LED

Kalco Lighting Introduces Color Temperature Technology

gannunzio — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 16:48:50 +0000

Kalco Lighting Introduces Color Temperature Technology gannunzio Tue, 02/13/2024 - 10:48

Kalco Lighting has introduced a new CCT (correlated color temperature technology) LED technology to elevate luxury lighting experiences in residential and commercial settings. The new technology will allow customers to effortlessly set the color temperature, from warm to cool tones, for various decorative lighting styles to suit their unique needs and personal preferences.

“Color temperature choices aren’t widely available in today’s luxury lighting designs, but it is an essential element as it influences a room’s atmosphere and can positively impact our well-being,” says Riki Lent, senior vice president at Kalco Lighting and Allegri Crystal. “This technology is meant to give interior designers and commercial customers more options to set the mood for their space while creating visually dynamic environments.”

Kalco Lighting now offers a versatile range of color temperature choices, from warm colors with a color temperature of 2700k to cooler tones with a temperature of 4000k. While warm, cozy hues are ideal for laid-back and relaxed spaces, such as a living room or outdoor area for entertaining, cool colors with a temperature around 4000k are ideal for vibrant and energetic environments, like offices or high-end restaurants and resorts.

The latest CCT LED technology aligns with Kalco Lighting’s evolving naturally inspired design style, which combines the use of sustainable materials, like authentic alabaster and Capiz shell, and earthy color palettes to promote relaxation and wellness by strengthening connections to nature. Additionally, the new CCT technology can increase energy efficiency as lower color temperatures consume less energy.

The CCT technology is available in several new lighting collections, including the avant-garde Piovere Collection from Allegri Crystal and the nature-inspired Folium Collection from Kalco Lighting. Designed by Kalco’s award-winning Vice President of Design and Development Takayuki Ishii, Folium’s customizable color temperatures are sure to provide a visually captivating, yet glare-free outdoor lighting experience.

Trending: Quiet Luxury

drubin — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 15:00:00 +0000

Trending: Quiet Luxury drubin Thu, 12/28/2023 - 09:00

At Your Fingertips: Your Need-to-Know for LED Lighting

dfalvey — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 16:51:28 +0000

At Your Fingertips: Your Need-to-Know for LED Lighting dfalvey Fri, 12/08/2023 - 10:51

LED is becoming the standard in lighting and home design. With such benefits as sustainability, long life, safety and versatility, as LED has evolved, the possibilities are limitless. That's if you know what you're looking for and how to make it work. Sponsored by Craftmade, we bring you this downloadable "cheat sheet," which shares some of the things you'll want to pay attention to when choosing an LED bulb or light fixture.

For example, do you understand Kelvins? Lower temperatures mean warmer light (yellow) and higher temperatures mean cooler light (blue). Here you can compare Kelvin temperatures and their incandescent counterparts along with learning where each works best.

We also cover lumens-to-wattage conversion, sustainability, lifespan and how to choose the best quality light for your purpose.

You don't have to be afraid of LED any longer. We give you the specifications you should look for when choosing the correct lighting, thanks to Craftmade.

Download this free document to keep for your reference or to print and share with your customers and clients!

Download link after this image:

At Your Fingertips: Your Need-to-Know for LED Lighting

Modern Forms Debuts Sculptural LED Pendant

dfalvey — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 14:30:55 +0000

Modern Forms Debuts Sculptural LED Pendant dfalvey Tue, 11/28/2023 - 08:30

Modern Forms has introduced Amari, a new clean and sculptural LED mini pendant. The new light fixture offers two interlocking panels that render a thought-provoking aesthetic, according to the company. Subtle ambient illumination commands attention for this floating work of art. Amari is also offered in a larger pendant and wall sconces.

The LED driver is concealed within the slide-on square canopy with minimal hardware. Thin powered aircraft cables provide an ultra-clean look for adjustable suspension height, ranging from 35 to 155 inches.

The Amari pendant from Modern Forms is available in an aged brass or black finish, and delivers 3000K illumination with over 2400 lumens and a 90 CRI (color rendering index).

The mini pendant can be arranged in multiples over a kitchen island, dining table, bar or counter to create a dramatic design statement.

The pendant is Title 24 JA8 Compliant and dims down beautifully with an electronic low voltage dimmer.

Incorporating LED Into the Four Essential Light Layers

dfalvey — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 16:20:04 +0000

Incorporating LED Into the Four Essential Light Layers dfalvey Wed, 11/15/2023 - 10:20

Lighting is a foundation for good design and functionality. There are four layers of lighting essential to providing an optimal atmosphere and functionality in the home. Today’s LED light resources have a wide range of values that work within those parameters. As no single light fixture can provide everything you need to illuminate a room properly, without layering lighting, a space can feel unfinished and uninviting.

Light performs four basic functions that can be broken into ambient, decorative, accent and task lighting. To layer properly, first identify the purpose of each, then blend and balance the layers to create a cohesive, comfortable space.

As designers and lighting retailers, you may be schooled in how to implement these layers; however, how do you extend that message to your customers and clients, particularly if it means adding or allocating funds to a budget in a way that was unexpected?

Understanding the layers is an important step to good design. As lighting technology evolves, too, also understanding how LED light sources can ensure the effectiveness of those layers will set you and your clients up for homes that function properly and set the right mood. As incandescent lighting is phased out — the Department of Energy is eliminating this type of lighting — we need to be ready to replace what we can no longer find.

The Four Layers of Light and Purpose

Task Lighting

Task Lighting is lighting by which you do work, such as under-cabinet lighting, reading lamps or kitchen lighting designed for prep and cooking tasks.
Task lighting should be bright enough to shine a spotlight on the work at hand, designed to reduce eye strain and ensure that what’s being worked with is easily seen.
To convert to LED light sources for task lighting, consider Kelvin temperatures of 3000 - 5000 Kelvin, providing a brighter — and cooler — light source that will accentuate the task at hand.

Ambient Lighting

Ambient Lighting is gentle fill light. It softens shadows on people’s faces and fills the volume of a space with a warm glow. Ambient light comes from illumination that is bounced off horizontal or vertical surfaces — think ceilings and walls. Opaque wall sconces, torchieres, pendant-hung indirect fixtures and cove lighting can be used to create ambient light.
“I love the use of cove and under counter lighting in some of our projects on the design side,” says Karen Johnson, Special Projects, Brand Manager for Craftmade. “When you enter the space, ambient lighting welcomes you in.”
Johnson recommends LED tape in these applications due to the ease of installation, versatile size, and flexibility of the product with most offering the ability to choose or adjust the color temperature from 2700 to 5000 Kelvin, going from warm to cool, depending on the light sources’ intended purpose.

Decorative Lighting

Decorative light fixtures add sparkle and design to a room. Such fixtures as chandeliers, pendants and wall sconces are considered decorative lighting and shouldn’t be used as workhorses for lighting a room. As decorative lighting is typically designed for spaces in the home where a warmer color temperature is desired, LED values from 2700 to 3500 Kelvin, are often suggested. However, this type of lighting can be more subjective, based on the design style of the home and the homeowner’s preferences.

Accent Lighting

Accent lighting is used to highlight objects and add depth and dimension. Adjustable recessed luminaires, track lights, portable uplights such as torchieres and directional landscape lights are examples of accent lighting as are table lamps and wall sconces.

According to Craftmade’s Johnson, it makes sense to mirror the Kelvin temperatures associated with decorative lighting in this case.

When gas and then electric lighting were first-introduced technologies, the single light in the center of the ceiling of the room was the norm, and many spaces still follow this today — consider the light fixture that is often in the center of the ceiling in each room of the home. As lighting has become more sophisticated, using the room itself as an important light source through ambient lighting can transform the space, making it more inviting and nuanced, setting the stage for a more balanced use of decorative, accent and task lighting.
By layering these four functions together you can create welcoming environments while providing the correct usable light sources for day-to-day activities.

What to Look For in LED Lighting

As LED light sources continue to evolve, with better color temperatures and dimming capabilities that can bring a room from daylight to warmer tones as the environment requires, understanding and utilizing LED can have a significant impact on the light balance in an environment as well as providing longevity, safety and sustainability.
Understanding the terminology and facts on lighting packaging can go a long way in ensuring the LED light color and temperature you choose is correct for the layer of lighting and the space it will illuminate.

Lumens addresses the amount of light enabled. The higher the lumens, the more light is emitted. For example, the equivalent lumens for a 60-watt incandescent bulb is approximately 800 lumens. The difference with LED is that the same level of light from the LED bulb consumes approximately 9 watts, a significant savings where energy is concerned. As a result, LED bulbs have a much longer life, close to two decades with natural use.

Kelvin refers to the color temperature. The higher the Kelvin value, the cooler (or brighter) the light source. Higher values are good for task lighting, while lower values are better for ambience, giving a room a warm glow. Where 2400 Kelvin is equivalent to candlelight, 3500-4000 Kelvin more closely mirrors daylight. Choosing the right temperature for your layers of light helps create an optimal atmosphere in each room.
Color Rendering Index (CRI) The CRI is a measurement of light against the accuracy of sunlight on a scale of 0-100. The higher the value, the truer an object’s color will appear. A CRI of 85 or higher is best to ensure wall colors and objects in the room are depicted accurately.

Dimmability: Today’s better LED light sources have much improved dimming capabilities as well. Gone are the days of flicker when a bulb’s light is lowered, allowing your lighting to shift with the time of day and intended purpose for the lighting in a space.

The Re-emergence of Crystal for Luxurious, Bright and Elegant Lighting

drubin — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 14:41:02 +0000

The Re-emergence of Crystal for Luxurious, Bright and Elegant Lighting drubin Tue, 10/10/2023 - 09:41

ARCHITECTURAL LIGHTING: AT THE INTERSECTION OF TECHNOLOGY + DESIGN

drubin — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 21:05:13 +0000

ARCHITECTURAL LIGHTING: AT THE INTERSECTION OF TECHNOLOGY + DESIGN drubin Mon, 08/14/2023 - 16:05

WAC unveils Aether Atomic, Diminutive LED Recessed Luminaires

gannunzio — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 17:34:38 +0000

WAC unveils Aether Atomic, Diminutive LED Recessed Luminaires gannunzio Thu, 02/02/2023 - 11:34

WAC introduces Aether Atomic, a new series of diminutive trimless LED recessed luminaires. An engineering marvel in recessed lighting, Aether Atomic breaks the mold with convenient serviceability and robust illumination (up to 1000-plus lumens) from a diminutive aperture for stealth-like illumination for a quiet ceiling.

Minuscule and mighty, peerless and powerful, the new potent Aether Atomic is creatively engineered with LED technology with shallow housing designs that fit tight plenum spaces. With small yet serviceable ½-inch and 1-inch apertures, WAC proprietary technology ensures that it is future-proofed with easily replaceable LED light engines without disturbing the ceiling.

The one-inch downlight offers low-glare, robust lumen output and three high-efficiency reflectors that are included and field-changeable. This style is offered in black, gold, haze, and white finishes.

The ½-inch pinhole projects dramatic lower lumen illumination from a more discreet source while including two high-efficiency reflectors that are field changeable. This model is available in black or white.

Die-cast aluminum constructed with a universal housing profile for shallow plenums, the luminaires include high-quality stainless steel spackle frames for long-lasting durability.

Using just 11 watts of power, Aether Atomic is available in four CCTs: 2700K, 3000K, 3500K and 4000K. Operating on a 120-277 Volt Universal system, it dims beautifully from 100 to 1 percent with ELV, TRIAC (120V only), and 0-10V systems and is IC-rated for remodeling and new construction projects.

Lighting Report: LEDs Are Different...and Better

gannunzio — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 15:30:49 +0000

Lighting Report: LEDs Are Different...and Better gannunzio Wed, 10/12/2022 - 10:30

Update Bathroom Lighting to Refresh Design

igillette — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 17:07:42 +0000

Update Bathroom Lighting to Refresh Design igillette Wed, 07/13/2022 - 12:07