Posts Tagged ‘lighting’

Lighting up your Indoor Life!

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

So, I had the exterior lighting done and my property doesn’t look like the Bat Cave any longer. But then I got to thinking about what it would take to get the indoor lighting scheme right. I wanted to have different layers of lighting in my home, and each room presented its own challenges. The brightness was about the same in each room, and naturally I wanted different lighting in my master bedroom than in my living room.

It was time to call in the indoor lighting cavalry. The choices of lighting were almost overwhelming so if it’s within your budget, QwikBids suggests hiring a home decorator for a consultation, or handle the entire project. When I discovered the many choices available, I went with a decorator registered with QwikBids. It was as simple as placing a bid request.

I was told right away that if I wanted simple and basic, there were a few things I could get done rather quickly, and easily. If you embrace quick fixes, start with different lampshades. If it is the brightness of the lighting you want to adjust, get a dimmer switch installed. But if you want new light fixtures strategically placed and wiring must be done, get some help. I have heard stories of indoor lighting projects going badly, and costing the customer more in the end.

The winning company I chose had some really great ideas. The wall in my living room with a large picture was dark. The decorator asked me if I liked the picture and if I wanted it to stay where it was. Since it was in the family for 2 generations, I wanted it to stay. It was therefore suggested that I have halogen track lighting or a picture light attached to highlight it. The decisions I ended up making were based upon usage of each room from the entire family.

We went through the entire house. Even when I explained my budget to the decorator, the ideas presented to me were not only affordable, but innovative too. I ended up with the lighting in my home I had always wanted, and had enough money for my next project. Stay tuned for that!

Ambience, with Exterior Lighting

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

QwikBids Investigates

    

I live in the shadows of trees, among well-lit surroundings, and my home at night sticks out like a sore thumb (a dark one at that). I have been putting off  installing new outdoor lighting for some time. The ones I had died long ago, for they were installed when the house was built. My budget was stretched thin, so I needed to find a way to get the lighting I needed for the least amount of money (and avoid being labeled the “dark creepy place” by the neighborhood kids). Security was also an issue. Naturally, with registered providers at my fingertips through QwikBids, I knew the chances for finding the right person for this job were good.
Installing it myself wasn’t an option. I wanted it done right. With the time I’d have to spend trying to do the research and figuring it all out, it would be worth paying for. I found the installation to be cheaper than I thought. The winning company I chose to go with explained, in detail, what was needed to get a good price with a lighting scheme that was right for my home and landscaping. Choosing the right fixtures was first, followed by placement. On a side note, I was told that 100 watts should be the maximum on each line of lights to eliminate voltage drop, which would cause the lights farthest away from the transformer to be dimmer (of course, for a little more money there was a way around this).
So my landscaper went to work. I wanted lighting effects that would best accent the beauty of my home while enhancing security and made it happen. I got lighting on the walkway in front of the house, and had a couple upward lights for the two palm trees. Suddenly, I felt like I fit in with the neighbors! The provider said there may need to be some adjustments made after dark but was certain the lights were placed in great position. Come nightfall, I couldn’t have agreed with him more. It was like a work of art. My home took on an entirely new, classy look that I was proud of. For a fraction of what I thought it would have cost. Having multiple bids on the QwikBids site made a huge difference. Oh yeah, and the neighborhood kids could visit on Halloween night again without carrying a big stick!