The Las Vegas Strip may not be converting to them just yet, but LED lights have quickly become a popular home lighting method. These energy efficient light fixtures have been used for decades in a variety of applications, from alarm clock displays to Christmas tree ornaments; technology advances in recent years have enabled them to be used as regular light bulbs for domestic use, instead of incandescent or fluorescent lights. Home owners using LED lights can reduce their power consumption considerably, save big on electricity bills, and help protect natural resources.
The technology for LED, which stands for light emitting diode, was developed in the 1920s by the Russian scientist Oleg Vladimirovich Losev, and largely ignored for the next 30 years. American scientists began reporting on the technology in the mid 1950s, and by the 1960s LED lights were being refined for consumer electronics. This method of lighting was modified over the next few decades, and saw its biggest breakthrough in recent years with the development of white LED, which enabled the technology to be used in home lighting.
LEDs work by carrying a charge across semi conducting material that has been impregnated with impurities. The impurities cause the charge to fall to a lower energy level as it travels, and emit light in the process. The color of LED light can be controlled by the materials used as impurities in the semi conducting material. The most common LED colors are red, blue, white, and yellow.
Beyond home use, LEDs have many applications, including exit signs, railroad and traffic lights, sensor lights, machine vision light sources, flashlights, and phototherapy for skin conditions. LED is so versatile partially because its spectrum of light can be controlled more accurately than other types of light.
The main disadvantage of LED lighting compared to other light sources is that it is hard to direct. While high directivity isn't usually required for home use, it's often needed for industrial or commercial applications like laser technology.
The advantages of LED technology far outweigh the drawbacks, especially when energy efficiency is considered. For home owners, LED is too good an option to ignore.
If you are just starting out decorating your home, you may not realize how important a role the lighting can play in your home's atmosphere. Once you see the difference the right lights can make, you will be searching everywhere for the latest in home lighting ideas from the top interior designers. There is a secret, though. All of the experts use the same ideas for home lighting, but they just word them differently or apply them in creative ways. You can use their same rules, and by applying your own personal tastes in style, you will be able to create your own oasis from the rest of the world.
Creative ideas for interior home lighting are not hard to find, if you know where to look. There are interior design television shows and expos that you could use for reference, but the number one rule to remember is to only use those home lighting ideas that appeal to you. If a television personality declares that chandeliers over a dining room table are the way to go, but you feel that decorative chandeliers are too ornate for your home, then do not install one. You might prefer a simpler pendant light centered over the table. Whatever style you choose for dining room lighting, you will likely want to tie it to a dimmer switch. Most people prefer softer lights while they dine, and a dimmer switch will allow you to alter the lighting levels in your dining room.
You will likely find the greatest number of ideas for home lighting for the living room. This is simply because this is often the room where the most wakening hours are spent. How you use your living room will determine which home lighting ideas you should implement. Are you a reader? Then, you will want to have either a lamp on a table or a floor lamp. The beam should be directed so that it shines over your shoulder onto you lap if you are sitting in a chair next to the lamp.
Perhaps you are a film buff instead of a book worm. There are home lighting ideas that you can use as well. Have you considered turning your living room into a home theater? With the use of home theater lighting that are wired to room dimmers you can create the look of a movie palace in your home. Most home theater lighting is in the style of wall scones, but you do not have to have a home theater to install them in your home. Nor do you have to only use them in the living room. Home lighting idea experts note that decorative wall scones make any foyer a very welcoming place.
While you are sifting through the ideas for home lighting, do not forget that the main purpose of interior lighting is to illuminate a room. Be sure that after you have installed all of your specialty lights that your rooms are still bright enough so that you can function. All of the great ideas for home lighting in the world will not help if you are tripping around in the dark.
Both Jim Hirschman & Kimberly Quang are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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