When it comes to how the rooms in our homes look and the vibe that they give off, lighting is one of the most important elements. Good lighting can make or break the appearance of a room. It can turn a dark gloomy corner into a beautifully lit and bright corner, perfect for unwinding with a book, or simply a place for displaying some of your most cherished ornaments.
There are lots of ways that we can create new looks and style in our homes. You can remodel one of the rooms, with kitchen and bathroom remodeling being the most popular. Or you can simply go the easy route and redecorate. Another way that you can change the dynamics of a room is through lighting, which can actually be one of the easiest and cheapest solutions to give a room a makeover.
Natural vs artificial light
Everyone dreams of a home with tons of natural light coming in through the windows. If you are fortunate enough to have a skylight, then thats a real bonus. Theres something unique and beautiful about natural light that can never be replicated artificially.
Natural light consists of the full spectrum of colours of the rainbow, which has different tones, contrasts and depths throughout the day. Each season also brings with it different shades of natural light, in addition to the temperature outside. Natural sunlight is also a source of vitamin D, which is important for maintaining the health of our bones.
Artificial light is much colder than natural light in terms of the tones it creates, and in most cases will contain infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. These are not harmful for your health as long as they are not used at extremely close range or are extremely intensive and strong.
There are many types of artificial lighting that you can use in the home, with neon being one of the most unique. There are lots of great neon light ideas to be found over at Neon Mama.
LED Lighting
Today the most popular form of lighting at home, as well as in the workplace, are LED lights. LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs produce light through the diode inside, which is a semiconducting material which lights up when an electric current is passed through it.
LED bulbs are much more energy efficient than regular light bulbs and can use up to 75% less energy. They also last longer than the standard filament light bulbs. Though not even LED bulbs can replicate natural sunlight, there are some bulbs that are known as daylight white, which are very popular, especially in offices and places of work.
The Discovery of Neon
One form of lighting that has been making a gradual comeback over the past few years is neon lighting. William Ramsey and Morris Travers, two scientists from Britain, first discovered neon back in 1898. They were running a series of experiments on a sample of argon, which they froze with liquid air, and then collected the evaporated gases. Upon running a high voltage current through the gases in a test tube, they noticed that they glowed a crimson red colour.
Several years later in Paris, the first neon lights were created by Georges Claude, an engineer and inventor, who then applied for a patent for neon lighting in 1915. Since then, neon lights gradually began to become more and more popular for signage and advertising, and they started appearing in cities all over the world including New York, Tokyo and Las Vegas.
Modern Neon Lighting
Today, you can find a wonderful selection of LED neon lights, which are much more durable and stable than the original glass neon tubes with gases. There are lots of fantastic designs and styles that you can find on neon lights for the home. They can be shaped into letters and images and come in a range of sizes and colours.
They are great for the kitchen, hallway or home office, and add a real unique touch to the appearance of your home. They also make wonderful gifts. If you are trying to find something different for a family member or friends birthday, anniversary or even as a Christmas present, take a look at having a custom made neon light designed for their home
Todays neon lights are very energy efficient and have an extremely long lifespan. You could easily get more than 40,000 hours of usage from one of them. They are also very tough and durable and are very easy to clean.
Some final thoughts
Lighting plays a vital role in our homes, and can set the mood in an instant. There are so many different lighting options for the home and office, that you are often spoilt for choice.
Instead of going with a generic and classic approach for some parts of your home, why not be a little adventurous and consider going with something a little more different such as a neon light. They can be fitted onto the wall, or hung from the ceiling. There are lots of options available, and you can easily find something that is perfect for a part of your home.
