By: Amanda Breger, Manager, Sunlighting, Ltd.

The winter months are a time for many to snuggle up in front of their fireplaces, hunker down in sweat suits and hope they don’t catch a winter cold. But for others the winter months are a time of residential reflection. After the lawn chairs have been put away and the holiday decorations have been taken down there are a few months before the warm spring weather arrives when some are choosing to upgrade their homes.

Lighting is one of the most important decorative aspects of a home. It impacts the way we live, see, and entertain. Yet most people spend little to no time choosing their lighting and leave an even smaller budget to spend on their choices. The good news is that for most homes this can be a very inexpensive and non-invasive project compared to some home improvement projects. Here are some suggestions to help upgrade the lighting in your home:

Kitchens: For many homes in the Delaware area, kitchen lighting consists of an unattractive 2 or 4 bulb fluorescent flush mount in the center of the room. In today’s homes the kitchen is the hub of our everyday lives where families gather, children do homework, and meals are prepared. While fluorescents can be efficient, they are not always effective. By removing the fluorescent and replacing it with 2 or 3 pendants over a work island, or by introducing under-cabinet lighting in task areas, you can greatly improve the lighting while enhancing the aesthetics of the room. Prices start as low as $60 a pendant and cabinet lighting can be as low as $30 for a 30” light bar.

Powder Rooms: If you are one of those homeowners who procrastinate, you may have an original light fixture up in the one room which guests see the most…the bathroom. If you have a newer home that was built in the last 10 years and still have what the builder installed it’s time to rejuvenate! Give your powder room a fresh coat of paint and a new light fixture and you will be amazed at what a difference it makes. Your guests will be talking about it for the rest of their visit. Prices start as low as $59 for some of our reduced fixtures.

Bedrooms: Believe it or not, winter is the most opportune time to replace old ceiling fans or install new ones. A ceiling fan can be installed easily in any ceiling with an existing power source. Meaning that it is possible to remove a light fixture and install a ceiling fan without any additional wiring. Ceiling fans work in two directions: clockwise in the winter to push the trapped hot air down and counter-clockwise in summer to draw the hot air up and away from you. If you are at all mechanically inclined, installing a ceiling fan can be completed in as little as four simple steps. Removing an old ceiling fan and replacing it with a new efficient EnergyStar ceiling fan will also help reduce energy consumption. Prices start as low as $90 for a flush mount ceiling fan with a lifetime warranty on the motor.

Give your home a needed facelift this winter with a few lighting upgrades! It’s inexpensive, easy to do, and won’t disrupt your everyday lives.

Helpful Tip: Only use compact fluorescents in fixtures which will be in use for more than 15 minutes at a time. By switching them on and off frequently you greatly reduce the lifespan of the bulb.

Testimonial:

“I thoroughly enjoyed working with Amanda from Sunlighting. Dedicated to my lighting needs, she worked diligently to find the perfect fixtures for my new home. Sunlighting has a wide range of products in all price ranges and I found the staff to be knowledgeable and professional with the requisite expertise.” ~Lori Yanez

Sunlighting has been assisting customers with their lighting needs for the last 35 years. We provide in-store lighting consultations for large or small projects and offer whole house discounts. Sunlighting has won Delaware Today’s Best of Delaware – Lighting Store for the last two years in a row. We stock and display a wide range of lighting styles and products; Everything from elegant traditional pieces to cutting edge contemporary fixtures can be seen in our 4,000 sqft. showroom. We carry chandeliers, table & floor lamps, outdoor lighting, bathroom lighting, kitchen lighting, pendant lighting, recessed & track lighting, undercabinet lighting, Tiffany lighting, ceiling fans, Lutron products, lamps shades & finials, and we also provide lamp repair services. We are professional, curteous, and always willing to help no matter how large or small the project. Visit us in our showroom or online www.sunlightingltd.com you won’t be disappointed with our selection!

Publisher’s Note:

I often do publisher’s notes on products and the ground rule is that the product must be a great product, and the service that comes with it must be just as great. When I first decided to use Sun Lighting to furnish the lights for my new home I thought they had a great selection, but nothing compares to their service. They walked me through the decision process making sure that I picked not only beautiful lights, but extremely functional lights. When it came time to deliver the lights they were on time, making sure that everything was there when I needed it. I would recommend this company a thousand times over. Great product, Great people to work with.