Say it with Floor Lamps

Say it with Floor Lamps

"Getting the very best floor lamps for your home"

Flexible, efficient, and a little bit fun—that's the plan for today's home lighting. Take your pick: crisp highlights or moody shadows; bold strokes or a soft, flattering wash. Or mix them together. Indoors or out, you'll discover lighting products and techniques that deliver comfort, safety, and style.

Flexibility is the new byword; glare is the big bad wolf in lighting lingo. Flexibility means multiple light sources or layers operated by multiple controls, allowing you to dial in your mood; dimmer switches provide fine-tuning options. Motion sensors, timers, and daylight sensors abound. Computerized control panels are gaining steam.

Floor Lamps will Light Up Any Room

Light sources are more energy-efficient and more adaptable than ever before. Fluorescent bulbs and tubes are much improved—just in time, given energy codes requiring ambient fluorescent light in some locales. Once available only in "cool-white" (read "ghoulish blue-green"), fluorescents now come in about 200 colors; fixture choices are expanding, too, with the advent of compact fluorescent bulbs. Long-lasting halogen bulbs are another option, delivering punch and focus. Also up-and-coming are decorative fiber optics, cold cathode, and an "industrial" source: metal halide.

Fixtures are shrinking in size. In today's lighting philosophy, unless you want to feature it, it should be invisible. What if you do want to feature your fixtures? You'll find endless new designs, from halogen pendants and contemporary wall sconces to tiny, jazzy low-voltage tracks and rope lights.

Outdoors, good lighting provides safety and security, but lighting pros also speak of increased curb value and the way exterior lighting expands interior space. Today's outdoor lighting designs are subtle, even those incorporating sophisticated security options. Like indoor schemes, new outdoor installations tend to be multilayered and flexible.

Ready to light it up? This book take's a three-phase approach. The first section, "A Planning Primer," paints the basic terms and techniques you'll need to know. Next, "Great Lighting Ideas" makes a colorful, room-by-room house tour—and then heads outdoors. Want to shop? Turn to "A Shopper's Guide" for the scoop on bulbs, fixtures, and controls.