Good Lighting Tips

What is good lighting design and how is it achieved?

There are many ways to enhance the beauty and look of a project. You can always landscape, paint or decorate your interiors but there is nothing quite like an amazing lighting design to dramatically change the feel and mood of a room with a smooth detail. Lighting options differ for every lifestyle.

Good lighting design brings improvement in aesthetics, better visibility and artistic touches.

Consider the mood and function of the room you are creating.  Natural light is the most welcoming of lights so employing the benefits of both natural and artificial light reaches a happy medium.  A good rule of thumb is every room needs an average of 200 watts for every 50 square feet.  

General background illumination is good for living rooms and family rooms.  A chandelier hung (30 inches is the norm) over a dining room table sheds light on a table and meal.  A dimmer switch provides the option to lower lighting when the mood suits you. Kitchens require light in every square foot.  Bathrooms need high voltage lighting, especially near the mirror. 

One of my favorite sources of light is uplighting.  Uplighting is great for a corner to create shadows, under artwork, and shooting up through greenery in the garden.   Another source is candle light.  Don't wait until the power goes out!  Light those candles and highlight a mantle, table, or backyard setting. 

Don't limit yourself to what your electrician has to offer. Explore new ideas, research websites on lighting and venture out to brighten up your life!

Garden Pallet for Small Spaces

Fern at Life on the Balcony is a whiz at maximizing garden space

This is an easy way to bring a garden to a small area, wall, or apartment balcony. This project calls for 6 simple supplies:

a pallet, 2 large bags of potting soil, 16 six packs of annual flowers or herbs, a small roll of landscape fabric, a staple gun, and sand paper.

What a great way to re-use a pallet and a creative idea to design an unusual garden. It will bring color and nature to a space that might not usually have anything, give a small space definition, or create a scene on a blank wall.

Guest blogger: Katherine Fountain

$1 : Turn Dollar Store Finds into Home Furnishings

Smart Move Design was given a challenge by our local newspaper. We were handed $25.00 to see what kind of home decor we could buy or create from the dollar store. We scoped out the best dollar stores in town and got creative. For the full article and before and after photos of all the items, click here

Small Space Design

Since 1960 homes had been doubling in size. For the first time in 50 years the census data now shows a decrease in home sizes. With a decrease in size comes the challenge of adjusting from large spaces to smaller while still having a feeling of comfort and design.

5 tips for small spaces

Have a bench and hooks at an entry way to allow jackets, hats, and shoes to stay together in an organized way.

Make a room feel more open by using glass tables.

Hang a mirror at or above eye level to open up the space without showing clutter on the floor. Hang it across from a window to bring more light into the room.

Create multifunctional zones within a room: a drop leaf table behind a sofa can act as a sofa table, dining table, and desk.

Larger furniture with fewer accessoires allow a room to feel comfortable and uncluttered.

Guest blogger: Tess Johnson

Have fun with murano glass beaded wallpaper

Faux glass bead wallpaper makes for a lovely and glamorous look for your wall anywhere in the home. The wall coverings shed beautiful light to give an impact. They give a statement to any space and are available in a wide array of colors. This is an easy way to bring color and texture into your home while making an impression on the space itself.

Guest blogger: Katherine Fountain

Organic Design

Organic design

In today's society the use of organic materials is becoming not just a trend but also a necessity for people with extreme allergies. Many products have “off gassing” that contributes to air quality in the home. Designers are working with organically made products to create a more healthy environment.

• Organic bedding made with organic cotton

• Organic rugs and carpets made of wool, jute, bamboo, cotton, and hemp.

• Flooring made of bamboo and reclaimed wood.

• Low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) paints

These are just a few materials you can begin to change when designing or redesigning your home.

Guest blogger: Rebecca Plank

Easy Art

We were looking for a way to do some inexpensive art for kids and teens rooms when we stage vacant homes. These were a breeze to make.

Fabric circles made from embroidery hoops and different patterned fabrics.

Fabric squares and rectangles made from different sized canvas stretcher bars and patterned fabrics.

All materials found at our local Hobby Lobby.