It’s amazing the impact that light and lighting has in our homes and in our lives! It is the single most important element in a room, yet it is frequently overlooked or often misunderstood.  Good lighting can create exciting moods, and help maximize the successful performance of daily living tasks and activities while helping to create a beautiful energy-efficient home.

Our ability to see, and therefore remain independent through the years, is compromised by bad lighting.  Lighting touches each of us every day, and it can be used to make a positive difference in our lives to maximize independent and safe daily living in our homes.

Good lighting is for everyone!  Beginning at age 40+ even people, with good vision require about three times as much light as younger people with good vision.  Over 120 million Americans already wear corrective lenses.  One out of every four children ages 5 to 12 has a vision problem.  Quality, energy efficient LED bright, but glare-free, 3000 kelvin color, ambient and task lighting in all areas of the home will benefit everyone…and make a positive difference in our lives.

Windows allow the use of natural filtered (by translucent shading) daylight, in addition to lighting fixtures, to help create a bright and cheery indoor atmosphere. 

Careful selection of light fixtures, fixture placement, and lamp types, insures that all rooms at night are still well illuminated.  Energy-Star labeled DC motor ceiling fans will help reduce your monthly utility bills, by providing better circulation of both heated and cooled air circulation, all year round.  

Energy efficient, high quality LED ambient (general illumination), and well placed task lighting fixtures, are essential for function and safety. 

Skylights with diffused lens produce great "free" day-lighting.  Consider installing skylights in your home when possible, to bring in filtered or glare-free natural daylight.

Bathrooms:  When building new, or remodeling, use high quality, glare-free LED light fixtures, in 3000 kelvin color, carefully placed to provide overall general illumination while bathing or showering, grooming, or viewing cabinetry contents.   Also install LED light fixtures or sconces on both sides of the mirror, at eye level,  instead of on top.  An operable window providing enhanced diffused natural light and seasonally added fresh air, is a real plus.  Install a high efficiency, very quiet, DC powered, Panasonic "WhisperGreen" (correct room sized air flow) exhaust fan, or fan/light, along with Title 24 code approved timer or humidity sensing switching controls.

Provide high quality LED lighting in all closets, switched at each respective closet doorway.  Consider motion sensor switches.  Also provide bright glare-free undercabinet lighting where applicable.

Energy-Star approved light fixtures lower the cost of lighting in your home by using less electricity and are designed to meet the highest standards of energy-efficiency without sacrificing quality of light, design, performance, or color rendition.  The way we light our homes can make a real difference in our utility bills.  Make your home an Energy-Star rated home!  Use only high quality, highly reputable, name brand LED light fixtures and lamps.

Important Facts About Lighting and Vision as We Age.  (IES).

Lighting needs increase at age 40.  A 60 year old receives about 1/3 as much light at the retina, as a 20 year old.  Contrast or distinctness of objects decreases.           Contrary to the "hype", 2700 kelvin or lower CCT color LED lamps are too warm and impair good vision!   Vividness of colors decrease.  Adaptness to changes in brightness becomes more difficult.   Visual tasks performance gets better as brighter, glare-free light levels increase.

Bathroom Lighting: Bright (glare-free) lighting throughout the house is essential for independence and safety...especially in the bathroom and kitchen. (Glickman)