To add a little no-fuss accent light to your space, you may want to try a few strings of LED outdoor rope lights. They’re flexible and weatherproof, and they come in 6 different lengths and 2 different color temperatures.

Here are some of the many ways you can use rope lights to liven up your yard for summer:

• Highlight a deck or porch by wrapping lights around the handrail.

Image via ApartmentTherapy.com

• Use rope lights for safety, lining steps and garden pathways with the bright LEDs.

Image via DecorativeSoul.com

• Create a festive gathering area by twisting lights around the supports of an outdoor umbrella.

Image via TheCompletePatio.com

• Wind rope lights around trees to light up your whole yard.

Image via CasaSugar.com

• Line your pool area for a little extra brightness during night swims.

• Drape lights overhead for ambiance during parties, intimate gatherings, or romantic dinners. 

Image via AlbaDorsch.com

• Make outdoor pendant lights by coiling rope lights into balls, securing them with zip ties. To learn how to make them, visit this page on Apartment Therapy.

Image via ApartmentTherapy.com

How are you using rope lights around your home or business? Any big summer lighting upgrades in the works?

This informative material has been provided by Pegasus Lighting, a nationally recognized lighting distributor that has been selling unique lighting products to a wide spectrum of customers since 1993.

Here’s a daring alternative to normal kitchen lighting: Instead of traditional accent lights that only emit white light, use kitchen lights that can change color.

Color-changing LED tape lights have the perfect linear, low-profile design to be great under cabinet lights, toe-kick lights, or cove lighting. But instead of shining with just white light, they can emit light in 16 different colors. Imagine, being able to change the entire look and feel of your kitchen in seconds. You can tailor the space to any occasion, from family game nights to big holiday parties, from early morning baking frenzies to a couple’s night in.

Can you pull off this dramatic feature in your kitchen? To help you find out, I’ve whipped up a few different “color recipes” explaining how each color can transform it into something new.

Green: Get Energized At Your Tranquil Health Club

Image via ComfortableHomeDesign.com

Green is a clean, comforting color. Physiologically, green can be good for your heart, it can help you relax your muscles and breathe deeper and slower. Set your lights to an emerald hue for the afternoon, and suddenly, you’ll feel in just the right mood to have a cool glass of water and a piece of fruit. It’s the perfect scheme to use after a long workout or spending time outdoors too.

Red: Rock Around The Clock At Your Vintage Diner

Red is an energetic color – the color of neon signs, culinary heat lamps, and many a jukebox. So what could make the milkshakes, fries, hotdogs, and burgers that you whip up for your family or friends taste any better? Just switch those tape lights to accent your room with red, transforming your kitchen into an old school diner. You and yours will be free to rock ‘til broad daylight.

Blue: Blast Off Into Space

Image via KitchenMaking.com

Set your dial to blue and set off on a futuristic adventure around your kitchen. If you’re really feeling whimsical, or need a good distraction for the kids, nothing will make your kitchen look like the interior of a spaceship more than some blue accent lighting. The cool light will play with the shiny kitchen appliances, or a slick tiled backsplash, making them look sleeker and more innovative than they really are.

Orange: Spend Your Evening In Romantic Tuscany

The color orange has been psychologically proven to have a positive effect on human emotions, making us feel open and blissful. Plus, it’s very reminiscent of the warm glow of firelight. So what better color to use when sipping wine with your sweetie? The only other things you’ll need for the perfect night are a chocolatey dessert and maybe some violin music.

Purple: Indulge At Your Exotic Night Club

Image via Freshome.com

Purple is known to stimulate the imagination, so I couldn’t think of a better color to use for lavish parties. Violet accent lighting can transform your ordinary kitchen to a space that can impress even the most important guests. It provides the perfect mix of whimsy and splendor, channeling prime party destinations like the shores of Miami beach, or the fabulous resorts in Las Vegas.

Yellow: Wake Up To Your Enchanted French Bakery

When you picture a quaint little bakery in the French countryside, I’ll bet the color yellow is very prominent in the scene. Golden sunlight streaming through the windows while the little baker goes to work on his muffins, baguettes, and perhaps even yellow cakes. Now picture yourself standing in your kitchen on Saturday morning, whipping up some pancakes and waffles, bathed in cheerful, yellow light. It’s the perfect finishing touch to a picturesque morning.

This informative material has been provided by Pegasus Lighting, a nationally recognized lighting distributor that has been selling unique lighting products to a wide spectrum of customers since 1993.

Kitchen renovation in the works? When updating your kitchen with energy-efficiency in mind, be sure to look to the lights. Efficient under cabinet or under counter lights are extremely effective at cutting down your energy use, without sacrificing style or quality.

Here’s a list of some of our favorite under cabinet lights, what makes them energy-efficient, and what makes them great for the kitchen:

LEDs

1. LED Thin Under Cabinet Task Lights

These classic ENERGY STAR qualified LED lights can produce nearly 36 lumens of light for every watt of energy they use, depending on the length of the fixture. They also have a rated-life of up to 50,000 hours, so you know they’re reliable. These lights will fit in with the decor of almost any kitchen, producing bright white light, and available in 2 different finishes. See them here.

2. LED Very Thin Light Bars

The very thin design of these LED light bars allows them to hide under cabinets with ease. You’d never even know they were under there until you flipped the switch and flooded your counter tops with warm white light. But, the impact these fixtures make on your energy bill is much more obvious. Depending on which length you choose, the light bars use between 2.5 and 6.25 watts of power. See them here.

3. LED Low Voltage Recessed Puck Light Kit

If round puck lights, as opposed to linear fixtures, are more your style, this LED kit is one of our favorite options. These lights can be plugged in or battery operated, so you can install the lights anywhere you need them. Each light uses only 1 watt of energy to produce clean, cool white light. Compared to the average xenon puck light, that’s about 95% less energy! See them here.

4. Color-Changing LED Tape Lights

One of the most creative options for your under cabinet lighting are color-changing LED tape lights. These thin, adhesive-backed lights let you change the look and mood of your kitchen at will. Take it from a moody bistro to an energizing game room in seconds! And all this doesn’t take away from the fixture’s energy-efficiency one bit – one reel of tape lights only use 40 watts of power. A single foot only needs 2.5 watts! See them here.

See All LED Under Cabinet Lights…

Fluorescents

1. T2 Fluorescent Thin Under Cabinet Lights

These under cabinet lights provide many of the same benefits as the LED Thin Under Cabinet Task Lights listed above, but they come at a more affordable price upfront. They’re ENERGY STAR qualified, come in 3 different finishes, and depending on the length of the fixture, they use between 6 and 24 watts of power. The T2 light bulb will produce light for up to 8,000 hours before you need to replace it. See them here.

2. Microfluorescent T4 Light Fixtures

If you require a slightly lower-profile fluorescent under cabinet light, you can’t go wrong with a good microfluorescent. The lights come in 9 different lengths and 3 different color temperatures, so you’re sure to find just the thing to fit your lighting project requirements. The lights use between 6 and 28 watts of power each and lasts an average of 16,000 hours. See them here.

See All Fluorescent Under Cabinet Lights…

Xenon

1. Xenon Thin Under Cabinet Task Lights

Why add xenon lights to this list when LEDs and fluorescents use so much less energy? Well, for starters, xenon lights use much less energy and give off much less heat than standard incandescent lights, so they make excellent under cabinet lights. While their average energy use isn’t anything to brag about compared to LEDs and fluorescents, when used with a dimmer switch, they can actually save you quite a bit of electricity. See them here.

See All Xenon Under Cabinet Lights…

What kind of under cabinets do you use in your kitchen? We’re all ears!

This informative material has been provided by Pegasus Lighting, a nationally recognized lighting distributor that has been selling unique lighting products to a wide spectrum of customers since 1993.

This blog post will help you learn how to light an indoor staircase, what lights you should choose for your project and how to install them.

Let’s get started!

First, decide where you want your lights to go…

On the step.

For a subtle accent on each step, you can install recessed lights within the riser (vertical) or the tread (horizontal) portion of the step. Your stairs will get a little more impact, but the lights won’t alter the overall brightness of the room very much. Tread lighting will give steps a runway-like appeal, while riser lighting will typically illuminate the center region of the stairs. If you choose to install your lights here, you’ll need to cut portions of the steps to set and hardwire the lights. We recommend you consult with a professional electrician before setting off to work.

Beside the step.

Another popular step lighting option that adds a little more brightness to the room’s overall light level is wall lighting. Here, you would install your step lights on the wall right next to your staircase, so the lights would cast beams directly down onto the step. Since you don’t have to worry about mounting these lights on the surface of the step, you have a little more artistic freedom – the lights don’t have to be flush with the wall, and they can be a little flashier if you choose. We recommend installing 1 light every 3 steps or so, but you can play with this number depending on how bright you want your staircase to be.

Under the step.

If you have an open or floating staircase with no riser between each stair, you can also use step lights underneath each step. The right low-profile lights will make each step seem to glow. Depending on the structure of your flight of stairs, you can install the lights in 2 different ways:

1. Side-mount square or round step lights on either side of the step for a subtly lit look.

2. Run linear step light fixtures across the bottom of each step for a bolder, brighter aesthetic.

Beyond the step.

You can also make your steps into a striking focal point for your indoor space by adding lighting to your banisters or handrails. Perfect for extra safety at night, or just a little more pizzazz, simply run a line of lights down the underside of your balustrade. We recommend very low-profile, linear, surface-mounted fixtures like LED tape lights for this job – they won’t mess up your structural integrity, and you can customize them to fit the exact length you need.

Then, decide what kind of lights you want to use.

Recessed or surface-mounted?

Do you want your lights to be flush to the surface of your step or wall, or do you want them to rest on top of it? When installing lights within the step, you almost always want to have them recessed. Otherwise, you could trip!

For lights that go on the wall beside the step, this distinction is really up to you. Sometimes, recessing your step lights into the wall creates a very sophisticated appeal, but if you’ve chosen fixtures that make a more of a statement on their own, you may prefer surface-mounting them to draw more attention.

Depending on how low-profile the fixture you’re installing under your floating steps may be, you may want to recess it. No one wants to see a bulky fixture protruding like a sore thumb from a minimalist design, but if your step lights are thin enough on their own, you might not be able to tell a difference when they’re hidden under the steps.

When attaching lights to your handrail or banister, it can be difficult to recess lights into such a small area. For this application, it’s easiest to use thin surface-mounted lights tucked away from sight.

Hardwired or battery operated?

Hardwired lights are generally more stylish – they usually emit higher-quality light, and offer sleeker-looking designs. If you’re looking for permanent lights that you can control with a switch, these are the way to go.

Battery operated lights are easier to install, but generally aren’t as pretty – especially for indoor applications. Usually, we recommend battery operated lights for utilitarian purposes, as guide lights for safety in an unfinished basement, for instance. Their uses are much more limited because they only come in so many styles and they’re not as durable.

You can use battery operated lights for wall lighting, handrail lighting, and even under your steps, but we don’t encourage installing them within your steps. You’ll most likely be able to find a greater variety of hardwired step lights that will work with every step light application, and will hold up better over time.

Round, square, or linear?

Step lights come in many shapes, sizes, and styles. The three most popular are round, square, and linear.

Round and square lights provide small pops of light, and are probably what you picture when you think of traditional step lights. These are what you need for wall lighting, tread or riser lighting, and even lighting under your stairs. Using one light at a time will quietly accentuate your stairs, but for more impact you can install these lights in rows. Round and square lights are also the easiest to recess into your step or wall.

Linear lights like light bars and tape lights give off even sheets of light, and work best when lighting handrails or underneath steps. You never see these light fixtures when you look at a staircase, because they’re hidden from view – you only see the brilliant light they create.

White or color-changing?

Traditionally, step lights provide warm or cool white light. However, with modern LED technology, homeowners now have more color options than ever! If you choose a color-changing step light kit or color-changing LED tape lights, you can play with a rainbow of hues when creating your perfect staircase scheme.

For more design inspiration, check out the step lights page on our website, or visit this page on Houzz.com called “Best Indoor Lighting Staircase Photos.”

This informative material has been provided by Pegasus Lighting, a nationally recognized lighting distributor that has been selling unique lighting products to a wide spectrum of customers since 1993.

My lights have already gone out once this spring, thanks to a lovely, unexpected North Carolina thunderstorm. Lucky for me, I live in an apartment with small rooms and large windows. During the day, electric lights don’t make that much of a difference.

However, if you’re charged managing a large shopping mall, school, theater, or office, your power outage protocol isn’t nearly as simple.

When the lights go out, it’s up to you to ensure the people’s safety.

Are you prepared?

Most importantly, you’ve got to maintain functional exit signs, because they might be the only thing during an outage that stands between order and panic. When the power goes out, your lighted exit signs will too, unless they have functional backup batteries.

We suggest you make it a goal to inspect the exit sign batteries around your establishment at least once every three months. Most exit signs have convenient “push to test buttons” that let you do this in a matter of seconds.

What if the battery isn’t working?

If you test your sign in emergency mode and it doesn’t turn on, there may be one of several things going on:

1. The battery isn’t connected to the circuit board. The battery must be connected in order to function in emergency mode.

2. The battery isn’t charged. Make sure the battery has been charged for at least a couple of hours before doing any tests. For a full 90-minute emergency operation, you need to charge the battery for 24 hours.

3. The battery is dead. If you connect the battery to the circuit board and find that it won’t hold charge, you’ll need a replacement battery.

To learn more, you can check out the exit lighting page on our website, or contact our customer service department at 800.392.4818.

This informative material has been provided by Pegasus Lighting, a nationally recognized lighting distributor that has been selling unique lighting products to a wide spectrum of customers since 1993.

Taking your kitchen from dim and dull to bright and beautiful is no small task. While experts agree lighting is one of the most important design features in any room, it might not be so easy to create your perfect kitchen lighting scheme flying solo.

A stylish, functional kitchen needs to have overhead/ambient lighting, accent lighting, and of course task or under cabinet lights.

If you’re still in the dark about what lighting scheme will work best in your kitchen, check out these 11 amazing photos for a little inspiration:

1. Microfluorescent Under Cabinet Lights

 The microfluorescent fixtures under the cabinets in this kitchen provide bright white light, adding to the space’s ultramodern feel.

2. LED Puck Lights

These bright LED puck lights add pops of much needed illumination in the main work areas of this contemporary white kitchen. To find out how many puck lights you need in your kitchen, check out this helpful article.

3. LED Motion Sensor Lights

If you prefer your task lighting quick, easy, and automatic, battery operated LED motion sensing lights will turn on only when you need them. 

4. Linear LED Under Cabinet Lights

These classic LED under cabinet lights provide an even sheet of bright light over the expansive counter tops in this traditional kitchen. To determine how many linear under cabinet lights you’ll need in your kitchen, check out this article.

5. Linear Xenon Under Cabinet Lights

The xenon task lights under these cabinets make this kitchen feel warm and inviting. They’re fully dimmable and have a perfect color rendering index, so your kitchen will always look exactly the way you want it to. Here’s an example of how to install this kind of fixture.

6. Xenon Triangle Puck Lights

For something a little more artistic, you should try these triangle-shaped xenon puck lights. In this kitchen, they perfectly complement the angular tile on the backsplash.

7. Xenon Light Strips

This low profile light strip provides flattering white light to any kitchen counter top. These lights are dimmable, and you can customize the length of the strip to fit whatever project you’re working on.

8. LED Light Bars

The white light from these super thin LED light bars will complement both modern and traditional kitchens.

9. Round Xenon Puck Lights

Another option for your under cabinet lights are these round xenon puck lights. They add valuable task light where you need it most, and as you can see in the photo, they also work well as accent lights within kitchen cabinets.

10. Steel Xenon Recessed Puck Lights

It’s easier than you might think to install these xenon puck lights. You can learn how to get the slick look pictured above in this blog post.

11. LED Tape Lights

LED tape lights give you so much freedom when designing your kitchen’s lighting scheme. They’re one of the thinnest fixtures we have, they’re dimmable, trimmable, and come in a variety of color temperatures and colors!

For more design ideas, visit our under cabinet lighting page.

Which kitchen is your favorite?

This informative material has been provided by Pegasus Lighting, a nationally recognized lighting distributor that has been selling unique lighting products to a wide spectrum of customers since 1993.

This is the concluding post in a series exploring the differences between LEDs and CFLs. To read the entire series, click here.

We’ve spent the last several weeks figuring out all the ways LEDs and CFLs are different. We’ve learned practical facts about each light source, like LEDs have longer rated lives, CFLs contain mercury, LEDs are more durable, and CFLs emit omnidirectional light (to name a few). All this makes for an excellent understanding of the current state of lighting technology.

Today, LEDs and CFLs are still rivals on the market. But will it always be like this?

The development and improvement of LED technology is still taking place, while the CFL’s technological development has reached an endpoint. It’s really thanks to LEDs that we’re in the midst of a very dynamic lighting revolution.

Since CFLs are already completely developed as a viable lighting technology, many lighting specialists think of them as the bridge between old incandescent lights and innovative LED lights. They’re an effective, efficient bridge, but a bridge nonetheless. We don’t expect CFLs to be popular forever.

Over time, the LED’s brightness will continue to increase, while its cost will continue to go down, just like we’ve seen happen with phones, computers, and calculators.

Soon, the cost of an LED will be extremely attractive, making CFLs only a distant memory.

This informative material has been provided by Pegasus Lighting, a nationally recognized lighting distributor that has been selling unique lighting products to a wide spectrum of customers since 1993.

Do you know what makes an LED different from a CFL? In this blog series, we’re explaining just that!

We all know incandescent light bulbs are delicate. You break that filament, and it’s lights out (literally). It’s easy to understand why our basic incandescent lights are so fragile – we can see and understand the simple internal structure at a glance. But, when it comes to understanding the capabilities of LEDs and CFLs, the answers aren’t as straightforward. Both light sources use more complex systems to generate light, but does this make them any less breakable?

It’s time to dive a little deeper.

LEDs:

Since LEDs don’t use a filament, they can easily withstand almost any kind of jarring vibration. When you’re rough on LEDs, transporting them from place to place while in use, or keeping them in jolt-prone spots (like in and around elevators), you don’t have to worry about easily breaking or damaging them.

CFLs:

While CFLs don’t use the standard incandescent filament to produce light either, they are much more delicate than LEDs. Strong vibrations can quickly degrade the electrodes CFLs use to create light. CFLs are especially prone to damage after the electrodes have been weakened from a few thousand hours of use. If you have CFLs, keep them out of the way so you don’t risk any damage.

This informative material has been provided by Pegasus Lighting, a nationally recognized lighting distributor that has been selling unique lighting products to a wide spectrum of customers since 1993.

If you’re deciding which light source to use for your next project, look no further! In this blog series, we’re going in-depth to explore the differences between LEDs and CFLs, so you can make the best decision. In this post, we’re talking about structure…

LEDs and CFLs are built very differently.

LED light bulbs use glass or plastic envelopes of almost any thickness. They’re built to last, even in the most demanding circumstances. CFLs, on the other hand, have a daintier construction. If you drop one, the thinner glass envelope could easily break. This can be a problem, especially because CFLs contain trace amounts of mercury that will be released when the light bulb shatters.

To prevent CFLs from cracking so easily, some manufacturers have begun encasing CFLs in silicone coatings, so even if the glass breaks the shards and mercury will stay within the silicone, not allowed to get into your environment. The CFL’s traditional spiral is covered by a more conventionally shaped envelope like this:

As a general rule, we at Pegasus Lighting recommend you use LED light bulbs for rougher applications, when the light bulb faces a lot of wear and tear – think traveling or within portable fixtures. For more static, quiet applications, either light bulb should serve you well.

This informative material has been provided by Pegasus Lighting, a nationally recognized lighting distributor that has been selling unique lighting products to a wide spectrum of customers since 1993.

Image via Midwest Energy News

In Lighting News…

Turkeys Love LEDs: A Minnesota turkey farmer is using LED lights to keep his turkeys happy and healthy. Every morning, Mike Langmo uses his dimmable, programmable LED lights to simulate a sunrise for his flock. There’s evidence that this practice is helping regulate their circadian rhythms, possibly contributing to their health and well-being. Read how it works here.

LED Prices Dropping: Two months ago, Cree announced they would be selling an LED light bulb for less than $10 in the US. Now, Osram has revealed that their new LED replacement for the 40W incandescent will retail at €9.95 in Germany. With prices going down this rapidly, LED light bulbs are becoming more attractive to consumers. Read more about this event here.

Most Efficient LED?: Philips has also been stepping up their game this month, claiming to have created the world’s most efficient lamp. It’s an LED tube light replacement prototype that produces 200 lumens of pure white light for every watt it uses. Learn the details here.

In Lighting Tips…

Image via Freshome

Why You Need Good Windows: House Hunting? Make sure to take note of the kind of natural light your potential abode offers. Learn when darkness should be a deal breaker, and when you should tolerate it. How much natural light your house gets can be a difficult thing to change when you’re already moved in. Read this article for the details.

Tricks For Decorating Rooms With High Ceilings: High ceilings can be a beautiful feature in your home, but learning how to decorate around them can take some creativity. Check out this article for inspiration!

9 Green Elements For Sustainable Cities: Making a city “green,” is no small endeavor. What programs, practices, and features make a city sustainable? What you can do to start moving your city towards being green? This article is a great place to start.

Other Cool Stuff…

World’s Largest Video Game: Drexel University professor Frank Lee has created the world’s largest video game, made from LEDs on the side of a skyscraper in Philadelphia. He programmed the LEDs with versions of Pong and Snake, with hopes of letting regular people play against each other with oversized joysticks. Read more here.

Image via ZDNet

What If The Sun Just…Disappeared?: Michael Stevens from VSauce created this fascinating video, explaining what would happen in the sun suddenly vanished into thin air. (Warning: The facts might shock you!)

LED Prom Dresses: This month, high schoolers across the country were getting ready for prom. Girls looking for a little extra sparkle made a beeline for Jonathan Kayne’s gowns, ribbed with LED lights in various patterns. Check them out here.

This informative material has been provided by Pegasus Lighting, a nationally recognized lighting distributor that has been selling unique lighting products to a wide spectrum of customers since 1993.