Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 22, 1992 TAG: 9203240054
SECTION: TODAY'S HOME PAGE: TH-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By SARAH COX
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Now the current product base has expanded to include "up" and "down" lighting; a DEC by Leviton which can take orders by phone and even control the thermostat for you; recessed lighting in the kitchen, bathroom and front yard; ceiling fans with remote control switches; and switch panels and lamp shades coordinated with wallpaper.
It's a whole new light out there.
Take the DEC, for example. According to Aimee Poff of Williams Supply, this new product controls lighting (and can also control heat and air conditioning) from a central control panel. "You can call it up on your telephone and tell the thermostat to turn up," she said. "You can call and turn the light on. It's nice for the lake or vacation house, so when you arrive, it's all ready," she said.
Poff said lighting is now used to upgrade a home from the standard equipment a contractor will usually put in. She confirmed that fixtures can be a remodeling tool used in home resale.
"Recessed lighting gives a room a `new' look. It can give you a real punch when you walk into a room." Some homeowners, said Poff, will have more than 100 recessed lighting fixtures in a home. "It's the most popular thing right now - you don't see the fixture, just what it does without seeing the source."
Another way to bring your home into the '90s is by switching to polished brass fixtures.
Jeff Dalton, assistant manager of Lighting Galleries, said this finish is most popular right now and makes a room look glitzier. Roanoke, he said, tends toward the conservative look, with many formally designed two-story Colonials. The polished brass look goes well with this design scheme.
"You see two-tier or single-tier light fixtures because this is a conservative area," he said. However, some two-story foyers with 18-foot ceilings will demand a larger fixture - for instance, a three-tier fixture - to stay in proportion. The effect is stunning when seen outside through palladium windows.
Dalton said kitchens are receiving a lot of attention right now, thus necessitating an upgrade in light fixtures to a more modern look. Bound and beveled glass, similar to Tiffany styles but in clear or lightly tinted shades, will hang over tables, while the recessed or florescent task lights (under cabinets) help highlight work areas.
Poff said she has seen chandeliers go toward a more modern, imported design with an alabaster finish. In dining areas, she said, recessed lighting is used for practical purposes, and the chandelier is "jewelry hanging from the ceiling."
The master bathrooms are receiving just as much emphasis as kitchens. Bathroom strip lights that go across larger vanities with two sinks, and come in polished and antique brass, chrome or oak with a beveled mirror, are now available. And throughout the bathroom, you can find recessed lights above the shower and above the Jacuzzi, for instance.
Outside, it's the same story, but with the added benefit of security. Not only is lighting a decorating tool, but it can defer the curious burglar.
According to Poff, more "up" lighting is used. This means burying the fixture in the ground and focusing the light beam upward to highlight a bush or tree, or create shadows on the wall. "It's safety and security," said Poff. And it will draw attention to the house and garden.
Dalton said that it can increase the resale value since it upgrades the general appearance of the exterior and adds to the overall effect.
"This area has not been big in the landscape market," Dalton said, "although we're starting to see an influx." Mushroom (recessed) lights along paths and the driveway are preferred. Last year, at the National Lighting Convention in Dallas, Dalton said only four showrooms were devoted to landscape lighting, but this year that number increased to 12.
by CNB