Monday, December 28, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Picture Light
Good lighting makes justice to a good painting!
With proper picture lights, your art will stand out in the room. What's the point of hanging a beautiful piece of artwork if you can't see it? With proper picture lighting, you'll be able to see your art, it will attract the attention it deserves, and you'll be able to see all the details "in the best light."
Picture lights attach to the frame of the art and come in various lengths and many metallic finishes. They're great for lighting art in a dark place or to draw attention to it.
Measure the width of your art and use the following rules to determine the length of your picture light.
•For a frame 8 to 14 inches wide, use a 4 1/2 inch light.
•For a frame 12 to 18 inches wide, use a 5 1/2 inch light.
•For a frame 16 to 24 inches wide, use a 7 to 9 inch light.
•For a frame 25 to 37 inches wide, use a 14 1/2 to 16 inch light.
•For a frame more than 35 inches wide, find a 30 inch light.
Of course these are just suggestions. Find the light that looks best and gives the proper illumination for your artwork.
Lighting pictures is a great way to accentuate the color and detail of your artwork. Many homeowners are victims of the myth that natural sunlight is the best way to illuminate pictures. Nothing could be further from the truth. Ultraviolet and Infrared radiation from the sun can damage your artwork and turn a picture lighting project into a complete disaster. Moving your pictures out of the path of these damaging rays may be the best decision you ever make.
Insufficient light fixtures do not make up for this problem. Many bulbs produce ultraviolet radiation and can produce the same type of damage that would occur, if you left your pictures hanging under natural sunlight. Homeowners need to find a superior lighting manufacturer, who can offer a variety of picture light products that are safe, effective, and energy efficient. Galileo has everything you need in the illumination department.
We offer numerous top-notch products from some of the best manufacturers in the industry. Our staff consists of lighting consultants, installers, and customer service specialists, all of whom can answer any question you might have about your project. We offer superior products and short lead times. Galileo Lighting has one of the largest inventories in the illumination market, so variety is never a problem.
Most art galleries, consultants, and homeowners tend to use surface mounted lights. These lights are usually attached to the frame leaving cords exposed or concealed depending upon the location of the receptacle. The light produced by these fixtures floods the artwork and can produce a high level of heat that may be harmful to your picture. Homeowners are better off going with an MR16 bulb fixture, which has dichroic reflectors that eliminate harmful UV and infrared radiation.
Galileo Lighting has illumination products that use this type of bulb. We have projectors that produce a focused source of illumination over your artwork giving your artwork a “lighted from within” look. These projectors have a 75-watt MR16 halogen based lamps originally designed for the fiber optic industry. They come with special UV filters that eliminate any harmful rays from reaching your picture. These projectors come in a variety of housings for different looks.
We also have single, double, and triple arm lighting fixtures to accent your works of art. These lights come in a variety of finishes depending upon your color preference. Galileo Lighting offers many different styles of picture lighting as well. We have light fixtures that are perfect for traditional, contemporary, and even Old World settings. All will add a touch of soft brilliance to your home environment.
Residential Landscape Lighting and Design’s picture lights do not stop here. We offer cordless versions, which are battery operated for your convenience. These lights are not only good for highlighting artwork, but can also be used to illuminate your piano, sheet music, and music stand. These lights come in a variety of styles and finishes to accommodate your home environment.
Natural sunlight has always been considered to be the best source of illumination, when it comes to picture lighting. This common myth has plagued homeowners all over the world and has resulted in catastrophic results. Many bulbs also produce harmful UV and infrared rays over your artwork, but there are energy efficient viable options that have built in protection from these problems. Galileo Lighting and Design offers superior picture lighting products from a variety of well-known manufacturers, who have taken the steps to ensure your illumination project obtains the best results. Contact one of our experts today and get started on the fast track to superior lighting.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The creative team!
William Peters - Owner / Lighting Specialist
Leonardo Rojas Garrido - Creative Director
Contrary to popular belief, hiring a designer can also help you save money. Galileo has the necessary tools & products to maximize the impact in your space.
We believe that every building project undertaken by an owner is absolutely unique. Therefore we will find the combination of site conditions, personal needs/wants, budget and materials that fit your personal project.
This is the primary advantage of hiring a designer to help create your home. Our expertise is in marrying the functional, structural, and aesthetic requirements of your project in a way which best suit you.
Conversion or eliminating an area seldom used can open up more square footage and in the process save you thousands of dollars.
Click on picture to enlarge
Galileo’s experience of more than twenty years has applied lighting techniques to less expensive projects yet result in an amazing transformation.
Few people have overseen or built enough to be entirely comfortable with the mayhem of a busy jobsite. Cost over-runs, shoddy workmanship, slow progress, and other elements are unfortunate facts of life that can arise in the course of a project. This is yet another area where we are able to anticipate or foresee challenges. The knowledge of the building process, construction techniques and materials, and with the client's best interests at heart we are a liaison with the builder, sub-trades, building inspector, and other trades.
Last but not least, years of experience provide us with the visual tools to ensure your décor, paint treatments, and lighting design result in the desired effect having been fulfilled thus satisfying our clients.
For all your needs, do it once & do it right! In the long run you will have saved a great deal of time, energy and money!
A common mistake in many renovation or building projects is to concentrate on a single element.
While lighting is the finishing and most important touch, many focus on a single facet.
Expand your horizons.
Do your homework.
Whether a simple renovation, an extreme makeover or a new home.
Take a look at some simple tips & suggestions that may help in your decision process:
General Lighting
More lighting does not necessarily mean better lighting. Take the following steps, and then decide:
1.Consider size of room
2.Consider floor to ceiling heights
3.Consider colour selection (dark colours can absorb 40% of light out-put)
4.Consider your day to day use of the room(s)
5.What type of light do you want?
6.Will you be using dimmers or dimming systems?
7.Consider windows (Which way are they facing?)
The Professionals at Galileo Lighting will consider the above and factor in any other relevant calculations such as lumens and photometric data.
There are definitely products on the market which are poorly designed with little quality control.
Not to worry, Galileo Lighting & Design will not use such products in our clients’ homes.
Landscape Lighting
Considering which way to go; Line Voltage (120volt), Low Voltage (12volt) and Solar/LED.
If the inside of your home is brighter than the outside, you will lose the visual elegance & tranquility you have worked so hard to achieve.
Option 1) Line Voltage (120volts)
Advantages
•Able to run long distances
Disadvantages
•Burial of cable must be at least 16” below surface•High energy costs
•Small Selection of attractive 120v fixtures
•Each fixture requires a concrete burial box (added cost)
•Should you require any electrical troubleshooting, your electrician will have to dig up concrete box’s (added cost)
Option 2) Low Voltage (12volts)
Advantages
Terrific selection of product
•Burial of cable is only 4”-6” deep
•Ease of installation
•Low energy cost (6 to 1 ratio)
•Extended lamp life
•Minimal electrical costs for installation & maintenance
Disadvantages
•In my professional opinion there are barely any disadvantages to low voltage. With the exception of one issue which can easily be overcome by using the appropriate products.
•Limited distance is 50’ to 100’ when using 12/2 cable (standard cable). Want to run further? Switch to a 10/2 cable with a multi-tap transformer.
Option 3) Solar/LED
Both solar and LED are viable options however only when using quality & tested product. The only drawback is your initial cost.
The advantage to solar, LED or organic LED is that once installed the products are virtually maintenance free. Your average lamp life is anywhere between 30,000 hours to 100,000 hours.
Green technology is the way of the future. Get on board and let the professionals at Galileo Lighting & Design Solutions design a plan that covers all your needs.
Well thought out & properly installed products will increase the value of your home, save you energy while creating an extended living space for you to enjoy.
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