The 4 C's of Crystal Chandeliers

Collection:
Select the desired shape and style to fit your lifestyle and taste.

Cutting:

Select your quality cut of crystal (refer to above "Types of Crystal"). Buying a crystal chandelier is similar to buying a diamond. Choose your preferred shape and style of the chandelier. Next, the cost of the chandelier will depend on chosen quality of crystal.

Color:
Select desired finish. Glass arm chandeliers are available in Gold or Silver.Silver: The authentic color. Will reflect the true color spectrum of crystal. Works in all interiors.Gold: A dramatic color. Works well when complementing furniture and hardware in brass.

Circumference:

Understand the right size chandelier for your room. Proper scale 2" per foot of room. If circumference of room is 12' X 14', a 26" diameter chandelier is correct.

Additional Guidelines
4 - 6 person dining table: 20"-24" chandelier
6 - 8 person dining table: 25"-29" chandelier
8 - 10 person dining table: 30"-36" chandelier

Height above dining table: 30"- 32". Two story Foyer: 10'-11' above the floor.

A Guide to Crystal Chandeliers

Types of Crystal

Crystal may be machine cut, hand cut or molded. A description of crystal types follows:

Strass Crystal: Absolute perfection.
Considered the finest crystal in the world. Strass is manufactured by Swarovski AG in the Austrian Alps. Strass is an optically clear crystal, clear as spring water, totally free of flaws, unique in purity and brilliance. Strass crystal is characterized by razor-sharp cutting facets with the lead content in excess of 30 percent. Cutting and polishing are done by machine to achieve optical clarity. Strass crystals are treated with an invisible coating, which eliminates dust attraction and makes it easier to clean and maintain.

Swarovski Spectra Crystal: A beautiful value.
A passion for perfection has made Swarovski the world leader in the production of cut crystal. Swarovski & Co., manufacturer of Strass Crystal, has created a new alternative quality crystal. Swarovski has used advanced technology with old world knowledge to produce a brilliant crystal with precision cutting and superior light reflection. This crystal type is designed for a crystal connoisseur demanding quality at an affordable price.

Majestic Wood Polished: The choice of traditionalists.
Our majestic wood polished crystal is cut by hand in two stages on an iron and then a sandstone wheel. Each crystal is then polished on a wood wheel with marble dust. These methods go back centuries. If you look closely you will notice faint traces of the wood-wheel attesting to the concentrated labor of the artisan. This is a mark of authenticity. Each piece is a unique and original masterpiece.

Italian Crystal: Venetian heritage.
Venetian crystal (from glass-making regions in and around Venice) is molded, not cut. You will notice a rounding of edges that comes from fire polishing. Molded crystal though never as brilliant as cut crystal, has a subtle charm and is an exceptional value. It is an ideal budget crystal for heavily dressed and/or commercially oriented chandeliers.

Murano Crystal: Imaginative form.
Each hand blown piece is a work of art. No two crystals are alike. When color is added, the crystal takes on a whimsical form. It comes in a variet of shapes and sizes. It comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Including fruit, spheres, tear-drops and flowers.

How to Choose the Right Lamp

Adding a little light to your bedroom or living area seems like a simple task, and it is, provided that you consider some of the factors affecting which lamp fixture you should buy. Too many home owners and even decorators choose lamp lighting while out shopping without taking measurements and considering both the style and the purpose of the lamp to accommodate the necessities of the living area. Size, brightness, and style are very important when purchasing any type of home lighting, but lamp fixtures are especially particular because they serve the dual purpose of providing light and ornamenting the room. Before you go hunting for a new lamp, be prepared with a few helpful hints.

The size of the lamp is possibly the most important matter to determine. This is somewhat dependant on the functionality of the potential fixture. Will this lamp sit on the floor or on a table? Will it be used for reading light? Where will the lamp be positioned in the room? These are all questions that need to be asked. If the lamp is going to be placed on a table, it must have the right proportions so that the lampshade does not overlap the edges of the table. This not only prevents the lampshade from being bumped into but also allows for a few more objects to be placed on the table for display. At the same time, the lamp should not be too small for the top of the table. If the lamp is going to be utilized for reading or other activities that require adequate light, the size is especially crucial. The lamp and lampshade need to be large enough to illuminate the area for reading. It is helpful for the height of the bottom of the lampshade to rest at the same level as the ear of a person positioned on the bed, couch, or chair. Making measurements of all of these factors ahead of time will save you time later. Measure the table height and circumference and measure the height from the floor to the ear of a person sitting on the furniture. Additionally, take the weight of the lamp into consideration. If there are young children around the house, a heavier lamp base has a smaller chance of being pushed over. Lighter weight lamps should be used in areas that draw less traffic in the home.The wattage of a lamp fixture needs to be appropriate for the purpose of the lamp. Most lamp fixtures support a 60 watt light bulb. This is fine if the purpose of the lamp is mostly decorative or additional to existing lighting. However, if the lamp is used for reading or is one of few or only fixtures in a room a lamp that holds three bulbs or more will be much more efficient, if they produce 60 watts each. Most people should have 100 watts of light for reading, and there are some reading lamps that produce this wattage with a single bulb, but if you cannot find a fixture like this, a three-way fixture will work just as well.

The materials and styles of lamps are the most flexible options. The style of the room does not even have to completely match the lamp, which goes for the lamp material as well. As long as the finish of the fixture is complimentary or matching to the surface the lamp will rest on, the material can be chosen by taste. To narrow the search, decide on a contemporary or traditional style first and proceed by finding the right sized and proportioned lamps. Lamps need to pull a room together, whether that is by pulling two colors together or filling a space with good light, and without the right proportions it will be difficult. Picking the right lamp fixture may be the final factor in the success of your home lighting. Lamps are crucial decorative pieces that must provide the light you need while tying the room design together. Take the time to measure precisely and choose wisely.

When to Use Recessed Lighting

Recessed lights are usually used by architects and interior designers in rooms where the residents aim for a relaxed and soothing lighting effect. Recessed lighting is considered preferable to the use of multiple standing and side table lamps based on the mood they can induce in the occupant of the room. You will discover why interior designers are using recessed lighting when you enter a room that has recessed lights in them – to see is to believe, as they say.

The experts may recommend that you have recessed lights installed in your hallways and/or kitchen, to get the best use out of this form of lighting. Recessed lights are installed in the form of canister lights that will fit the holes in the ceiling they were fitted for. You will probably need an experienced electrician to guide the installation team in the installation of your recessed lighting, so that the finished work results with the recessed lights being set flush with the ceiling structure without compromising safety.

In the US, recessed lights may be known by other names, namely "can lights" or perhaps as "high hats", while in Canada recessed lights are dubbed "pot lights" instead.

Replacing old light fixtures with new can lights requires thorough computation of the total energy that will be used by the can lights everyday compared to the energy consumption of the old light fixtures. One problem with many structures is over-illumination that results in soaring electricity bills (with the problem made worse when can lights are installed in areas that not many people see anyway, and so cannot be appreciated.) Thus it is important the cost to install can lights and to maintain them, to be able to justify their usage.

If you are faced with a complicated can lighting installation procedure, you may need the assistance of a professional lighting engineer who will guide the installation team in how to install can lighting. The lighting engineer should not only know how to install can lighting, he should be able to assess where the can lighting is really needed, and how many can lights should be placed in different parts of the structure. If occupants later develop health problems like headaches, or high blood pressure perhaps, that may be caused by over-illumination of the interiors of the building, you should wonder whether the lighting engineer knew how to install can lighting properly in the first place, rather than ask why interior designers are using recessed lighting nowadays.

If you are in doubt as to the specifications to be used for your recessed lighting or can lights, you may consult The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (also called IESNA) which sets the photometric standards for lighting equipment for manufacturers. This photometric data will show you how much light is distributed exactly by a certain form of lighting. This data should guide your lighting engineer as to the right type of recessed lighting and their specifications when mapping out the can lighting installation procedure for you and the contractor.