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In a new light *** Lighting design enjoys uptick in popularity

JULIE KAY; Advocate staff writer;

Mood is in.

And, when it comes to setting a mood, nothing works better than the right kind of lighting.

Whether it's soft candles to set the stage for romance or a bright spotlight to showcase a treasured piece of art, lighting is getting plenty of attention these days.

From HGTV, which has dedicated a new show, "Light it Up," to this fast-growing trend, to lighting design showrooms, there's more and more talk about how to show off a room or its accents.

While Phillip Tebbutt, an associate professor in LSU's Department of Interior Design, is excited about all the attention lighting is getting on decorating shows, he also wants homeowners to think about what they want to achieve in their homes.

Tebbutt, who teaches lighting design, said the spotlight TV programs, showrooms and magazines put on the topic is always good for ideas. "It gets the word out and makes people interested."

The problem comes, he said, when homeowners try to emulate what they saw on a TV show. Many shows focus on quick fixes that might not be best in the long run, he said.

Whether changing a small area or whole rooms, lighting is a big part of room design, Tebbutt said.

He said he teaches students to aim for quality lighting rather than quantity.

"Be a good observer. Look at the existing situation and what is deficient. You want to balance natural and artificial lighting as best you can.

"Once it's analyzed, come up with ideas on how that can be remedied," he said.

Tebbutt, who calls his home his laboratory, uses multiple lighting techniques in each room.

In the living area, "layers of light," - different types of lighting in varying degrees of brightness - enhance the space.

Over the dining table hangs a candle chandelier from a ceiling of brightly colored corrugated fiberglass roofing - the kind used on sheds. Lights glow through it.

More soft light comes from the muted globes on the ceiling fans, which Tebbutt said were deliberately set off-center in the room.

"We've moved beyond just lights in the center of the room," as was typical in many homes for so long," he said.

In the kitchen, Tebbutt and his wife, Mandy, used cable lighting above the island and recessed lighting under cabinets.

In a new light

By changing the lighting in specific areas, one can dramatically change both the color and the mind set of the space, Tebbutt said.

"Light plays a big part in human psychology," he said. "It's a very emotive source."

How a homeowner feels in his or her home is definitely an important consideration, said Sean Deloro, a certified lighting specialist with Notoco Industries.

"Homeowners are spending more and more money on things like counters, the backsplash, flooring and architectural details, and they want to show that to its best advantage," he said.

And consumers are becoming more lighting savvy as they update kitchens and bathrooms, said Richard Ourso, president of the Remodelers Council of Baton Rouge.

Whether it's general lighting, task or accent, if things are not properly lit, you're only halfway there," he said.

Where there was once one table lamp in a room, there are now niches in the wall created for lights and specialized panels for lighting control.

"The customer wants control of their lighting," Deloro said.

Dimmer witted

Which brings up the second, third and fourth buzzwords in lighting - dimmers, dimmers and dimmers.

From the simple to the mega-pricey, dimmers are essential for lighting control, according to lighting and architectural experts.

"It is the biggest return for your dollar, to put in as much light as you can in the house on dimmers," said local architect Kevin Harris. "The reason being is you can manipulate where your lighting and mood is by dimming the light you have."

The principle is similar to the reading lamp on the nightstand with its low, medium and high settings, he said.

Lighting trends

Lighting trends are indeed being more explored and considered than in the past, Harris said.

Years ago when he tried to put in special lighting at a local commercial business, he was called before the board to defend the expense.

"I was asked 'What's wrong with the one light, one room' concept?" he recalled.

That doesn't happen as much today, he said.

People now look at things like the color renditions of light sources, types of light bulbs and the best ways to accent either the room in general or special features of that room, he said.

One of the most common mistakes in remodeling? Changing the room, but not the lighting.

"You just won't have the same effect," Harris said.

Whenever a homeowner is considering lighting design in their home, Tebbutt has some advice: "Do your homework."

Make sure sockets and circuitry can support the changes if there is a large project involved, he said.

"If it is a big change, they should have an electrician size up the load on the circuitry. It's a safety issue," he said.

Also, think maintenance. Light quality degrades if not maintained by cleaning/dusting properly and light bulbs are hard to change when they're 25 feet in the air, Tebbutt said.

And what about cost?

Changing or updating lighting need not be tremendously expensive, said the Remodelers Council's Ourso.

One of the big trends in accent lighting, he said, is decorative pendants, which can easily change the look of the room.

On a smaller scale, battery operated "candles" similar to both votive and tapers can change a corner or a portion of a room with the flip of a switch, according to Erin DeBosier, co-owner of The Red Door.

The "candles," which flicker like real candles, can be put inside decorative holders or candle sleeves to set the mood in a specific area.

Operating on hearing aid batteries, the smaller votives can be dropped inside a larger candle sleeve or decorative pieces and placed in spots where having an open flame is not advisable.

Light bulb moment

The main movement today is away from incandescent lighting, which is considered energy inefficient, toward fluorescent and other lighting types favored by the growing "green" movement.

Many experts predict the future will include light-emitting diodes or LED lighting, which is expected to be more available in the next two to five years. More sizes and shapes also are expected to come into the marketplace. Their advantage is that they can last 30 to 50 times longer than an incandescent bulb, Tebbutt said.

The disadvantage? Cost.

Most experts say while the cost may scare people initially, the price should come down as the cost of production does.

Solar lighting power is also expected to take off, Tebbutt added.

The future for lighting is, pardon the pun, bright.

Getting started

Things to bring or talk about when visiting a lighting professional:

1. Have a room-by-room drawing or layout.

2. Talk about your style. Bring magazines or pictures to show what you like.

3. Talk about the function of each room. For example, will the kitchen be used for entertaining? Is it a dining room/kitchen combination?

4. If building a new home, give lighting specialists plenty of time to consider options. Don't wait until the electrician is ready to do installation.

5. Discuss how to provide layers of light.

Room improvement

Ideas to improve lighting in your home:

1. Upgrade traditional switches to dimmers.

2. Upgrade light bulbs. Replace incandescent bulbs with fluorescent or halogen bulbs for crisper, whiter and more energy efficient lighting.

3. Introduce lighting to an existing area, such as installing recessed or under-counter task lighting.

4. Tackle one room at a time. Taking on the whole house can be overwhelming.

5. Use portable lighting, such as torchiers, which provide "uplight."

Knowing your bulbs

Types of most commonly used light bulbs:

INCANDESCENT: Inexpensive and simple to install, incandescent bulbs are the most common. Most are not very energy efficient.

FLUORESCENT: Come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors of bulbs. Good for use as cabinet lighting in the kitchen or around bathroom mirrors. Most fluorescent bulbs cannot be put on a dimmer.

SPOTLIGHT: Provides a focused beam of white light. Used to highlight item, such as artwork.

HALOGEN: Closest to natural daylight. Energy efficient and can be put on a dimmer.

LED: (Light-Emitting Diode). An up-and-coming type of lighting, it's the longest lasting and most energy efficient of lights. Expected to be widely used within the next five years as more sizes and shapes become available and costs come down.

Lighting types

GENERAL OR AMBIENT LIGHTING: Overall lighting to help you safely maneuver your home.

ACCENT OR DECORATIVE LIGHTING: Lighting to highlight specific details, such as plants, collectibles or artwork.

TASK LIGHTING: Often more intense, these lights help with specific tasks, such as eating, reading or working on the computer.

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In a new light *** Lighting design enjoys uptick in popularity

JULIE KAY; Advocate staff writer;

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