SEEING THE LIGHT

THE LISeeing GHT

BRILLIANT I DEAS A N D TREN DS FOR LIG H TING, FOR FALL A N D BEYOND

By Diane Krieger Spivak | Photo provided by The Illuminators Outdoor Lighting

GHT

Whether your old lighting fixtures have seen better days, you’re remodeling or it’s just time for a change, local lighting experts are here to offer advice on what’s trending, both inside and outside your home.

“We work with builders, doing a lot of remodeling, but also going into new homes, and we do a lot of chandeliers in both,” says

Mike Haas, who owns Geneva Design House with his wife, Susan, and daughter Kelsey.

With house sales turning over like crazy, clients are looking to upgrade their lighting. One lighting trend Haas says he’s happy to see on its way out is strip lighting. “Homeowners are taking it down and upgrading to a semi-chandelier or a full chandelier, even in lower levels and basements,” says Haas.

Though matte black has been trending with the farmhouse look, it’s slowly being replaced by bronze. “When we have choices, not only the designer but also the homeowners realize black is only a phase and bronze is a little more traditional, with much better longevity,” says Haas. “It also goes along with doorknobs and hardware in homes.”

Brass, Haas shares, is also making a comeback, as are chandeliers with crystals. “They’re beautiful. We’re selling a lot of them,” says Haas, who recommends putting them in the “important” rooms, like the foyer and even the master bathroom. “I always say, putting a little crystal on a chandelier is like putting on a little jewelry after you get dressed. It’s dressing it up with the finishing touches.” If you’re on a budget, add new to two or three rooms, like the entry hall, dining room and kitchen, he advises. Kelsey, who is head designer, can help with in-house consultations or with photos supplied by the client.

What about outdoors? Today’s customers are looking for energy-efficient LED outdoor lighting as opposed to lower-quality DIY lighting, according to The Illuminators Outdoor Lighting. Now that homeowners are spending more time at home, they’re expanding their outdoor living space, illuminating patios, pool areas, decks, gazebos, pergolas and outdoor kitchens, says Joe Anthony, lead lighting designer at the St. Charles company. Even second- and third-story home exteriors can be illuminated with specialty mounted light fixtures, and automatic self-adjusting timers and Wi-Fi controls make outdoor lighting even easier. “The light fixtures and LED bulbs are becoming more advanced and reliable as the LED and Wi-Fi technology keeps evolving,” says Anthony, adding improvements have led to a much longer life span as well as energy cost savings. Budgetary constraints are no problem with outdoor lighting. “The great thing about outdoor lighting is that it can be expanded and scaled at any time and any size according to a customer’s current budget,” he says. Low-voltage lighting systems can be installed in phases. “A free consultation with a professional outdoor lighting designer is recommended to educate a customer of all their outdoor lighting options and possibilities, regardless of whether they want a new outdoor lighting system or upgrade, to enhance and/ or add light fixtures to an existing outdoor lighting system, for their specific home and property,” says Anthony.