Kermit was wrong....it's easy being 'green'!

There are so many reasons why we should be 'green'. Reduced dependence on fossil fuel use, environmental protection for now and future generations, and personal cost savings are just the tip of the iceberg. So, how do you do start?  You can do something small and realizing energy savings right away by looking and water use and lighting; even the smallest step helps make a difference! Here are my  top 5 ways to embrace 'green' practices: 

1) Upgrade to green.  With new government standards and improved technology, modern faucets are more efficient than ever. Saving up to 32% on your water usage, WaterSense certified faucets make going green practically effortless.  Big box hardware stores sell models that are well under $100.  A quick, first step toward going green, is installing flow optimized aerators -$3-$5 - which enable more effective performance for older faucets without much cost.

2) Go on-demand. If you have a large or growing family, tank-less water heaters offer a great way to cut home energy costs without impacting performance. By flash heating water and eliminating the tank water heater's long cycles you can cut energy use by 20%. You won't have to waste water while the shower gets warm, every shower will be warm for your whole family, and you can even run a washer at the same time if you use the right capacity. The water and energy savings is immediate, although to get a 100% return on your purchase can take a few years. Can't install one? Time your showers for 2-5 minutes.

3) Light it Right. With the new options for lighting being more available, less expensive, easy to understand, and offered in dimmable and color controlled bulbs, you'll light your homes better, for less, for a longer time. Light emitting diodes (LED) last 10X longer than dated incandescent bulbs do. Use them in your recessed housings and don't worry about changing them for 10 years. The cost to run LED is a fraction of your 'usual' costs.  One 7 watt LED bulb will emit as much light as a 60 watt incandescent one. Compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) is better than ever. No long waits to warm up, and color temperatures being soft and warm, make them easy replacements for incandescent bulbs.  CF's will last 4-5X longer, save up to 7X the energy, and many municipalities sell them for under $2 each to help get your energy use down.

4) Ditch the bottle This is a daily challenge for some people, but the end-result would be to lower the number water bottles we use and toss. In the US that number is an astounding 1500 bottles PER SECOND. All those plastic bottles use a lot of fossil fuel and pollute the environment. In fact, Americans buy over 29 billion water bottles a year and manufacturers use 17 million barrels of crude oil to make them. That’s enough oil to keep a million cars going for twelve months. Avoid the need for plastic bottles with water filtering faucets. You will save your wallet and help unclog waste disposal sites. When you're on the go, use washable BFA free or stainless (keeps drinks cooler) bottles.  If you knew that for every six water bottles we use, only one makes it to the recycling bin does that help inspire you? 

5) Keep water in check  It's important to check all water-using products regularly, with the bathroom accounting for roughly 60% of your home's water usage a leaky toilet or faucet can waste thousands of gallons a year without you knowing it. We waste gallons of water everyday by leaving sink faucets running. With hands-free faucets you ensure that water is used only when needed. Even simpler - and free - is to turn off the water while loading the dishwasher, brushing your teeth and shaving. Flow optimized shower heads can help further reduce water usage in the bathroom. New heads with fabulous pressure that leaves you feeling clean and energizes, use only 1.75 gallon per minute flow cutting water consumption and energy costs by up to 30%. 

Lighting Design Tips

In 1879 Edison invented the incandescent light bulb and it changed the way we live. What was once an invention for practicality, has become a way to improve our living spaces, create mood, and add drama.  Lighting design is a key element of a comfortable home, combining the functional aspects, use for entertaining and relaxing, and being energy conscious in the fixtures and type of bulbs used. When you're selecting a fixture you are buying LIGHT, not 'a light'. 

Hiding the fixtures works in this powder room,
since it's not used often.  Quite a unique view in
lieu of a mirror!

While light sources behave in predictable ways - the beam spreads of fixtures are directly related to the housing, shades and bulbs used - the size of the room, its color, and what the purpose of the room and its contents are, all have a role to play in good lighting design.  You wouldn't light a small powder room in the same way as you would a master bath suite,  just like you wouldn't use a kitchen pendant while you watch a movie in a joined great room. So, what is the key to a good lighting plan?  First is balancing task, ambient and general lighting.  Next is the position of the fixture you select.  Finally, the size, type of bulb, and style of the fixture are important. Last, be sure to consider lighting controls.

Layered lighting works best for open plan kitchens. 

1. Balance: Many people make the mistake of adding just task lights to their spaces, and forget general and accent lighting.  The right fixtures can have multiple roles, especially with the use of lighting controls, dimmers and sensors for occupancy and vacancy. For example, wall sconces with low wattage incandescent bulbs are fabulous accent lights. When a higher output CFL is used to ensure that the wattage remains under 60 for the fixture, they can serve as reading, task and even ambient lights.  Why hang a wall sconce upwards just to wash a wall when you can position it downward and light more of the room? Dimming a high output-low wattage CFL can make the sconce an accent light for the fireplace, and at full power, a reading light for the fireside chair.   One of the least well-it spaces are bathrooms. The single over-the-mirror bath fixture is the most commonly seen. Uggh.   Nothing is worse than seeing a shadow under your eyes and chin that is actually caused by the lighting. Wall sconces and a few recessed fixtures create cross-illumination, better coverage for personal tasks like applying make-up and shaving, and ideal lighting for bathing and dressing. Don't forget to add dimmers so your lighting can be soft and subdue when you enjoy a relaxing soak! 

Yes, even a dining room can use layered lighting.  here the buffet

lamps add accent light while the twin chandeliers dim for dining and

go full power for game playing.

2. Position:  So, you added a bank of recessed fixtures to the kitchen but hate the result.  Could be that those fixtures throw light on the floor, the cabinets, or an area that doesn't work for you.  You don't want to create shadows or glare.  In living rooms, putting them directly overhead can be very annoying. Sometimes all that needs adjusting is the housing, but consider what you are illuminating before adding them.  Even the right place for a chandelier can make or break your enjoyment at the dining table.  Are those sconces showing the right area or useless in lighting the space.

3. Size: Be sure that the scale of your fixture is right for the space. It's less desirable to have a tiny chandelier in a large space than it is to be dramatic with a large one in a small space. Knowing the size of your room, table or wall, will be a good guide to what fits.

A fixture that fits the table, and is dropped the right
height, is both beautiful and functional.

4. Bulbs: With the need for energy conscious lighting, LED and compact fluorescent bulb (CFL) are more available and with a range of options. Know what color you want....is a white light desired or do you love the warm, yellow light produced by the now-defunct incandescent bulbs?  The wattage consumed by both LED and CFL is dramatically lower than incandescent bulbs, but their light output is high, so select what you need unless they can be dimmed.

5. Controls: I love dimmers. You can make your builder-installed recessed lighting  soft and warm by putting them on a dim setting. Sensors are fabulous for both interior and exterior lighting.  Why come up to a dark entry or even bedroom?  Exterior light sensors are often built into the fixture, or you can purchase and adapter that screws into the socket and turns on as it gets dark.  Wall switches with timers are great ideas. You can install them and set for 30 days so you never have a dark home even when you're on vacation. Lamp timers are simple to plug in, and can be set with multiple on-off settings. I always recommend occupancy and vacancy sensors for closets, garages, hallways, laundry rooms and spaces used by children.  Home automation systems are fabulous, and can be as simple as a single room control or as extensive as the whole house. 

Using a professional with lighting design experience can give you the best 'bang for your buck' whether you are remodeling, moving, building a new home, or just updating what you have. 

Creative lighting tips to cut costs without cutting light.

LED can be warm .

We're all concerned with spending too much on our lighting bills, and more people are have environmental concerns regarding lighting and energy use.  Here are some tips to keep your home well lit using energy saving alternatives that are also good for the environment.

1) Use fluorescent bulbs. They're nothing like the old style blue flickering bulbs of years past. New bulbs have a warm color and look more natural. Higher output in lumens per watt give you options for brightness, and they last up to 50,000 hours. 

2)Try LED's where you need task light. Again, the old style LED bulbs were blue and cool. New ones have color rendering (CRI) options that provide soft, warm light, with high energy efficiency.  B

The right positions are key to kitchen lighting.

3) Use dimmers to control light output when the highest power is too much. Dimmers from Lutron and Leviton are available at big box stores for about $20. 

4) Install occupancy or vacancy sensors. Never worry about turning off hallway, closet, bath, kid's room and garage lights again. With a vacancy sensor, you can have lights automatically turn off 5-15 minutes after the last person leaves the space. Occupancy sensors are even better; they turn on lights as people enter a room, and then automatically shut off when no one is present.

5) Position lights well. If the center of the room is lit and the walls aren't, it seems a little foreboding and less pleasant.  Be sure your task lights reflect the counter or mirror, etc. and don't throw shadows.

6) Give extra thought to kitchen and bath lighting types and placement.  The extra care will enable the spaces to look good and function well for prepping, relaxing and more.

A great place for an occupancy sensor.

Artistic pendant lights for unique lighting design.

Looking for some artistic pendants to dress up your bath, kitchen, or other space?  Don't think that pendants are only to be installed over kitchen islands. They work well in the corner of a room, over a vanity, dropped besides a sofa, and in lieu of a desk lamp. For some color and creativity, take a look at these five fixtures. Each is unusual and dramatic. Perfect for contemporary styled spaces but a great touch for a traditional home.

1. The Stargazer pendant by Niche modern. Dramatic in red, elegant in amber, and topaz.  The bulb is diffused by the inner housing and the glass globe.  They are fabulous hung in a master bath suite.

2. Leucos lighting's Witch Pendant is quite unusual and also available in gray and silver. Makes a statement in any space. 

3. How about a signed pendant by Jeffery Goodman?  These are all hand blown, so each is slightly different.

4. Made from partially recycled glass...these pendants by TOKENnyc are custom colored for your decor.

5. A hand-blown transparent glass pendant with a silver glaze by Tech Lighting. It seems that metallic finishes are once again trendy for 2012. The subtly of this glaze makes it right anytime.