Top Trends in House Lighting

Whether the latest in hand blown glass, fabrics or customized pieces, or whether the newest environmentally friendly LED lighting is for you, the latest trends in house lighting are exciting and innovative and sure to cause a stir. With something for every room and more, lighting has never been so sexy.

Different rooms need different light, that's something we take for granted. However, the latest trends in lighting have taken this basic premise to new levels and with added colours, textures and new materials available, a sophisticated look is within the grasp of everyone.

When considering the right lighting for any particular room there are simple rules that it's well worth following. These make installing the latest trends in lighting far more worthwhile and to better overall effect.

• Take into account what you will use the room for. 
A kitchen is for food preparation, but unless you have a separate dining room or are very formal, eating with the family, children's homework and many other tasks can happen here. Good lighting is paramount in a room with heavy usage like the kitchen. However, you may not want to be under the spotlight in the bedroom.

• Consider color. 
If you have dark coloured walls, then you might want to employ brighter lighting to compensate. Natural light from windows will also have a bearing on how your chosen lighting works so placement is important.

Kitchen lighting has enjoyed something of a renaissance lately. Recessed lighting, once so popular, has become less sought after. However, pendants and spotlights have enjoyed resurgence in popularity with great fabrics such as tweed and ethnic woven fabrics being used for pendant shades. Also a long time favorite, glass, including colorful hand blown murano type shades, is a good choice for pendants.

Two very traditional chandeliers adds a lot of glam to this small kitchen

A modern twist on the traditional glass pendant or chandelier is a lot of fun in the kitchen

via Country Living, via Rue Mag

Little LED spotlights make a big difference in glass front cabinets

via House of Fifty

Spotlights in busier areas are ideal and with the latest environmentally LED lights you can rest assured that you are making the ethical choice. Green lighting (the actual color – not eco), a huge trend a couple of years ago is out and more muted shades such as teal and smoke are popular. However, these shades are harder to work with in areas that need good illumination so perhaps stick to good uplighters and spotlights with dimmers for your pendants over eating areas to give the right ambience. Remember to use different lighting in different areas, lamps provide great task lighting and can be themed to fit in with your other lighting. 

Teal, smoke, and lavender colors are ideal in bedrooms though. Again glass is a popular choice for shades and the chandelier is as big as ever. However, the latest chandeliers use quirky materials and there are some really great designers to choose from. Recycled materials are again a top trend with the environmentally conscious and chandeliers and pendants are an ideal way to channel this fashion in lighting.


For your main living areas, lighting can be one of the most exciting ways to bring a room to life. From the very large, think huge ceiling lights in everything from warm colored metals such as bronze or pewter to eco-chic pieces in layers of cheesecloth or woven fabrics, to the very small such as tiny LED's around a wall mirror are top trends at the moment. Lamps can be used to provide a talking point, with unusual one off pieces, perhaps steampunk influenced, which can be placed strategically to enhance the overall ambience of the room. With spotlights taking over from recessed lighting in a big way and color playing an important part, don't forget to make the very most of textures and materials. A colorful glass pendant or globe will cast a rainbow over the room, but choose carefully as you want it to enhance, not clash with, your decor. Small lamps with clear or white or environmentally friendly LED lighting can be used in areas where you read, sew or generally just want to have higher illumination. The dimmer switch is again, a must have. It really is enjoying a comeback and is so useful in creating depth and atmosphere.

I am completely in love with this shell pendant light. IN LOVE.

2 first via Vampdecor.com, via Country Living


Don't forget the bathroom, where a top trend this year is eco-chic. Muslin, cheesecloth and ethnic/romantic shades work best on pendant fittings. Colored LED again is huge and pink and lavender provide the most flattering of hues. Hallways and passages and landings and stairs, all need to be lit well enough to enable them to be used safely, LED again or lamps in recessed areas have great possibilities.

 via Homethangs.com

And finally, don't forget the outside of your home. LED and solar lighting are both here to stay and provide you with the latest looks to compliment your interior lighting.

All About Remodeling...

Remodeling Tips...


Today I am sharing some remodeling tips with all of you. Tips on styles of roofs, sun roofs, Basement remodeling, and so much more.. SO if any of you are planning on remodeling your home anytime soon, this is the perfect article for you..


Enjoy the pics and Post... 


Sun Lighting...

If you have decided that your home could use some skylights, be prepared to make some pretty big decisions. The main purpose of these strategically placed windows is to provide natural light which can also amount to some additional heat. This could be beneficial in the cold months but a disaster in the summer unless you add some type of shading.

Skylights have come a very long way through the years. Today they are available in several designs and from different materials. The main types are fixed, ventilating and tubular with all varieties having the option to be modified to include shades, screens, tinting and thermal insulated glass.

• Fixed Skylights – The sole purpose of these skylights is to provide natural light. They are ideal not only for your primary living space but for attics and workshops where extra illumination could be appreciated.

• Ventilating Skylights – These types of skylights provide light as well as ventilation. When they are open, they create an updraft which freshens the air in the home. These can usually be operated with a wall switch or remote control.

• Tubular Skylights – This is the newest variety of skylights that is quickly becoming very popular. They’re small in size, average about two feet across and are ideal for smaller spaces. Some have baffles which direct the light out through the tube so even though they’re not as large as traditional ones, they still provide an abundance of light.

Skylights aren’t like painting your wall where if you don’t like the color you can just redo it. This is a fairly detailed install so take the time to research styles and make sure that you will love the ones that you choose.

Creating a Mud Room... 

Creating a mudroom in your home may be the smartest thing you ever do. This is a room that you won’t understand how you ever lived without once you have one and you certainly will never be able to go without one again! Mudrooms keep clutter and dirt out of the rest of your home. This is the perfect place for sports and camping equipment, shoes, coats, umbrellas, dog leashes, etc.

If you are not planning a remodel in your home to add in a mudroom, you can create a mock one with the help of shelving, hooks and storage containers.

Choose a Location

If you have a backdoor to your home with a large storage space, this is an ideal location as is a larger laundry room, basement or a portion of your garage. The idea is to build your mudroom near a door!

Install Shelves

The bottom portion of the wall should have shoe racks or shelving, making sure that there are tall areas to allow for boots. Then, shelving on the rest of the wall can be for seasonal items, camping supplies, etc. If you have a large family you may even want to designate a specific area to everyone for their belongings.

Add Hooks

You cannot imagine how useful simple hooks can be! You can hang coats, scarves, umbrellas, tennis rackets, keys, leashes, backpacks and book bags, etc., from them. Be sure to allow enough space between them so things don’t get too crammed.

Storage Containers

Large Tupperware containers or old wicker baskets are ideal for gardening tools, gloves, balls and other odds and ends that can easily become cluttered if they don’t have a proper home.

Having a mudroom will keep the rest of your home organized and free of clutter. Whether you have a contemporary and very simplistic home or not, anyone can appreciate not having piles of coats and shoes dropped at the door when everyone comes home!

Basements...

If you are planning a basement remodel, you may run into a few concerns along the way such as low ceilings, mold, bugs, awkward pillars, ducts and pipes. A basement remodel can be a huge project but you really should make use of this valuable space. Not to mention, it will significantly raise the value of your home! If you are coming across a few complications, rest assured, there are solutions!

Low Ceilings

If you have low ceilings, recessed lighting or wall scones will become your best friend! The last thing that you need is light fixtures hanging that someone can hit their head on. Painting the walls a lighter color and making use of plenty of mirrors will help the space appear larger and not so closed in as well.

Underfloor Heating

Basement floors tend to be damp and cold which may accumulate moisture and result in mold. Not to mention, they are often a breeding ground for bugs. These are all bad news for allergy sufferers. Underfloor heating will solve these problems. Of course, this can be costly and a pain to install but certainly well worth it. As an alternative, baseboard heaters work fairly well too!

Accent the Awkward

If you have pillars in peculiar places, pipes where you don’t want them, etc., why not play up these awkward elements? Paint your pillars a bright bold color or buy piping and create a few artistic pieces to accent those pipes. Something that you may look at as an eyesore could really be an extraordinary focal point when given the chance!

Roof Shingles...

At one point or another, most homeowners need to pay a little attention to their roof. Zappone has been manufacturing these dynamic copper shingles since 1969. This American company’s shingles are earth-friendly, available in a few different styles and they have been thoughtfully designed to last for a lifetime!

Are They Really that Durable?

In a nutshell, yes! In fact, they have been put through intense, wind and rain abuse in hurricane testing! These copper shingles are made from 99.96 percent pure copper and every single shingle is inspected to make sure that it meets the standards set by J. Joseph Zappone IIIhimself.

Stylish

Copper is beyond aesthetically-pleasing! It’s rich yet rustic, contemporary yet vintage and will compliment any home. Wonder why you don’t see too many houses with Zappone shingles? They’re so fussy about quality and appearance that they only manufacturer 400 roofs every year. Once orders on one list are full, the next costumer’s name gets put on a list for the following year. Clearly they are well worth the wait because no one is complaining about the delay!

Every carton of Zappone shingles has the brand name as well as the employee’s initials who created them and the date they were completed. If you’re going to be ready for a new roof in the next couple of years, you may want to check out these long-lasting, environmentally-friendly copper shingles at Zappone and get on a waiting list. You’re sure to be the only person in the neighborhood with a roof like this!

Choosing the right Kitchen Island...

Adding an island to your kitchen is the most effective way to give the space a facelift without actually performing surgery on the entire room. Not only are they aesthetically-pleasing, they are actually meant to make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable and productive. Choosing the right placement, shape and style will ensure that you get the most use out of your kitchen island.

• Size – The island should be appropriately scaled to the size of the kitchen. One that is too big will result in an area that’s just too crammed but a tiny island in an enormous room will appear misplaced.

• Placement – You should be able to move around your island and flow from the stations in the room that you use the most. If you’re using your island to prep dinner, there should be a clear path to the stove.

• Storage – Do you need extra storage? If so then your kitchen island should have cupboards and drawers to make use of this valuable space.

• Seating – Have a large family or do a lot of entertaining? Choose an island that will be comfortable to set tall seating around for additional place settings.

Islands are really just an extension of your personality. Choose one that fits your needs and that will compliment your space and you may find yourself spending a lot more time in the kitchen!

Remodeling Tips for your Home..

See other Remodeling tips in my other blogs...

AG Home Goods

Modern Lighting and some really cool clocks

Modern Lighting...
In today's world we find so many drastic changes from one area of the modern contemporary style of design but none so drastic as we have seen with lighting. The field of lighting has taken a drastic turn from the post modern designs of the sixties, from the old fashioned designs of yesteryear to the more minimal simplistic style we see in so many places today. Lighting is now hidden, in the back-round, has faders or dimmers to create the perfect room mood, and simply is more peaceful, serene then in the past. Its now fully integrated into our room designs and doesn't create a flare unless used as an accent piece but many times it simply blends in and creates an atmosphere of peace and tranquility in our homes and even exterior lighting is now designed and all part of a bigger picture. Below you will find some very unique designs with regards to lighting.
Hope you enjoy the pics and post... 
Modern Halogen Lighting

It's easy to capture the energy of a room upon entering. Whether you are walking into a master bathroom decorated like a luxury spa or walk into your dimly lit living room after a long day, it's natural to feel calm and refreshed. A great way to control the energy of a room is through lighting - especially with Artemide's Mercury Suspension from designer Ross Lovegrove.


A collection of chrome plated reflective pebbles are suspended from an aluminum disc and reflect natural light off of each other throughout the day. The overall modern look is mesmerizing and will put anyone in a state of relaxation. As described by Lovegrove, 'this piece acts as a sculptural object reflecting the dynamics of natural light and movement of people around them.'

Modern Bathroom Makeover

Thank you to everyone that voted on my most recent poll which asked “Which room in your home are you most proud of?”. I appreciate your participation as each poll gives me an idea of which topics I need to currently focus on. For instance, we found that only 6% of visitors are most proud of their bathroom so I felt today would be the perfect opportunity to highlight some amazing products and design ideas that will get your bathroom high on your “favorite room” list. Over the next few posts, I will highlight key components to your modern bathroom makeover.


Bathroom LightingWhen upgrading your bathroom’s design, the most efficient way to achieve your desired look is to work with what you’ve got! If you simply can’t spare the money for updated plumbing fixtures, splurge on a few key lighting accessories that will have your bathroom looking stylish in no time. Replace any old or traditionally styled fixtures with simple, modern items for your bathroom vanity or bath/shower area. For large areas above the bathroom sink, invest in a sophisticated vanity strip or pair of wall sconces to mount on either side of your mirror. If décor is what’s lacking, use unique lighting that takes on more of an art deco approach or incorporates bold color to give your bathroom the style it needs. Here is a sampling of modern lighting that will steer you in the right design direction so that you can be more proud of your wash room! Stay tuned for more modern bathroom makeover tips.

Contemporary Chandeliers Shine

Let there be light!

Bring light into your home this winter with breathtaking modern lighting. Whether it’s for over your dining table or over a kitchen counter, acontemporary chandelier is an eye-catching conversation starter that is bound to be the focal point of any room.

Chrystal chandeliers are beautiful and elegant, but exude a traditional vibe. For a modern chandelier that is both stunning and fun, consider a chandelier by manufacturer LBL Lighting, such as the Batons 12-Light Chandelier. This modern chandelier features twelve Italian frosted glass bulb covers with a satin nickel finish. To add color and mood light to the room, the Baton 12-Light Chandelier also has optional teardrops available in amber, blue, frost, green, or red. Choose one color to accent your modern décor or combine red and green teardrops this holiday season for festive flavor.

For a modern chandelier that resembles the Christmas season, LBL Lighting designed the Flare 20 Light Halogen Suspension Chandelier. This funky chandelier is reminiscent of tangled vintage Christmas lights and can be playfully customized by bending the stainless steel arms in the position you desire. This is also beneficial to give light to a specific direction or object in the room. Like the Baton 12-Light Chandelier, this contemporary chandelier also has colored teardrops available for a dramatic burst of color.

If you’d rather keep your dining area elegant, but still would like a modern appearance, chandeliers by Sonneman, such as the Rio Right Light Chandelier, are classic yet contemporary. The circular Rio Eight Light Chandelier is made of beautiful art glass drizzled with black swirls. This glowing work of art is both sleek and stylish for the modern home.

New Modern Lighting: Bourgie Lamp by Laviani

A student of both architecture and design in Milan, Italian designer Feruccio Laviani has already had a significant impact on international design. With colorful, idiosyncratic designs, Laviani's esoteric and vibrant modern furniture and decor is inspiring and delightful.

His first foray into lighting design was the Orbital Lamp, designed for Foscarini in 1991. He used mirrors and colorful bimorphic shapes for the glass shades, and grounded the fixture with a tapered, angular base. The whimsical modern lamp has been a fixture of modern home decor every since.
His latest contribution to modern lighting is theBourgie Lamp, designed by Laviani for modern design label Kartell. Bourgie is a very unique combination of classic baroque lines and modern materials. Made entirely from transparent polycarbonate, the Bourgie Lamp looks like crystal. The plissé effect of the bourgie lamp's large shade emanates a glittering soft glow, perfect for sultry bedroom lighting, or for evocative living room ambience. The bourgie lamp is available in transparent black or clear, or for a different, metallic look, there are options for chromed steel in chrome or gold finish.
With his Orbital and Bourgie Lamps, Laviani has instigated the conversion of home lighting from mundane to inspirational.

Passing the Time with Modern Clocks

As much as we don’t like to admit it, time really does control our lives. Whether you choose to measure your life by the time spent with loved ones, by the number of vacations you take, or by a countless number of different standards, it’s safe to say that we all depend on time in some way. Now that that’s settled, why not measure our time in the way we choose with a stylish, modern clock on our wall or mantle? Dwell featured a fabulous slideshow of modern timepieces that are perfect for modernizing your home in the most classic way.


How do you measure your life?


Museum of Modern Art Online Store, $50
Alessi Blow Up Clock, $220


Extra Normal Clock, $210

Vitra Asterisk Clock by George Nelson, $299

Avant-Garde Store gets easier navigation, more categories, new brands

Avant-Garde Store gets easier navigation, more categories, new brands..

As all of us here at Avant-Garde Home Furnishings, Llc continue to grow and look forward to our new showroom building opening its doors in about two months we continue to improve our website tremendously to make it easier on all our customers. We have broken down our categories even further, we have added a quick search feature that lets you search by almost any attribute as listed on tyne website.. These include

UPC

Manufacturer

Brand

Category

Subcategory

Specific Name

Partial Name

MPN Number

Color

These are but a few of the choices you have when signing onto our web based retail outlet now having over 2,200 product offerings and if you include the variation in those products we are well over the 3,000 mark. Everyday we carry more and more brand names at cheaper prices then almost anywhere. We have greatly expanded our consumer electronics section, Bedding section, lighting sections, outdoor patio selection, and of course our featured collections continue to grow and get new and exciting products. It seems new and exciting products are on every corner we happen to look and we are still working on the full website expansion and upgrade due later this year, which will have interactive menus and an even simpler user interface.. Stay tuned for that.. 

Expanded Bedroom section and new AGU designs website as well

Greatly Expanded Consumer Electronics

Expanded Dyson Electronics Section

Expanded Accent Furniture Benzara Line

Greatly Expanded Lighting Section

Expanded Office Selection

Please see below for some of the many changes that have taken place on our webstore:


Added the Google Plus button:


I please ask that all of you who visit the site and if you like it let me know by clicking on the plus one Google button...


Added new sections for Home Decor

Some Samples of our newly expanded Benzara Line of Products

Separated Benzara Home Decor, which is already vast from the rest of the Home Decor section, and broke it down into Accent Furniture, Benzara Lamps, Benzara Wall Metal Decor, Vases Pots, Dividers, and Mirrors and artwork.. Not only did we simplify it but we added over 250 new Benzara - Woodland Imports  products


Revamped our two other sites


We completely redesigned the company information site and the AGU Designs site., or pour interior design site. We added new pictures, moved yup the construction schedule and leased our very first building that will eventually become our showroom masterpiece. Both other sites now are ready for our future growth and finally we feel express our tastes and design preference much more so then the old saites. Please have a look and let me know what all of you think..


Expanded our featured collections


Of course as I mentioned earlier we continue to obtain new products to keep our featured lines moving and the public energized about them.. We have many new and exciting products, especially in the Nambe and Kosta Boda sections 

Come visit us and see for yourself all the great stuff and changes taking place NOW at Avant-Garde Home Furnishings, LLC.. 

Our Grand Opening Celebration Flyer.. For our offices - Showroom in Jan 12

As I said we are all very excited here at Avant-Garde about all these exciting changes.. We hope some of you will join us here at our offices on November 5th for drinks and some snacks to welcome us home.... 

AG Home Goods

Avant-Gardde Store Nearly completed

Avant-Garde Store Nearly Completed..

The changes that I had talked about on my blogs about a week ago are nearly completely implemented at the Avant-Garde online retail store and plans are in the works to open up our very own showroom sometime next month. The new website is easier to navigate and much simpler toi understand. All the main categories have been broken down to basics. For example Living rooms is now 5 sections that include, Sofas, Loveseats, & couches, Media centers, bookcases bookshelves, wall units, Armchairs, and all the sections are easy to understand and clearly defined.. I hope these changes makes it easier on our customers who asked for these changes in the countless emails I received after some made purchases AFTER THE COMPLIOCATED Navigation task.

Newly expanded Steuben Crystal Line

From the countless emails I put together what I think to be a great new user interface and experience. I am willing to open this up to trials and give away to 5 people a free furniture set for having them trial the new site. I want to know who is interested in this proposal. Just send me an email to acalzadilla@aghomegoods.com. I am looking for 5 people to do customer trials on our website.. Take a look at some of the changes and new products we are now offering after this what I feel is a remarkable change and one that will make Avant-Garde shine even more.. 

Newly expanded Home Office Products

We have a hugely expanded our Office Line of products, outdoor patio line of products, added fireplaces to our collections, have a huge new selection of media and entertainment centers, expanded our dining room sections, and expanded arm chairs and table chairs as well as simplified all our existing categories..

New Wall Units Armoires within dining rooms, living rooms, and bedroom sections

Computers broken down to Labtops, Cell Phones, 

Desktops...

New Cell Phone Category in Electronics....

Lighting broken down into subcategories, Floor Lamps, Table Lamps, Pendant Lamps, outdoor indoor lighting, etc..

New Book shelves, Bookcases, Wall Units category within bedrooms, dining rooms living rooms...

New Fire-Pit category....

New Wine Racks-Wine Carts Category...

New Modern Desks Category within the 

Office main category..

New Fireplace Category within Living Rooms..

New Coffee, End, Console table category within living rooms, bedrooms,  Home Office category...

New Wall units category makes this central home decor necessity easy to find at Avant-Garde... 

All of these new products plus easier menus, and of course the same great prices and values.. Please come and take a look at all of this yourself and shoot me an email if you want to test our site.. I hope all of you enjoy our newly created logos and product banners which also add a lot of color and themed based headlines and product images to the entire Avat-Garde site..

Welcome to the new Avant-Garde.. 

Welcome to ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES...

AG HOME GOODS