Track Tunes!!

Want to see something really cool...Have a look.

Look again...

You are looking at a wireless speaker from Tech Lighting (PDF link) which can be plugged into monorail track or monopoint canopy. It can wirelessly be integrated with your iPod, radio, satellite radio, computer etc...

Two speakers, wireless kit and remote control costs $432...additional speakers are $172. We will have 10 in the store by next week.

Tomorrow will be interesting as we look to critique and improve House Beautiful's "Kitchen of The Year".

My New Favorite Light

Look at our entranceway

You needed an act of congress to replace the bulbs in the old recessed lights. But there is now a better way.

The Tech Pendenza is a multi purpose LED light. This light can be surface mounted or can be placed over a recessed light.

At 15 watts, it has similar light output to a 90 watt halogen bulb (we are saving 300 watts). Better still, it has a lamp life of about 15-20 years...So if you have high ceilings, install one of these and never worry about staging, etc to replace a light bulb.

Not bad for $220...

OK, what the heck are these doing here??

More Visual Aids

When I was an appliance lad, our display was very similar to what you see everywhere....rows and rows of stuff lined up by category. That's fine if people want to buy just one piece....if they need to renovate a space, however, you need to create an environment...

I always partner with a granite shop (Adamo in Boston, great guy) and try to show people radically new products and ideas for their consideration

This is our latest environment...

Cooktop is a Bosch, Thermador and Gaggenau steamer...Look at the downdraft, it is self circulating and is vented back through the toe kick

36 inch pizza ovens from Gaggenau

Cool monorail track and pendants from Tech....I like track as an option to recessed lighting, especially in modern spaces

Cool faucet

Stainless island counters look good, but we will see once they have been used(and abused)...interestng rock backsplash

Owens Renovation Part 2

We delivered GE Cafe appliances to Owen in yesterdays post. Today, lets look at his lighting issues. Lighting is more challenging, because there are tons of options. We also have to consider his sense of style and blend that with his new decor.

Issue 1: Glass cabinet

His glass cabinet did not leave much room for traditional strips or undercounter lighting, so we used LED tape...Nice effect (terrible pic).





Issue 2: How to light a big painting.

He had existing old recessed, but replacing with wall washers would have been inadequate. We used stainless Tech track with customized black glass heads.





Issue 3: How to light ambiguous art object.

Two ways really (for now)...Low voltage track or recessed...Owen chose the track.

Yale Home Show...A Yale PSA

The 9th Annual Yale Home Show sponsored by Electrolux February 7-16

If you have never been to a Yale Home Show, it is well worth a visit.

Each weekend, we have some of New England’s best chefs cooking in our 9 kitchens showcasing different cooking techniques on all the major brands like Wolf, Viking, GE Monogram, Miele, JennAir and Electrolux. This is our best lineup yet with Ming Tsai of Blue Ginger, Jay Murray of Grill 23, Paul Turano of Tryst, Steve Brand of Upstairs on the Square, and Nelson Cognac of Kouzina.

We will also concentrate on newer technologies like LED lighting, speed cooking and induction. We will teach you how to plan recessed and track lighting for your home. Vendors from every manufacturer will be on hand to answer any questions.

If you want to see how appliances really operate, need some technical expertise for a house plan or are just looking for a great deal, The Yale Home Show is a great place to start or finish your project.

Inexpensive, Not Cheap

According to most blog experts, I have to connect to readers with short bursts of compelling info. In the last 2 months, I have shorten the narratives to be more hard hitting. The old stuff, in my opinion, is better for people who are looking for the nuts and bolts on renovating, etc, especially the very first blogs up to early 2007.

Shifting gears, there seems to be more housing inventory on the market lately. Unlike years previously, there are, however, tons of ways to distinguish your home inexpensively....


Let's spend less than 2600:

Complete Frigidaire Gallery kitchen with 2 colored Tech Pendants.



GE Profile Range and wine cooler.



For about $2800, how about an induction cooktop, 5 LED replacement trims and 2 low voltage french optic pendants.

The Future is Almost Now

Unbelievably, I have been blogging for 2 years. I have watched LED for almost three. We have ventured to lighting shows waiting and eventually leaving disappointed.

LED is truly compelling technology. Light emitting diodes are 7 times more efficient than incandescent, last 20 times longer and do not emit heat into the room (incandescent heats to 300 degrees.)

As I have written previously, there are no standards to the lumen output of LED, so most bulbs render blue. The only white rendering recessed is LRF....

Until now LED has been almost absent in decorative...Until now...Lets look at some new products almost available....





Notice the equivalent to a 50 watt low voltage is now a 5.8 LED

Lighting Effects......Ginger Part 2

Ah Black Friday....The next 3 plus weeks will determine the fate of half the retailers. Happily, the appliance business is fairly consistent throughout the year. Most manufacturers have some pretty interesting rebates, but I do not see a Black Friday rush to buy appliances and/or lighting. Then again, consumers may show a more practical side

About 2 weeks ago, I had a request for different bulbs and their effects especially in recessed lighting. Lighting effects are determined by the Kelvin scale. The lower number, around 2000 degrees, is decent, warm lighting. The higher end, 5000 degrees, is considered unflattering light. Commercial fluorescents and actually sunlight fit this category.


So lets look.


Incandescent:



Although the bulb should be outlawed for its inefficiency, the bulb renders especially well casting a warm, yellow glow.



Fluorescent:



Great question would be to ask which type. Color rendering fluorescents are actually pretty good at around 2800-3500 degrees Kelvin and are 4 times more efficient than incandescent.



LED



State of the art in all ways. It renders similar to an incandescent or low voltage bulb and is 6 times more efficient with 20 times the lamp life. Of course not all LED renders the same. Read some of our more recent posts about this lighting technology



Low Voltage



Low voltage is currently the standard for upscale homes. It is actually whiter or higher on the Kelvin scale than incandescent, but by only 200 degrees. This whiter temperature actually shows granites and cabinets better than incandescent.

The Future is in November

We have been posting about LED(light emitting diodes) for almost a year. LED is the greenest lighting available and is 7 to 10 times more efficient than incandescent. The bulb itself will last 30 times longer than an incandescent.

Because it is a new technology, LED has been scarce and expensive. One company, CREE, seems to be way ahead in color rendering and their chips seem to be in high demand.

Over the past year, more consumer products are becoming available. Tech Lighting, the best track and pendant manufacturer, will have LED pendants and track available in November...

A sample:

Another Great Deal?

I have started watching this website called GardenWeb. Yes, it is about gardening, but they also have a significant home improvement section with peer to peer reviews including a significant feature on appliances and lighting.

One of the posts was dedicated to the best appliance values. The person posting was talking about her parents refrigerator and how it lasted for 58 years. My feelings about this are mixed. First, I hate to throw anything of value away.

However, a refrigerator purchased today uses 50% less electricity than similar products from less than 15 years ago. A 58 year old refrigerator probably costs about $400-500 a year to operate versus $50-60 for a similar unit purchased today. Antiquated technologies in general like incandescent bulbs and top load laundry are probably costing the individual consumer hundreds of dollars a year every year.

But lets look at something new....What do these refrigerators have in common?



Yes they are Energystar, but there are instant rebates of $75 to 100 on all GE, Maytag, JennAir, Whirlpool and KitchenAid french door and side by side refrigeration.

The Green Kitchen....Almost Done

I love big sales events. All the projects for Innovation 08 have to be completed by Friday at 5 PM, so it is fun to watch the mad scramble. Although we have revamped 3 displays, hung about 75 new fixtures and added about 40 new appliances, my favorite is this Green Kitchen.

Have a look:



I like it, because the lighting creates the environment. The bamboo pendants look great and they use 13 watt fluorescent bulbs. The recessed is 12 watt LED instead of 100 watt incandescent. This Boston kitchen dispels the notion that fluorescent is ugly or LED is too dim. To encourage people to embrace this new technology, we will be selling any fluorescent or LED product at 10% off this weekend.

Just for fun...Look at this kitchen in stages.

Three Kitchens

A quick question...What is the most expensive kitchen of the three?

This Wolf/Subzero kitchen with custom Tech lighting?



How about our blue Viking kitchen?



This is our new display from Electrolux..With speed oven, pro range, downdraft and an AGA stove on the other side



Now which cabinets are the most expensive?

There is a point to this post....Back in the 80's, buying a kitchen was about great, yet expensive cabinets. Appliances were an afterthought. Flash forward 20 years and the cabinets have become the commodity whereas the appliances have the name recognition.

If you are planning a new kitchen, pay for great design (and designers) and budget for cabinets accordingly. Check different stores as you may find similar cabinets for less money (a lot less).

Still guessing?

For people planning new kitchens, we have a new guide to help you in your quest for a great kitchen at an affordable price

Considering a new project? Take a look at our Appliance Buyers Guide.

Name That Light

You know the brand of your car, your clothes, your favorite restaurant, your coffee and probably your appliances...Ok maybe your appliances

Now let me ask this question. What is the brand of your lights? There is an average of 40 in a typical home...Still guessing?

Well, its not that important per se. However, it is crucial to spot a decent light versus a less than desirable product. After all, it will cost a minimum of $200 for an electrician to fix or rehang a light

Look at the following before you buy:

1. Most pendants are low voltage and require a transformer. Transformers are robots that morph into cars(just making sure you are still reading. Seriously, a transformer converts the 120 household current into 12 volts for low voltage. There does not seem to be any uniform quality standards for these items. Be careful as it is hard to advise how to check for faulty piece until it happens. There are two decent quality lines to actually look for: Tech and Lightning Bug.


2. Fit and finish: If a lighting is hanging crooked on a store display, it will probably look the same in your house. Look at the cable and supports especially






A couple of arbritrary lights from Tech Lighting....Notice the finish and straight these pieces hang. Tech uses a superior piece of cable. I love the canopy. It is real metal not a painted finish that will fleck and peel when heated

The New Energy Bill

Finally, a comprehensive bill was signed into legislation. The appliance and lighting industry will probably be the most affected. Light bulbs will have to be 70% more efficient according to the new laws, so incandescent bulbs will be ushered into retirement. Then again, the technology is over 200 years old.

By the year 2030, we will save 4 million barrels of oil per day or roughly twice our current consumption from the Middle East.

We can certainly improve, but it is a step in the right direction


Have a read:


http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/12/19/higher_auto_mileage_standards_coming/

French Door Refrigeration

But what makes this refrigerator, French?


Perhaps because the doors "kiss" together? With all due respect to French culture, one may ask why that is French.






A french door refrigerator is essentially a bottom freezer with a side by side refrigerator top. Its an advantage in an kitchen with an island since the refrigerator door is cut in an half. Thus, you have more space without opening a big door(as shown above)


This type of refrigeration is amongst the most popular selling products in the industry


Here are the favs:

JennAir, KitchenAid, Amana and Whirlpool: The same refrigerator for 4 brands is a good choice for larger units and shallow depth.






LG: LG was an early adopter of french door refrigeration. They have a wide variety of products including the only unit designed for a 30 inch cabinet






GE: GE refrigerators were manufactured by LG until this year. GE actually invested in something other than a jet engine. Technologically, it is an interesting product with LED lighting on the inside and a very cool icemaker on the outside

The Weekend Rant

I was in Las Vegas for a service convention. Appliance service is in peril, because the average service technician was 57 years old and retiring. That meeting was six years ago. Most of the major brands have either deemphasized service and a few companies like Whirlpool and LG have no service departments at all.

I am not being self serving, because we have the largest independent service department in New England. It should be part of your purchase decision. Because fixing problems in this industry is a 40% shot...at best


Next week: Bath lighting, New Wall ovens, traditional lighting and detergents in no specific order.

An early Happy Thanksgiving to the travellers.....

And a nice weekend to all,


Steve

Green Townhomes

Meet Jim. He is a developer and one of our favorite clients.






He is also a forward thinker with different building techniques and new technologies. His latest project is in the South End and employs many Green attributes, so I thought it may be fun to look. I also love old buildings, and this one is no exception. It was an old womens dorm many years ago. Women, in the past were looked down on if they lived alone. Jim purchased it, and turned into 9 upscale condominiums






Many of the old architectural elements remain or were recreated like the crown mouldings and woodwork. I like the staircase.





What really interested me was the LED lighting. We have tried to procure LED recessed for over a year and felt it was not quite ready. LED is short for light emitting diode and lasts longer then fluorescent with even greater efficiency. LED is a brilliant light in all ways except for white. It is, however, also inconsistent in its renderings or the color of the light from lamp to lamp. Jim, to his credit, circumvented this by overbuying and matching colors himself.









Another cool feature is his hall lights are on a sensor, so the light is activated with motion only.






So much of Green building is non appliance and lighting related. For example, Jim recycles 85% of his rubbish by placing them in separate bins. The building has a white roof to reflect light and solar panels to assist in heating the building, and the HVAC is, of course, EnergyStar rated.


Jim and his wife researched and in installed all this new technology on their own. Consider how much would be saved if all buildings were designed and constructed in the same way

New Incorrect Kitchen Application

We have 11 kitchen displays at Yale. 8 out of the 11 are functional and working. Using basic math 3 are not working. This is one of said displays and is not what should be done for 2 reasons:

1 Placing a television behind a 90,000 BTU professional range is somewhat irresponsible to say the least.

2. I like the lighting. Tech bronze track with matching heads is well coordinated with the Hubbardton Forge trditional pendants. There is, however, something wrong.
If you read the decorative lighting post from 2 weeks ago, you will know that decorative lighting is not task lighting. The surface is somewhat dark.


The solution: Add a few recessed lights...


What do you think?

Fluorescent Lighting

I couldn't quite leave for the weekend, so lets review fluorescent again. First, you need to understand the Kelvin scale. Lets remove the technicality of it:

Candle light, fire is good....We look great under candle light. Candle light is 2000 degrees on the Kelvin scale...So 2000 is good

Sunlight, fluorescent lighting is bad...yes sunlight washes color with a bluish light...sorry, its true...Sunlight is 5000 degrees....So 5000 degrees is bad (*even though fluorescent is 3 to 4 times more efficient)


Most bulbs have different Kelvin properties. When people talk about halogen being a whiter light at 2500 degrees, its a few hundred degrees from incandescent, but still way away from fluorescent.

Thus, the bulb you want to buy is: a 2800 degree Kelvin compact fluorescent, which is a better color of white than regular fluorescent and still provides energy savings


Take a look:



One of these lights has a fluorescent bulb in it.

Newest, Latest And Sometimes Greatest....Lighting

As lighting becomes sourced more from the same place(China), similar styles have been marketed by more companies. The following are exceptions

Framberg Ebony pendant....The finish is darker than oil rubbed bronze as is the glass. Available in a flush mount as well







Polished Nickel Pendant by Sonnemen...Its a smaller version of a really great commercial style





Triarch etched frame with opal glass: Very different and inexpensive





Hinckley Bath Sconces...Radical departure for a company known for traditional and outside products, but stylish, simple and contemporary





Wilmette by Tech: Take what I said and reverse it. Tech is reknown for miniature pendants, but this is large in size(obviously)





Sonnemen Sconce: The 70s are back...This is a little much for me, but retro certainly