Home Sweet Home: The lighter side of home improvement

When you think about it, lighting design is really what separates us from the animals. Birds have nests, bats have caves, and rabbits have burrows, but there's really only one animal that can boast of utility lighting and dimmer switches! Just as it would be a hassle to have your home's lighting dependent only on sunrise and sunset, in individual rooms and in particular situations, it is generally worth the time to upgrade your lighting design to fit the specific needs of the space.

Lighting Design for an Aging Population
If you or a loved one is now eligible for senior discounts, hiring an electrician to install new lighting might be a good call. The Chicago Tribune reports that 60-year-olds need four times as much light as 20-year-olds, so a few quick upgrades can go a long way. Even if you aren't joining AARP anytime soon, a lighting design that creates a well-lit house inside and out will make your home more convenient for you as you age and less convenient for would-be intruders right now. In some cases, a lighting upgrade can even raise your home's value and make it more appealing to potential buyers.

A Tip from Down Under on More Efficient Lighting
Australia has banned the sale of incandescent light bulbs. Beginning in 2010, consumers will be buying more energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs instead. The switch is expected to save 4 million tons in greenhouse gas emissions in just two years. If you like the idea of saving money as you help conserve energy, following this lead in your own home is a good idea. Remember, however, fluorescents create a different look and feel than traditional bulbs. If your energy efficient lighting design is a little less than impressive, a good electrician is likely to be able to replace overhead and wall light fixtures in a snap.

Electrician or Electrical Contractor for Your Lighting Design?
Though their job titles sound similar, an electrical contractor is different than an electrician. Electricians are typically hired to perform smaller jobs like outlet installation or light fixture upgrades; electrical contractors are generally associated with larger projects like installing wiring in an addition or replacing the wiring in an existing structure. Both provide the perfect fit for particular situations, and in some cases, one may be able to provide the services of the other. If your next lighting design upgrade is a simple matter of swapping out a few fixtures and putting in some under-cabinet lights, an electrician is the way to go; for planning the lighting design of your basement remodel, and electrical contractor is probably more appropriate.

Design Lighting Like Jack and Diane
The movie Something's Gotta Give, starring Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, wasn't a box office hit, but the 2003 film is a favorite with homeowners who want their kitchens to look exactly like Jack and Diane's. According to the Washington Post, their kitchen "gleams with white glass-front cabinets, vintage hardware, a commercial-style range and dark soapstone counters."

If you are thinking of a similar makeover, don't neglect the lighting design. While it might seem less critical to the end result than color or material matching, an electrical contractor is a necessity if you want to recreate the look successfully. Some people have gone so far as to hand their contractor a DVD of the movie to get the look right, but an electrical contractor is the person responsible for making the whole thing functional.