Light Up Your Sacramento Life

Light Up Your Sacramento Life
Lighting Styles for Every Need

Nothing can change the mood in a room more quickly than the light.  The way you use light in your home continually affects your everyday living.  Proper lighting allows you to perform tasks more easily and makes you feel comfortable.  The right lighting scheme can make a small room seem open and airy and an oversized space seem intimate and inviting.  If you are looking to update your décor without breaking the bank, consider some new light fixtures for your home.  And with a broader lighting redesign you can recreate whole rooms without changing any structure or furnishings.

A comprehensive lighting plan will consider the most effective lighting style depending on how the space is used and the capabilities of your electrical system.  Use different styles placed at varying heights within the room – the ceiling, floor, table – to add depth and interest.   Once you have established the optimum style of lighting for a space there are a wide variety of fixtures to choose from in a range of finishes and designs.

Ambient lighting provides overall illumination and an appropriate level of brightness for general activity.  In the living or family room recessed fixtures are an effective source for expansive lighting and you can litter them throughout the space without heavily impacting the décor.  Recessed lights and decorative fluorescent fixtures also work well over cooking and other kitchen workspaces.

Task lighting focuses on a specific area for an activity such as reading or drawing.  It is functional while bringing a cozy feeling to the space.  Floor and table lamps are the most common task fixtures.  Carefully placed wall sconces also provide a nice aesthetic touch.

Accent lighting creates a mood by highlighting certain objects or spots such as artwork or collectibles.  To create a focused yet subtle effect, think about a combination of light sources that are versatile and allow movement.  Many of these fixtures have multiple smaller light sources that can be rearranged to meet different needs.  Recessed fixtures with rotating cans are a good choice.  Track lighting and dimmer switches give you the option to create a medley of lighting schemes.

Decorative fixtures, like chandeliers, become part of the room’s décor with their ornate and detailed designs.  Such fixtures work well in spaces where you entertain such as a dining room or a music room.  Layer with light and use dimmer switches so that you can have brighter light while you are making preparations and then change to mood lighting when guests arrive.

With all things considered, the key to an interesting and effective lighting scheme is to mix and match.  Have fun – playing with light is one of the simplest ways to reflect your personal style and make easy updates to your home.

Upgrading Your Sacramento Electrical Service

Upgrading Your Sacramento Electrical Service

Upgrading Your Sacramento Electrical Service
Power Your Home to Fit Your Lifestyle

The modern Sacramento home is filled with products that run on electricity, many that pull large amounts of power. However, older Sacramento homes often have fuse systems or wiring that cannot handle these growing electrical needs. Obvious issues, such as fuses blowing when using multiple appliances or lights flickering, call for a review of your electrical panel, as do major renovations such as kitchen remodels. And the evaluation of the electrical service is a standard part of the inspection before buying a new house. When you upgrade your electrical service – whether for a home purchase, a renovation project, or to address wattage problems – think beyond those immediate needs to other capabilities that you (or a future owner) might want to add someday. A little forethought now can save time and money in the future and ensure that your home can support your lifestyle.

Appliances

Refrigerators are getting larger, double ovens are increasingly popular, and the standard coffee machine is being replaced with the professional quality espresso machine. The contemporary kitchen needs several outlets to support the wide array of large and small kitchen appliances.

Home Entertainment

Family room, playroom, bedroom, recreation room – modern homes have cable or satellite television in most or all of those rooms. If you want to create a home theater effect – such as connecting the flat screen, the DVD player, and the gaming system to the surround sound stereo, you need to prepare the space to carry all that wattage.

Computers

With dad bringing work home, mom running her own business, and the kids having school projects due each week, each member of the family often has their own computer. At any given time some or all of the computers in your household can be running at once.

Ceiling fans

Ceiling fans reduce utility costs and give additional lighting options. With added wiring you can control the lights and fans separately to adjust the fan speed and turn off the light while letting the fan run.

Basement/Garage/Workshop

These spaces, once only storage and work areas, have also become additional living and entertainment rooms (think “Man Cave”). If you have to unplug the extra freezer to run your power drill, then it’s time to upgrade your service and reduce the chances of overloading your circuits.

Outdoor Areas

Adding outdoor features such as a spa, automatic sprinklers, or outdoor lighting will require more electricity.

Security system

Many insurance companies make security systems more affordable with significant policy discounts. If you take advantage of this opportunity make sure your system can handle the increased load.

Surge protection

The commonly used surge protection strips (multi-plug power strips) protect against small, daily surges to help your equipment work better and last longer. You can protect your entire house (including switches, outlets, and the circuit breaker box) against large surges with a whole house surge arrestor at the electrical panel.