Well, we all like festive lighting, but this certainly didn’t sound too environmentally based. ….Until he told us the entire lighting cost would only be a fraction of last years’ cost!  HOW?

They switched for the holidays! Today’s LED Holiday lights are reliable, fairly inexpensive and EXTREMELY economical to use. They will pay for themselves in a very short time, and continue to be economical to use for a long, long time, because they last much longer than any of our bulbs. Besides–there are no bulbs to break or go out.

L.E.D. stands for light emitting diodes; they are not bulbs at all, but produce a good white light (the current ones, not the earlier ones).

Although LEDs began being marketed about ten years ago, they were mainly used as novelty accent lighting for commercial buildings. As technology has progressed, LEDs are moving into offices and are just beginning to be seen in our homes. Recessed lighting seems to be the best interior method of handling LEDs at this point….in addition to strings  of light. They are the new lightinhg technology. Isnt it time to switch?

Remember your interior and exterior surroundings need to fit YOU like your favorite shoe fits you, in order to be functional and attractive. Ask yourself…..”Does the Shoe FIT?” If not, contact us; we are the experts in interior spaces and yard space. You’ll be glad you called or wrote us.

Home technology automation does that and so much more. Televisions, high-tech home theatres, inercom, security systems, lighting and electronic shades can all be fully automated for us users.

Rather than looking like an afterthought, Mark Wagner of Wagner Home Systems suggest this technology be incorporated into the planning stages of your renovation, remodel, or build-new.  He says, “Electronics can blend in so much that if you didn’t know where to look for them, you wouldn’t realize they were there.”

Think of having a whole house audio system with access to your music library from anywhere in the home. Think of a sprinkler system that can be accessed remotely, so you don’t sprinkle the lawn while it’s raining.

Remember, our homes must fit us like our favorite shoe. Ask yourself—”Does the Shoe,,,FIT?” Need a little help? Just call us. We are here for you.

1) What about exterior lighting? We’ve written about it before, but what do YOU have? Shiny brass or solid black isn’t as “today” as finishes like antiqued copper, bronze or brushed nickel.

2) Your house numbers and other hardware may also need an updated finish, as those suggested above.

3) Have blooming flowers as long as your locale allows–and then tasteful winter landscape looks with interesting bare shapes, textures, and colors. (Think of some things like Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick, tall grasses that don’t droop in the snow like switchgrass, and color like redtwig dogwood–something similar for your yard.)

4) Paint your home in subdued colors of nature, muted greens, deep reds, pale yellows–for a peaceful look. Bright high-contrast colors exaggerate a house’s flaws.

Remember, you want the home to be appealing, but it can also reflect YOU. Our homes should fit us like our favorite shoes. Ask yourself, “Does the Shoe….FIT?” If you need some help, contact us. We are the interior/exterior design experts.

Recently, a client asked for some type of meditational garden space in their back landscaping. It was to be its own entity, but blend into the yard. We didn’t have hundreds of feet to devote on the labyrith. But we had enough to create a small version in approximately 30- 35 sq. ft. .

The whole idea is a bit like Zen, as you travel the paths of a labyrinth, walking in circles, or in this case, curved, organically shaped paths, you are to appreciate the beauty along the paths that take you to the center. By the time you reach the center, you are refreshed of mind and body.

In this narrow-pathed personal labyrinth, we still  had space to create along the way a shady garden strip, a hummingbird garden strip, a trellis garden strip, a water feature, a butterfly garden strip, a zen stone garden, and a small sculpture.  Both client and I loved creating it.

The labyrinth idea would not need to be circular in nature, but by doing so, it adds to the feeling of “getting away,” as you walk within the circle.  To be really effective, give it some low level night lighting.

Remember, your surroundings need to fit you like a favorite shoe fits you. Ask yourself, “Does the shoe….FIT?” If you need some help; contact us, Breay Design, the Space Specialists.

 What does Happiness have to do with Design? Aren’t we referring to colors and furniture?  Well we are, but good design is much more than colors and furniture. Design is very much based on psychology. Applying our own personal psychology to a space can contribute greatly to our happiness. We do need to follow good design principles, but we must equally take into consideration the personalities of the inhabitants of the space.

 The other day my husband wanted me to look over his new website for his stamp dealership. The header had a large background of very deep gray that gradiated down the page. My personal opinion was that it looked gloomy, even depressing. And yet the graphics person working so closely with my husband apparently didn’t feel the same. I also thought back to a recent hotel stay where there were lots of coral colors, plants and sunshine. It gave me a feeling of being in the tropics, and made me feel very happy. What colors and things make you feel happy? What themes of rooms make you feel happy?

Lighting has much the same effects on our happiness. Very bright lighting throughout your home could easily make you feel tense, jittery, and grumpy. Yet soft colored, low level lighting would probably make you feel relaxed, even secure.

 One of the first steps in applying the Chinese philosophy-religion of Feng Shui (the placement of furniture & accessories to bring you wealth & happiness) is to eliminate clutter.  A harmonious flow comes from having only a few favorite items setting out. It seems our minds have quite enough to thing on.

Bring in natural light and fresh air. Have house plants that purify the air, such as fern and ivy.

It is not the trends and latest TV show designs that we need to follow. We need to follow our heart. Use good design principles, but don’t overlook your own personality. If you need to GET AWAY!–you may wish to address the happiness your own home design gives to you.  Think of your home as a shoe, and ask yourself, “Does the Shoe….FIT?”

Courtesty of OutdoorLighting Perspectives

Hi again!  This blog will continue discussing exterior lighting, focusing on the task lighting of our entries. In review, our yards need three layers of lighting:

1)      Ambient, low level general impression lighting

2)      Task lighting for where we perform tasks

3)      Accent lighting for areas of interest (the brightest area of lighting)

You may have a walk leading up to some steps at your entry. Perhaps a fixture with lights about eye level will be enough for both walkway and steps. The steps will need brighter lighting than the walk so no one trips on them. Therefore, put the light close to the steps, allowing the waning light from the fixture to glow down the walk. If you have a longer walk, you may need a lower, small auxiliary light further down the walk, being careful not to create monotony with too many of the same fixtures.

The steps consist of treads we walk on, and risers (at the back of the tread ) that take the treads to the next level. If we light the steps from below or with lighting that illuminates both tread and riser equally, we have a safety hazard. The user can be easily confused seeing both treads and risers as “one” plane because of the equal lighting on both, instead of 1 horizontal plane (tread) and one vertical plane (riser).But if we light the steps from above, the treads are lit and the risers are in shadow. This is a much safer method of lighting steps.

Now visualize the door. Consider putting a light right above the door or at the side of it. Having one light centered in a porch ceiling will give overall light, but you will be in your own shadow trying to unlock a door. If you have this situation, consider adding task lighting over the door or at it’s side.

Next blog, let’s discuss discuss designing for happiness.

See you then!—Sharon Breay