Now That's A Weird Chandelier!

At Lighting Concepts, we pride ourselves in bringing you the highest quality light fixtures on the market. And we also like to keep things classic. But we couldn't help but laugh when we came across this site all about Ten Weird Chandeliers. We're going to give you a quick rundown of our favorites.

The Gummi Bear Chandelier is made entirely of gummi bears. That's right. Gummi bears. It has a few beads and metal that gets threaded through the bears. It's interesting because there's always the danger of the chandelier getting too hot... the gummi bears have to be coated with a special treatment so that they don't melt.

We also really love the Gramophone Chandelier. The inspiration for the Grammy Award, the gramophone horn is the speaker device that was used on old record players. They're actually really neat. They have a nice old-world flavor to them. But you really have to be a nut for nostalgic collectibles, that's for sure!

And our personal piece de resistance is the Umbrella Chandelier. This wacky light fixture uses umbrellas with a silver plated light bulb. It actually provides a really neat lighting effect since the light has to diffuse through the colored umbrella.

Just remember... Lighting Concepts is here for you when you're looking for a chandelier that's a little more on the “classic” side.

Light Bulb Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

How much do you know about the bulbs that you put into your quality lighting fixtures from Lighting Concepts?  Now is the time to test your knowledge!

1. Who invented the first commercially successful light bulb?
2. What type of air is inside an incandescent light bulb?
3. The filament inside a modern incandescent light bulb is made from what type of metal?
4. LEDs are small light sources used in electronic devices. What does LED stand for?
5. True or False: The yellow light bulbs on some porches work to repel bugs.
6. What percentage of energy in a 100 Watt incandescent light bulb is converted to visible light?

Answers:

1. Joseph Swan invented the first commercially successful light bulb. He actually patented the idea in Britain a full year before Edison received his US patent.
2. To prevent the filament from burning out too quickly, the bulb is filled with an inert gas.
3. The filament is made from Tungsten.
   
4. LED stands for “Light Emitting Diode.”
5. False! Insects can't see the color yellow, so bugs are neither attracted to nor repelled by yellow light bulbs.
6. 2.6% of energy is converted into visible light. Most of the energy actually gets converted to heat.

Lighting Trends

The trends in lighting tend to reflect the trends of the furniture world as a whole. Many of the new trends in lighting are affected by the amount of younger consumers, smaller homes, and the quest for living a more eco-friendly lifestyle. The main trend in lighting these days can be summed up in one word: “clean.” We here at Lighting Concepts have gathered up a few main points to get you thinking about the trends when you start lighting up your home.

-Arc lamps are becoming the most popular kind of floor lamp. This is largely due to the popularity of sectional sofas.

-Proportions are changing, too. Taller shades and squat vases are becoming the prevalent look in table lamps. The popularity of platform beds has resulted in table lamps with smaller bases and tall shades. (See... form follows function!)

-Like we said, “clean” is the main term here. The aforementioned emphasis on shades also means that you're going to pay more attention to them. Shades are becoming more complex— almost architectural. The overall theme here should be uncluttered despite embellishments.

-It's important to go green! It's easier to make energy conscious lighting choices than ever before. Try looking for fixtures that are equipped to use fluorescent bulbs rather than incandescent ones.

Whatever you need to light up your home, you'll be able to find it here at Lighting Concepts. And we're always up on the trends!

Improving Home Improvement: Nate Berkus

Big things happened in the TV world this week. Decorating guru Nate Berkus is getting his own daytime talk show. Are we excited? You bet we are. Nate is full of so many fun and creative ideas, and we can't wait to try some of them out for ourselves. We're sure you'll feel the same way. Why does Lighting Concepts love Nate? Because he doesn't act snobby about decorating, that's why. He said, “Everyone needs to t urn their spaces and their lives into something that works for them.”

We like that.

Odds are that The Nate Berkus Show is airing on your local TV. It got picked up by 177 local stations... and that covers 96% of the country. We're excited to hear what he's got to say about different ways to add light fixtures to your home.

We admire that Nate is a self-taught design expert. He worked at an auction house before he founded his own Chicago design firm when he was 24. (What were you doing when you were 24?)

Our favorite Nate Berkus tip so far? Nate says that he's a “take-away guy.” What does that mean? Well, he doesn't want to tell you exactly what to do with your home. He wants to give you information that you can then take away and use however you want to make something that is distinctly YOU.

You can do just that with any of the great products here at Lighting Concepts, too. Let your creativity fly!