Christmas Lights, Led Lighting, Lighting, Outdoor lighting, Design Lighting Group, GA

A Brief History of Christmas Tree Lights

As Christmas approaches, millions of Americans will begin the annual tradition of pulling tangled snarls of lights out of their closets and draping them over roofs, across walls, and through the boughs of trees. The 135-year history of how these mass-produced novelty lights became a holiday fixture is a distinctly American Christmas tale.

Americans have lit up Christmas trees since the early 19th century—long before the invention of the modern light bulb. In those days, families would decorate trees in their living rooms and then attach burning candles to the branches. Unsurprisingly, this created a serious fire hazard. For safety reasons, families would gather around to light the candles one time each year for at most an hour, usually while standing by with pails of water and bags of sand to douse the flames if the display got out of hand. Still, accidents were so routine that by 1908, a group of American insurers began refusing to pay claims related to Christmas tree fires.

An illustration, circa 1858, of a family around a Christmas tree lit by candles.

In 1879, Thomas Edison had just perfected the world’s first practical light bulb and was in the middle of an all-out media blitz to bring attention to his new product. On New Year’s Eve, he drew thousands of people to his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey, where, according to Forbes, he showed off his new invention with “a live outdoor display with dozens of incandescent lamps strung together”—what some call the world’s first string lights.

But Christmas and strings of electric light wouldn’t be tied together for three more years. On December 22, 1882, Edward H. Johnson—an impressively mustachioed inventor and vice president at the Edison Electric Light Company—set up a holiday-themed display in his Manhattan home to demonstrate the beauty of electric light: 80 twinkling red, white, and blue bulbs strung between the boughs of a large Christmas tree, which he mounted on a rotating platform in his living room.

A reporter from the Detroit Post & Tribune could barely contain his enthusiasm for the “fantastic tree with its starry fruit” and the novel lights “encased in these dainty glass eggs”—his old-timey way of describing the multicolored bulbs. “One could hardly imagine anything prettier,” he wrote.

The publicity stunt caught the country’s attention, and by 1890 General Electric had begun manufacturing electric Christmas lights. But in the early years, only the rich could afford them. To install the lights, you needed to buy a generator or battery to provide power, and then you needed to pay a trained “wireman” to individually wire each bulb. Decorating a house could cost as much as $300—about $9000 today. According to a dissertation on Christmas lights by Kerri Dean, the expensive lights became the “rage amongst the wealthy,” and “Christmas tree parties to show off the expensive electric lighted tree became exciting social events for children of high society.”

As technology improved, Christmas lights got cheaper and safer. The early versions burned so hot they could still cause fires, but technological advances began making the bulbs safer. In 1903, department stores began carrying pre-wired strings of eight lights for a hefty $12, more than $300 in today’s dollars. Families who couldn’t afford to buy a string of lights outright could rent one for the season for $1.50—about $40 today. By 1914, a string of lights cost just $1.75, and by the ‘20s Christmas lights were affordable for most Americans.

The White House played a major role in promoting the new trend nationally. In 1894, Grover Cleveland became the first president to celebrate Christmas with electric lights, likely to impress his two young daughters. The tree, according to The Wheeling Register, was “very beautifully trimmed and decorated with tiny parti-colored electric lamps in place of the old-time wax candles.” Cleveland’s display featured 100 multicolored bulbs—but it was dwarfed by Calvin Coolidge’s extravaganza of 3000 lights on Christmas of 1923.

But the Christmas light tradition owes most of its success to electric companies, who saw the holiday trend as an opportunity to sell lighting products. An undated pamphlet titled “All the World’s a Stage at Christmas and All the People on it are Lighting Prospects” pushed the idea that holiday light displays were the industry’s best sales pitch. “The world at Christmas time is the background for a gay, spectacular extravaganza,” the pamphlet declared, and on the Christmas stage “there are quantities of lamps to be sold, Christmas lighting equipment, wiring. There are kilowatt-hours to be sold. Lighting this stage is profitable business for the electrical industry.”

Just a few years after Coolidge’s tree, the Christmas light industry crowned its first king: the NOMA Electric Company, which would dominate the world of Christmas lights until the 1960s. Its founder, Albert Sadacca, picked an unfortunate time to start a novelty lighting business. But the Christmas light industry weathered the financial storm of the Great Depression through an aggressive advertising campaign that appealed to family, country, and “the importance of a properly celebrated Christmas in trying times such as these.” One 1930 ad in the Saturday Evening Post featured a little boy writing a letter that read “Dear Santy, Please come to our hous this time becos we have it lit up now so you can’t miss it enny more.” A 1932 NOMA catalogue assured that their designs “look right to the American eye” and “fit in with an American Christmas.”

The ad campaign worked, and the 1930s became a renaissance for funky Christmas light designs. NOMA produced lights in the shape of clowns, witches, and Santa Claus. Over the years, light designs changed with American taste. The ‘40s saw a craze of Bubble Lites, shaped like the candles families used to light their trees with. The heat from the bulb in each light would boil a liquid inside the candle-shaped plastic mold, causing the lights to flicker like real flame.

A family around a lighted Christmas tree, circa 1955.

In the ‘60s, the Christmas light industry looked on in dismay as Americans fell in love with aluminum trees, which are unfortunately good conductors of electricity. Faulty Christmas lights could charge aluminum trees with electricity and zap the next person to touch a branch. Since traditional string lights were potentially lethal on a metal tree, families switched to rotating color wheels instead. This, combined with stiff competition from foreign manufacturers, led NOMA to file for bankruptcy in 1966.

The classic mini light design—the familiar incandescent lights in tubular-shaped bulbs that come on perpetually tangled green wires—was first sold in 1970. They’ve dominated the Christmas light market until the recent rise of LED lights, which use between 80 and 90 percent less electricity and can cost 1 to 2 percent as much to power.

While Christmas tree lights have taken many forms over the past 135 years, the tradition of dragging a dead tree into our living room and setting it aglow has remained a strange fixture of American culture. Just thank Edward H. Johnson for cutting your risk of lighting your house on fire this year.

Article Provided By: MentalFloss

Design Lighting Group offers a large variety of lighting systems, Decorative Fixtures, Recessed/Track, Outdoor Lighting, LED Lighting, Antiques, and more. If you would like to discuss your lighting needs please do not hesitate to call us at 404-351-5010 or                                                               email us at info@dlightinggroup.com.

Light Bulbs, Decorative Hardware, Outdoor Lighting, Motorized Shades, Lighting, Design Lighting Group, GA

Lighting Basics- The Right Bulb

INCANDESCENT?  HALOGEN?  LED  

Determining the right type of light bulb for your lighting needs can be utterly confusing.  With so many different types of lighting available to us today, how does one weed through the options? 

On top of the large variety of choices, this industry keeps evolving and the lighting technology continues to improve.  Many of last year’s advancements are already old news and there’s a new version on the market.  It takes a lot of effort to keep up with this light bulb evolution! Here’s a quick breakdown to get you started:

INCANDESCENT:  If you are a lover of the classics, the incandescent bulb may be your match.  Standard incandescent lighting is warm in color, easily dimmed, and looks great in almost any environment.  If you tend to lean towards warmer paint hues and finish materials, and prefer a softer lighting effect- incandescent lighting may be your favorite pick.  The struggle?   Higher wattage, traditional incandescent bulbs have been phased out due to energy regulations.  So- you won’t find your 100 watt or 75 watt standard version on the shelves any longer.  Some retailers still have a supply of 60 watt (or lower) incandescent bulbs.  The phase out of this old technology will eventually come to a close, however.  Then what?  That brings up the next bulb…

ECO-HALOGEN:  Do you enjoy the ease and flexibility of incandescent lighting, but need something a little stronger for high task areas?  Meet the new incandescent: Eco Halogen.  Eco-halogen is a newly designed version of the standard incandescent bulb.  In fact, some of you may have purchased this bulb version without even realizing it differed from the original, since the phase out of the standard incandescent bulb began.  The Eco Halogen bulb has the same silhouette of a standard A-19 light bulb, but instead of a filament inside, it houses an envelope of halogen or xenon gas within the bulb structure.  This Eco-friendly adaptation makes this bulb type 30% more efficient and longer lasting than it’s predecessor.  It also has a slightly higher Kelvin rating than the old incandescent version- which can make this bulb appear brighter and whiter to our naked eye.

LED:  It’s no secret- LED seems to be where the entire lighting industry is headed.  The most energy efficient of all light sources, LED technology has definitely changed the illumination game. No filaments or gas filled envelopes here- the energy emitting diodes that comprise an LED light bulb are teeny tiny microchips, in which an electrical current passes through to illuminate the source.  The result=visible light!  There is much confusion with this new technology, however.  The conversion LED light bulbs that are widely available now have a broad range of Lumen OutputsCRI Ratings, and Kelvin Temperatures within them.  It can be an uncomfortable amount of information to try and weed through on your own.  The plus side: you can have an LED bulb in almost any color of light you wish.

Article Provided By: Creative Lighting

Design Lighting Group offers a large variety of lighting systems, Decorative Fixtures, Recessed/Track, Outdoor Lighting, LED Lighting, Antiques, and more. If you would like to discuss your lighting needs please do not hesitate to call us at 404-351-5010 or                                                               email us at info@dlightinggroup.com.

Living Room, Lighting, Decorative Hardware, Motorized Shades, Design lighting Group, Atlanta, GA

Tips: How to Light Your Living Room

“The way you light a room can completely change the space” Melissa LaBancz-Bleasable

The more light sources you have in a room allows you to control the ambience, mood and how you use the room. With that in mind, the living room is one of the most important rooms in the house, therefore, the living room requires ambience, mood and character. Whether you want to chill out and get cosy, read, do a bit of knitting or watch tv, you need the right mood to do so and in turn, the right lighting. To create the perfect atmosphere for your living room space, use a combination of light fittings that serve their own purpose.

The top 3 things to consider:

Feature Lighting – This type of lighting serves as the most prominent light fitting in the living room. It is the first light you see at a glance when you enter the living room and this is where you can go wild with the design.

  • Choose a statement piece(s) significant enough to fill the ceiling space e.g. if you have a long room you may need two feature ceiling lights. If you have a smaller ceiling, one will do.
  • Pendants and Chandeliers work best as feature lights. The options are endless; chrome, silver, satin, gold, copper, brass, colourful or a printed shade.
  • You can also base your decision on how much light you want to portray from your feature light e.g. a single pendant or a 5 light chandelier.

Lighting, Decorative Fixtures, Decorative Hardware, Track Lighting, Recessed Lighting, Design Lighting Group, Atlanta Georgia

 

Ambient Lighting – This type of lighting creates the mood for your space.

  • Using wall lights gives you control over the light and can give a subtle lighting effect in comparison to your feature light.
  • Recessed lighting is another great option for use across the ceiling space. You can easily choose any number of downlights to fit your room size and light requirements.
  • You can choose dimmable lighting products for all of the above. This will give you the option to change the atmosphere from fully lit to low and cosy almost instantly, by the simple turn of a knob.

Lighting, Decorative Fixtures, Decorative Hardware, Track Lighting, Recessed Lighting, Design Lighting Group, Atlanta Georgia

Lighting, Decorative Fixtures, Decorative Hardware, Track Lighting, Recessed Lighting, Design Lighting Group, Atlanta Georgia

 

Table/Floor Lamps – Table and floor lamps are not only great for adding elements of lighting to your room but also great for adding to the overall design of the room. They serve as a part of the furniture too.

  • Choose one or more table lamps to sit as a centrepiece on a side table, chest or small cabinet.
  • Choose one or more floor lamps depending on space, near a seated area to act as a form of light when needed and also a statement piece in its own right. (See below image)
  • Position your table or floor lamps to where they serve the most purpose and where they look best. For example, table lamps should be placed near a seat so it can also serve as an area where you can turn it on to read something instead of using the main light(s). Floor lamps are generally placed in the corner of the room to light that corner and so they are not so easily knocked over.

Lighting, Decorative Fixtures, Decorative Hardware, Track Lighting, Recessed Lighting, Design Lighting Group, Atlanta Georgia

 

Article Provided By: National Lighting

Design Lighting Group offers a large variety of lighting systems, Decorative Fixtures, Recessed/Track, Outdoor Lighting, LED Lighting, Antiques, and more. If you would like to discuss your lighting needs please do not hesitate to call us at 404-351-5010 or                                                               email us at info@dlightinggroup.com.

Lighting, Decorative Fixtures, Decorative Hardware, Track Lighting, Recessed Lighting, Design Lighting Group, Atlanta Georgia

Deciding on New Lighting For Your Home

When the day comes that you decide it’s time for new lighting in your home, or you’re building a new house and you need lighting options, it can be difficult to know where to start.

Lighting’s primary purpose is obviously to illuminate a room, but it can also offer so much more than light. It sets the mood in each space, and it makes certain tasks easier, such as reading in the living room or prepping vegetables in kitchen.

HOW WILL THE SPACE BE USED?

This is often the first, and most important, question to consider when choosing new lighting. Are you designing a new home theater that needs recessed can lights and wall sconces, or are you trying to brighten a basement bedroom with table lamps and a semi-flush fixture? Knowing how a room will be used will inform the lighting you need, as will the time of day when you’ll be in the room. For example, you’ll be in your bedroom mostly in the morning and in the evening, so lamps and overhead lights that aren’t too bright are a great option, since you’ll be just waking up or trying to unwind while you’re in the space.

If you’re lighting a bright living room that gets plenty of sunshine, then fewer fixtures are likely needed. A single ceiling fan with a light, along with a few well-placed lamps will provide the illumination you need, and once the sun goes down, you’ll have plenty of light for reading and entertaining.

DON’T FORGET TO LAYER!

We’ve written before about layering your light, but it’s so imperative to every room that we’re going to cover it again here. Having ambient (general), accent, and task lighting in each room will make the space more interesting, as well as more functional. A living room that only has a single overhead light, and nothing else, can appear very drab and uninviting. Adding a few sconces and table lamps in the right places will not only improve your lighting, it will make the space more comfortable. In the kitchen, you’ll want recessed lights, a central ambient fixture, pendant lights above the island, and under cabinet lighting for your everyday tasks.

Layering the light in a room makes it more interesting, and you can also use it to highlight a certain portion of the room, such as a seating area or workspace.

Article Provided By: Southern Lights

Design Lighting Group offers a large variety of lighting systems, Decorative Fixtures, Recessed/Track, Outdoor Lighting, LED Lighting, Antiques, and more. If you would like to discuss your lighting needs please do not hesitate to call us at 404-351-5010 or                                                               email us at info@dlightinggroup.com.

Outdoor Lighting, Lighting, Motorized Shades, Design Lighting Group LLC, Design Lighting Group, Atlanta, GA

Outdoor Entertaining: Light it Right

Warm weather calls for outdoor entertaining of all kinds. It’s easy enough to hang string lights and light some candles in hurricane style lanterns, but why not take it a step further and install some permanent outdoor lighting? There’s a wide selection of decorative fixtures that are designed especially for outdoor use, adding just the right amount of light to make the outdoors come alive at night.

Lighting, Outdoor Lighting, Decorative Fixtures, Decorative Hardware, Track Lighting, Design Lighting Group, Atlanta Georgia

Just like inside the home, layering light outside is essential to create a welcoming atmosphere and the perfect outdoor living area. Light layering uses three layers of light: ambient, task, and accent lighting. Begin by selecting ambient lighting that provides a general, comfortable level of brightness. Try flush mount ceiling fixtures, hang a pendant or chandelier, or choose a lighted ceiling fan that provides a pleasant breezy atmosphere while lighting up the night.

Lighting, Outdoor Lighting, Decorative Fixtures, Decorative Hardware, Track Lighting, Design Lighting Group, Atlanta Georgia

Task lighting is necessary over grills, outdoor stoves, sinks, and bars. Several small pendant lights work well in these areas or install recessed lighting into the ceiling to provide direct light over work areas.

Finally, add accent and decorative lighting that accentuates the home’s architectural features and style. For entertaining areas, select wall-mounted fixtures such as sconces or lanterns. Outdoor chandeliers and pendants are a stylish way to bring the design appeal of indoor lighting outside. For a professional, pulled-together look, choose light fixtures with the same finish as the door pulls, fencing, and outdoor furniture.

Lighting, Outdoor Lighting, Decorative Fixtures, Decorative Hardware, Track Lighting, Design Lighting Group, Atlanta Georgia
Lighting, Outdoor Lighting, Decorative Fixtures, Decorative Hardware, Track Lighting, Design Lighting Group, Atlanta Georgia

 

As a final touch, control the lights with timers, dimmers, or motion sensors to turn on lights only when needed or turn them down as desired to create the perfect atmosphere.

Remember that any lighting for the outdoors must be rated for outdoor use, even in areas that are covered. A damp or wet location rating ensures that the fixture is waterproof and that dust and rain won’t interfere with the bulb or circuitry. Outdoor lighting must be durable enough to stand up to the elements.

 

Article Provided By: Progress Lighting

Design Lighting Group offers a large variety of lighting systems, Decorative Fixtures, Recessed/Track, Outdoor Lighting, LED Lighting, Antiques, and more. If you would like to discuss your lighting needs please do not hesitate to call us at 404-351-5010 or                                                               email us at info@dlightinggroup.com.

Decorative Hardware, Lighting, Recessed Lighting, Track Lighting, Design Lighting Group LLC, Design Lighting Group, Atlanta, GA

Understanding the Layers of Light

The key to good lighting design is understanding the layers of light. Lighting has multiple purposes, which can be described as ambient, focal and decorative. Multiple direct and indirect light sources are needed to properly light up a space evenly and effectively.

Before you set out to find the perfect fixture, think about what you are trying to achieve with your lighting. Are you hoping to draw attention to a fabulous piece of artwork? Will your new kitchen be used for cooking, entertaining and socializing? Are you looking to brighten your home office? The answer will help you determine what type of light source(s) will help you illuminate your space.

 

Here is a breakdown of the three layers of light and what fixtures can be used to create them:

Ambient Lighting

“A light-filled space gives me joy and energy. For others a more cave-like space will have the same effect. It’s all about finding your comfort zone with ambient lighting.” – Judith Taylorfor Houzz

Lighting, Decorative Fixtures, Decorative Hardware, Track Lighting, Recessed Lighting, Design Lighting Group, Atlanta Georgia

Also referred to as “general lighting”, ambient lighting provides overall illumination to the space. Ambient lighting produces a comfortable level of brightness without glare or shadows. Sources of ambient lighting include chandeliers, pendants, ceiling lights, recessed or track lights. Your lighting plan should start with ambient lighting, as it sets the foundation for other layers of light. Every room needs ambient lighting as it is what allows you to see.

Focal and Task Lighting

“Targeted to a particular area of a room, task lighting is intended to illuminate specific function.” – Jill Connors for HGTV

Lighting, Decorative Fixtures, Decorative Hardware, Track Lighting, Recessed Lighting, Design Lighting Group, Atlanta Georgia

Focal light concentrates brightness onto a specific area. This includes task lighting, which is a type of focal lighting that helps you perform specific tasks like reading, applying makeup, cooking, working and doing homework. Task lighting is especially important in bathrooms, where tasks like grooming and shaving require plenty of light. The point of focal lighting is to draw attention to something. Think about mannequins in a retail space or artwork in a gallery.Focal and task lighting should not produce glare or shadows. Track lights produce beams of light, producing great focal or task lighting.

Accent and Decorative Lighting

“Just because lighting is functional doesn’t mean it should be boring. In fact, the right fixture can be so much more than just a source of light — it can be a source of joy and an artistic focal point.” – Kit Waskom Pollard for Baltimore at Home

Lighting, Decorative Fixtures, Decorative Hardware, Track Lighting, Recessed Lighting, Design Lighting Group, Atlanta Georgia

Some people refer to decorative accent lighting as the “sparkle” in a room. The purpose of decorative lighting is to evoke positive emotions. The “sparkle” can be as simple as the shine that is produced from light reflecting off of a polished decorative element, or as elaborate as a crystal chandelier. This type of lighting is an expression of art. It allows you to make a statement, express your personal style and have a little fun with your lighting.

Article Provided By: Lamps.com

Design Lighting Group offers a large variety of lighting systems, Decorative Fixtures, Recessed/Track, Outdoor Lighting, LED Lighting, Antiques, and more. If you would like to discuss your lighting needs please do not hesitate to call us at 404-351-5010 or                                                               email us at info@dlightinggroup.com.