Posts Tagged ‘Bright’

Bright Ideas: the Role of Lighting in Successful Home Staging

Lighting is one of the best ways to add intrigue and drama to a room. The right lighting is magic- it can help make a room appear larger, or taller. It can highlight, accent, define and contribute to the ambiance of a room. When it comes to selling your home, the right kind of lighting can be very helpful in augmenting its attractiveness and appeal.

You may ask yourself, “what sort of light bulbs should I use?” Firstly, it is always recommended that you buy the highest wattage permitted, then control it, by installing a dimmer. This is always a great feature, as you can adjust the light according to the time of day, or the mood you wish to set. Of course, never insert a bulb that exceeds the maximum wattage that the fitting instructions suggest. Below are some different types of lighting and their associated properties:

Incandescents

- Throws a light warm, golden yellow light.

- Are ideal for creating warmth, coziness and intimacy.

The advantages to these lights are the nice light that they throw, alongside the fact that they are inexpensive and easy to find. Some disadvantages are that they can scorch delicate paper shades. They also have a tendency to blow suddenly, and compared with other lighting solutions, incandescent bulbs tend to be energy hogs.

Halogens

- Throw a whiter, more pure and bright light than the incandescent.

- These lights are ideal for up lighters.

Some advantages to halogen lights, are that they are indeed an energy efficient choice. The design of the bulbs can be slim and compact. The mains-voltage types can be used in conventional fittings without a transformer, but ask an electrician first. The main disadvantage, is that they are expensive to replace.

Fluorescents

Typically associated with the harsh buzzing lights in factories, offices and classrooms, these light have much improved in recent years. They are available in many new varieties that are ideal for:

- Mini strip lights in kitchens

- Desk lamps, display lights and under cabinets

To put it simply, you should look for areas where you can use compact fluorescents for energy savings, without hurting the aesthetic aspects of your home. In places where you still need to have a dimming capability or greater lighting control, you may want to incorporate halogen as a part of your total lighting strategy.

LEDs

These lights are typically associated with Christmas lights. Essentially they are just tiny light bulbs that fit easily into an electrical circuit. But LEDs can also be used in certain interior and exterior lighting solutions.

- LEDs are cool bright lights and best used as an indirect light source. Have them bounce off your warmer colored surfaces for a soothing, homey effect

- LEDs are ideal for: under cup-boards, under valences, around a bathroom vanity, as night lights, for driveway lighting, and in different mood lighting solutions.

In terms of becoming a light magician there are a couple tricks to keep in your bag. To make a room appear taller, use vertical beams from low hanging pendant lights. Making a room appear larger can be achieved with the use of mirrors skillfully placed where they will serve to open up a room. Accent lighting can also help create the illusion of space and set a unique mood in a room. Be sure to add lighting with up lights, recessed lighting, smaller lamps and artwork spot lighting. If you are wanting a large, high room to feel more cozy, consider setting up several table lamps to create smaller, low pools of light.

Thoughtful lighting choices will serve to maximize your homes attributes and minimize its flaws. So, consider the role of lighting as you go about preparing your home for potential buyers, and dare to stage your home in the most attractive light!

Quantum Dots Enjoy the Glow of a Bright Future

Quantum Dots Enjoy the Glow of a Bright Future
Quantum Dot’s Flexability Make them Useful in a Number of Areas

Many people have never heard of quantum dots, but they are an increasingly important part of nanotechnology. Quantum dots nanotechnology are approximately 5.5 to 6.5 nanometers in diameter. Nanometers are very small; equivalent to 1/1,000,000,000th of a meter. Though small, quantum dots are making a big difference in a number of areas including medicine, lighting, and solar energy.

Quantum Dots in Medical Technology

Quantum dots are being used in medical technology to track and monitor cell changes. Quantum dots are much brighter and more stable then their predecessors in medical technology, which were organic dyes. These benefits allow for much clearer results, and longer observation periods. Quantum dots are currently being used to track the development of cancer cells, so there’s a chance that the use of quantum dots in medicine could lead to better cancer treatments in the future.

Quantum Dots in the Home

Another use of quantum dots is in LED lights. LED stands for Light-Emitting Diode, and it is the newest technology in lights. Compact fluorescent bulbs are already more efficient than incandescent bulbs, and LED lights last four times as long and use half the energy of compact fluorescent bulbs. The biggest problem with LED lights is that they are new still a new technology, so the cost per bulb is still high. As with all new technologies, price goes down over time. This means that eventually LED lights will replace compact fluorescent bulbs as the light bulb of choice.

Quantum Dots in Solar Technology

A hot topic currently is solar energy, and quantum dots are being used in solar energy research as well. Much like how quantum dots are being used to improve LED lights, quantum dots are being used to improve solar receptors. Currently the theoretical limit for energy conversion is 33%, while using quantum dots increases the efficiency to approximately 60%. This is due to quantum dots’ ability to absorb and emit radiation. If the integration of quantum dots into solar receptors goes well it could be a major factor in solar panels becoming more mainstream and practical.

Keep an Eye Out for Quantum Dots in the Future

As you can see, there are a number of industries who need to buy quantum dots. Quantum dots are an exciting and emerging new technology which a great deal of potential. Keep and eye out in the future for some of the advancements mentioned here involving quantum dots.