If you work from home, you might have an area in your kitchen used as a computer hub. If you're retired, that same area might be a breakfast nook for morning coffee. On a different note, you may feel rejuvenated with the smells and tastes of an oceanfront hamlet, or you might be just as invigorated by the sights and sounds of a downtown hub. Understanding your lifestyle, the way you live, is essential in defining your lighting needs.

A home possesses its own style. Whether it's Old World, Craftsman or Urban, more often than not, a home's facade foreshadows the interior. A stone and stucco home with copper roofs and towering arches, would be well served by furniture and accessories that hint of old Europe, just as an Arts & Craft home might be filled with Mission furniture. Knowledge of your home's style, the period it represents and its environment, is also crucial in defining your lighting needs.

This is all about you. With or without the help of a designer, you make the decision to highlight a kitchen island with a linear chandelier or a trio of mini-pendants, distinguish a foyer with sconces and a two-tiered chandelier, and choose if the master bath should have matching two or three-light vanities to go with the semi-flush fixture. Incorporating your personal style is the final key in defining your lighting needs.

There are many lighting choices, but Progress Lighting simplifies the lighting design process by offering you a lighting collection that best suits your needs. From finish selection to glass appointment, each collection exhibits attention-to-detail in every aspect of its creation.

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Home Lighting

LAMPS PLUS
America's Lighting Superstore®

One of the most important elements in home interior decorating is home lighting. Lighting is instrumental in setting the mood of any room. When deciding what lighting to use in your new home think about how each room will be used. This will allow you to choose fixtures that fit your style, budget and are energy efficient. To ensure you create the right effect in every room, you should understand the four basic types of home lighting.

Ambient or general lighting illuminates the whole room. It is a good idea to install a dimmer with your track and recessed lights so that you have the flexibility to adjust the brightness. Examples of ambient lighting are recessed downlights, cove lighting, soffit lighting, valance lighting, wall washers, sconces, surface-mounted lights, pendant lights, track lights, chandeliers, under-cabinet lights and portable fixtures.

Task lighting provides sufficient light to help you perform the task at hand, for example cooking, office/school work, reading, grooming, etc. Task lighting should be glare free and it should make things easy to see without tiring or straining your eyes. Examples of task lighting are valance lighting, pendant lights, under-cabinet lights and portable fixtures.

Accent lighting is focused lighting that is used to illuminate an object in your home like a sculpture, piece of art, or architectural element. Accent lighting is about three times as bright as ambient lighting. Example of accent lighting are wall washers, sconces, track lights and under-cabinet lights.

Natural lighting comes through windows, doors, and skylights and depending on the time of day, season, or weather, it can vary in brightness and intensity.

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Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans have become much more technologically advanced and appealing. They are often a large part of a home's decor. They help to cool the home in the summer and warm it in the winter. Ceiling fans can reduce your energy cost by 40% in the summer and 10% in the winter. Fans are used throughout the home in main rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, verandas, patios, and etc. They add to the rooms appeal and lower dampness.

Choosing the right ceiling fan
The price varies on ceiling fans based on the quality, style, and size. Check over the differences before making the purchase. If you purchase an inexpensive one, it may seem good when you first use it, but over time it will warp, become off-balance, and wear out. Choosing a good fan to start with is a better idea. You can enjoy the comfort and beauty for years. What you should look for in a fan is the quality, motor, durability, performance, design, and warranty.

Choose a fan that fits in with the style of your home and room that suits your taste. There are many colors, finishes, blade designs, sizes, accessories, lighting, and styles to pick from. Options to choose from are polished brass, antique brass, iron, copper, nickel, pewter, chrome, black, vibrant colors, oak, rosewood, and other real wood veneers.

Details to consider before choosing a new fan for your home:

Fan Size:
To utilize the most efficiency the fan needs to fit the size of the room. A general rule to follow is 29" to 36" fan diameter for a room up to 75 square feet, 36" to 42" for rooms up to 144 square feet, and 50" to 54" for rooms up to 225 square feet.

Height from the ceiling:
The fan should be more than 7 feet over the floor in the middle of a room to get the most comfort, circulation, safety, and decor from it. The best height is 8 to 9 feet from the floor.

Blades:
The blades create the circulation, so their position is very important. The blade brackets should hold the blades at a 12-15 degree angle. The weight of all blades should be the same. This allows optimum circulation and avoids fan wobble. Less than 12-degrees on the angle will lower the circulation, higher will increase it. Be sure the blades are wood or acrylic with moisture treatment to avoid warping.

Motor:
The motor is the most important part of the ceiling fan. A high-quality motor should have heavy-duty windings and sealed bearings with permanent lubrication. This will insure quiet operation and long life.

Lights:
Lights on a ceiling fan can add to your decor and create the final touch to your room lighting. There are various styles of lights to choose from on ceiling fans. They range from classic to antique to contemporary. You can also add opal, marble, crystal, glass, and hand blown glass on the fitter, shades, or votives. You can often choose a fan and light kit separately to satisfy your taste and compliment your room's decor. You can also choose between up and down lighting to add ambiance to rooms like your living or bedroom.

Finish:
To avoid blistering, fading, corrosion, and tarnishing, be sure that the blades have a high quality finish. If they are not high quality, the blades will quickly peel, bubble, or corrode. The main finishes are brass and wood. Brass is long lasting and scratch resistant does not need polishing and the painted finishes are thick and durable when properly coated.

Warranty:
A good warranty is always the best option. If you choose your fan carefully, you will find that many manufacturers with high quality fans offer a lifetime warranty and even in-home service.

Installation:
You can usually install a ceiling fan on your own. The installation is not difficult and the fans come with step-by-step instructions. Support systems are normally provided to allow hands free wiring. Just be sure the fan and home wiring is compatible.

Cost:
You can expect to pay $135 to $425 for a good quality fan. The price will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and depending on the ceiling fan's features. The old saying "you get what you pay for" definitely applies to ceiling fans.

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