Light Fixtures

There are many different types of light fixtures available. Whether you are looking to illuminate the interior or exterior of your home, you will be sure to find a functional light fixture that best compliments your home style and décor. Here we will explore some of the options that are currently available for your lighting needs—both indoors and outdoors.

Interior Light Fixtures

Interior light fixtures come in all shapes, styles, and color. You can accentuate the interior of your home using mounted fixtures, like chandeliers and recessed lighting, or unmounted light fixtures, like floor and table lamps. Here are some of the most popular interior light fixtures on the market today:

Chandeliers

Often large and ornate, chandeliers are mounted to the ceiling and feature two or more light-bearing arms. Choose from a various array of shapes, styles, types of crystal, and number of lamps.

Pendants

The pendant fixture is a suspended light fixture that hangs from a cord attached to the ceiling. With a wide selection and various materials, colors, finishes, and sizes available, finding the right one should not be difficult.

Ceiling Fixtures

This type of fixture is also mounted to the ceiling, but unlike the pendant and chandelier, ceiling light fixtures are mounted directly to the ceiling and do not hang. Designed for standard ceiling illumination, ceiling lights offer a variety of mounting options and unique style to create an easy solution to your lighting problem.

Wall Sconces

Sconces are reminiscent of wall-mounted candles and lanterns of times past. While adding a touch of nostalgia, they also blend tradition with new trends in home décor.

Track/Rail/Cable

These types of light fixtures are at the top of the modern trend list. With different types of fixtures to go with this type of light, including pendants and directional spot lighting, curved or straight track, track lighting can even be used to illuminate architectural details and artwork.

Recessed

Mounted within the structure of the ceiling so it looks like it is flush with the ceiling, recessed lighting can provide incandescent or fluorescent light.

Table Lamps

As the name implies, this type of fixture sits on a table and provides extra lighting when necessary. Because there are so many different kinds of table lamps on the market, this is one of the most popular lighting options.

Floor Lamps

Similar in concept to the table lamp, floor lamps are taller and are meant to sit on the floor rather than a table. These lamps provide extra task lighting and can be used to establish a mood.

Rope Lighting

Designed to accent your space while providing a touch of color, rope lighting can span large areas and even pulse at varying speeds. Rope lights are often used in coves, cabinets, and other recesses.

Under-Cabinet Lights

With this type of light you can illuminate the hard-to-reach corners of your kitchen or office. Designed to mount under the cabinet and provide light to a counter space or another area, under-cabinet lights get the job done without being out in the open.

Exterior Light Fixtures

The lighting of the exterior of your home is important. You need enough lighting to easily maneuver around after the sun has gone down, and enough light to illuminate people approaching the house. Here are some of the most common exterior light fixtures:

Flood Lighting

This type of light is useful in lighting a large portion of your yard with only one light. Available with fluorescent lights, so you can save energy while you light the exterior of your home, flood lighting is both inexpensive and effective.

Post Lighting

Having a light out in the center of your yard, at the end of driveways, or near walkways is useful in various ways. Post lighting can provide this type of light. In essence, it is a light on a pole. However, it is available in many styles and colors.

Motion Lighting

Security is very important when considering outdoor lighting. Motion sensor light fixtures sense motion and turn on to light your path or warn you when visitors or intruders approach.
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Cheap Decorating Ideas

Cheap decorating ideas don’t necessarily mean poor quality products and materials.

Planning and Researching Are Key

The keys to having a great low-cost project are planning your project and researching for the lowest prices.

Over-Budget: Biggest Cause

The biggest reason most people go over budgets are due to unexpected expenses. You can reduce this risk by being as thorough as you can in planning your project and researching alternatives to expensive looks.

Break It Down Into Categories

If you’re going to redecorate your entire home, then break it down room by room into smaller individual projects that you can easily tackle.

Once you have the room breakdown, make some important decisions about floor, wall and window treatments for each room. Remember to keep continuity throughout your home. Don’t use a different color of carpeting or floor treatment in each room. This will make your house appear haphazardly put together and disjointed.

Necessity is the mother of invention, is a truism. Not only can you save a lot of money, you can end up with a design project result that is superior to what you’d originally planned. Finding cost-effective ways to have what you want can be both challenging and greatly rewarding.

Floors

You can have great looking floors if you take the time to research ways to cut costs. Discount warehouses and closeouts are the first place most people start. These are good sources, but you can save even more money if you reclaim floors in a home scheduled for demolition. Many times the owner of the house will hold an onsite auction. The auctioneer will go through the home room by room taking bids on various things. Sometimes an entire house of hardwood floors will be auctioned as a package. Other times this may be auctioned off room by room. You’ll need to have some basic carpentry skills since you’ll be responsible for removing the flooring from the house. If you’re skilled enough to tackle this kind of project, then you can save thousands of dollars for a full house flooring project by using reclaimed hardwood floors.

The same thing is true of other kinds of wood such as paneling, exposed beams and kitchen cabinetry. Go early and walk through the house before the auction. Set your highest price and don’t go over no matter how enticed you are. There are other places you can find reclaimed hardwood floors. Try a salvage company that specializes in homes.

Small Things Make a Difference

You might not be able to afford redesigning your kitchen cabinets. Don’t let this stop you from being creative. If your cabinets are solid and in good condition, you can replace the doors, re-stain or paint for a new fresh look. Don’t forget to change out the hardware and door pulls or knobs.

Yard Sales Vs. Estate Sales

The difference between these two types of reselling of possessions is that the later is usually a higher-grade of items. Don’t let the thought of expensive items being sold at an estate sale stop you from going. You may be surprised what you can buy for a fraction of the cost an antique or new piece would cost.

Yard sales can be a two-edged sword. You can tell very quickly by the items on the table or spread out on the lawn whether or not it’s the kind of sale you’re seeking. If you see mostly clothes and children’s toys, chances are you won’t find much in the way of home decorations.

The kind of neighborhood will make a difference, too. Older neighborhoods often have full home yard sales of a deceased relative. A multi-family yard sale would be a good place to find items you could either recycle, refurbish or re-invent for your home.

Ways To Refurbish Furniture

If you’ve never refinished furniture, don’t let the process scare you off. It’s not as difficult as it may seem. You’ll want to make sure you have proper protection with a paint mask, long rubber gloves and goggles to prevent chemical splashes in your eyes.

Stripping Finishes Off Furniture

Most stripping agents aren’t as harsh as in years past. You’ll either paint or spray the chemical onto the furniture and let it work through the paint or varnish.

You may need to repeat the process more than once depending on how many layers of paint and varnish is on the piece.

Finishing Your Piece of Furniture

There are all kinds of options for finishing your new piece of furniture. You can simply stain and varnish it for a classic look. You may decide to give it a distressed look and can use various objects to help create the popular look. Paint is another way you can refinish your furniture either as a bright vivid color or a washed look.

Accessories and Other Art Objects

Breathe new life into old pieces of art objects, statues and paintings. A new frame and mat will often brighten up a photo or painting. Get ambitious and buy frames from a dollar store. You can paint all of your frames to look alike or hot glue seashells onto the frame for a beach themed room. A fabric frame made out of small squares in a quilt-effect will jazz up a country themed room.

Lamps, Pillows and Plants

Lamps can be recycled with paint and new shades. Recover a few pillows, add trim and tassels for a romantic touch. You can purchase houseplants at a discount store. If your budget doesn’t include new flowerpots for your new plants, get creative and paint the pot for an artistic flare.

Be Patient

The final component of cheap decorating ideas is to be patient and go into your project knowing it will take you longer to complete.
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