Client saves $2500 on light fittings alone

Using a professional can SAVE you money!

Mint Lighting Design recently saved a client $2500 in light fittings alone (not including reduced installation costs or the ongoing energy saving in power consumption).

This client has a standard four-bedroom, single-storey 250sqm home and wanted a simple lighting solution using a product they had researched and selected.

We took the information from them regarding their needs (the design brief), and then strategically located the light fittings throughout their home to create lighting effects that both serviced the needs of the home and provided visual interest.

Our client received a clear lighting plan indicating the locations of the different light fittings, information on the best lamps to select for each area and a few helpful hints to get the most out of their lighting.

All that information, advice and instant savings of $2500!  

Impressed? Contact Mint Lighting Design to discuss what we can do for you.

Facts of light #3 - where did my colour go??

LED downlights trick #3

I’d swear I had a beautiful red shirt until I walked inside and it turned a brown maroon colour… so what happened? 

Simple fact of Light that many people don’t realise… Light is a Rainbow.  Every colour you have ever seen exists in light.

The problem we face is that some lamps (globes, light sources) don’t have the full rainbow – and that means we have gaps in the colours we can see.

There are so many ways to explore this lighting fact – at my workshops and seminars it’s always one of the first things we do, and it’s a lot of fun for everyone.

Which is all very interesting, but what does it mean to you – and why is it important in LED?

You can choose how well your colours will appear by selecting light sources which have high colour rendering

Good LEDs are in the high 80’s, and the best are in the 90’s – what you need to be careful of is anything below Ra84 (that is, colour rendering of 84).  84 is what we’ve become used to with fluorescent lamps, and anything less will change how you see the colours in your home.

The tricky part is – many LEDs don’t list this information BUT here’s the good news – all the good quality, reliable ones do…

So that makes it quite easy really.

Ask your lighting supplier – what colour rendering does this LED have? If they don’t know…and can’t find out… maybe you need to consider another light…

Facts of Light #2 - when green isn't good

LED downlights trick #2

If you’ve ever attended one of my lighting workshops, you’ll know that I spend a lot of time talking about colour in light.  Understanding colour (K) has never been more important in the world of lighting.  So what is it and why does it matter?

 Light comes in a huge range of colour temperatures.  You may have heard terms like warm white, cool white, daylight – these are all great descriptors for light temperature. 

The problem starts when you buy something called cool white or warm white that isn’t – and once you’ve seen it, you’ll never be able to ignore it again.

When you look at LED – deciding where you should use them, and how good they are value for money wise – you have to think GREEN.  Or PINK.  Or BLUE as well as WARM or COOL.  LED is notorious for producing light with a green tint, which tends to make everyone look ill, pink which can be OK, so long as it’s not combined in the same room with a blue white or green white, and of course the cold blue that everyone has seen in low quality LED.

 So, when looking at LED, check that is says warm white, or cool white, or 3000K, 3500K, 4000K – anything in that region.  If it lists 5000K or higher, chances are it’s going to look very blue, and most likely is not what you want in your home. Now here comes the important bit

YOU MUST TURN ON A REAL SAMPLE AND CHECK FOR YOURSELF!

All good lighting professionals do this. It’s vital to check that it is WHITE (not GREEN, PINK etc.) and that it is the warm or cool you want.  Turning them on is a great time to check for glare too.  If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, check out a cool and warm CFL lamp – they show it clearly and reliably.

Facts of Light #1 - avoiding LED pitfalls

LED downlights trick #1

Glare is a serious pitfall of LED downlights.  The "sparkle" in the ceiling that you're accustomed to seeing from traditional downlights is very different to the glare of a cheap and/or poorly designed LED downlight.

Fortunately there are easy ways to assess the myriad of LED downlight options - and discover the best version for your home.  We'll start with assessing for GLARE.

The further back the light source (LED chip) is in the fitting – the less glare it’ll produce.  As a rule of thumb - avoid fittings where the LED is within 10mm of the face.  Some lights incorporate a cover which reduces glare - these can also be a good option.

Always get a physical sample, look where the LED is and keep reading for lighting trick #2 for choosing the best LED downlights in your home.

**How do you know if it's glary in your home? If holding your hand above your eyes like you're shielding them from the sun makes the room more comfortable, then you've got glare.

Some lamps incorporate a cover which reduces glare - these can also be a good option.

So – always get a physical sample, look where the LED is and keep reading for lighting trick #2 for choosing the best LED downlights in your home.

How do you know if it's glary in your home? If holding your hand above your eyes like you're shielding them from the sun makes the room more comfortable, then you've got a glare problem.

Yourhome.gov.au - a valuable resource

and one that gives you an un-biased opinion of what you need to consider when lighting your home.  Reading through the lighting section of the technical manual, there's a lot of great information, although some is a bit dated.  Arming yourself with a little knowledge can go a long way to making sure your project meets your expectations at the end of the day.

check out: http://www.yourhome.gov.au/technical/fs63.html then book in for your professional lighting design service.

Mint Lighting Design - working with you for the right light.

What to do?... BCA Compliant lighting required for Planning Permit Applications

The BCA guidelines require lighting not exceed 5W/M2 in your home.  So what does that mean?

No more halogen downlights is the most obvious result, but simply replacing 50W downlights with LED versions isn't going to get you over the line either.  The biggest problem home owners are facing is ending up with poor quality light in their homes, and no way to simply solve the problem.  LED downlights range in quality from the laughable to the exquisite - and pricing usually matches.  Without a detailed understanding of the properties of light and what current technologies are capable of, this new lighting world is a minefield.

Of course, the most interesting lighting opportunity to rise out of all this is.... we don't have to use downlights in our homes. 

There are literally thousands of options for lighting your living spaces.  Creating a design that meets aesthetics, budget and energy from that huge range is where engaging an independent lighting professional gives you the ultimate advantage.