What Happened to Traditional Lighting?

If we were to walk into Yale 20 years ago, these fixtures are what you would see.






They are called Williamsburgs and are the most traditional of chandeliers and lighting in general. The most popular finish was polished(shiny) brass. Fast forward 20 years, and the Willimsburg in polished is not sold anywhere.


Traditional fixtures are now sold in darker finishes with more modern details.






To understand how to buy a traditional fixture or any lighting for that matter, you have to realize the changes in lifestyle. In earlier posts, we talked about this new informality or the combination of the dining room and kitchen into one great room. This trend is only part of the answer.


Perhaps a better question to ask is: Are there any exclusively tradition or modern spaces being designed anymore? No would be my answer. Most spaces are eclectic or a combination of many different design elements. So truly traditional Williamsburg type lighting is no longer appropriate.

Lets look at the next generation of (somewhat) traditional lighting

The 20 Minute Dishwasher

The cycle time on any dishwasher for a pots and pans or extended wash is 99 minutes for washing and drying. On the Miele professional, it is less than half the time...

How is the next question?


First, it is 220 voltage, not a 110 like other dishwashers, and as such has a more powerful motor and circulation pump. At that voltage, the dishwasher can also reach a higher temperature

Have a look

Energy Tip Of The Day

As I am writing this, I have not read the Globe article on Green as of yet. I realize the Tip Of The Day is more or less a misnomer at this point. However, next year will be better as the lighting industry will finally start manufacturing consistent LED lighting. That is, if the lighting industry, the ALA, doesn't lobby against LED as they have fluorescent. Stupid.

This year has been interesting observing the nations slow awareness to conservation. I have saved a small fortune myself, by switching to fluorescent in my halls(earlier posts...How to save watts) and by drinking my own filtered and not bottled water, (which is filtered water anyway). I probably saved $20 per week alone and thereby eliminated the generation, transportation and disposal of plastic bottles.


Most Green is just commonsense really. Here is an example. I walk to my local coffee shop to have their tuna pannini. It is a great sandwich(tuna, olive oil, capers and black olives on a spinach rollup), but the amount of packaging is unbelievable: There is the cardboard container, the paper around the sandwich, 10 napkins and a bag. The Egyptians buried their dead with less(get it?). All I really need is the cardboard box


So for the holidays please remember this: Less packaging means more trees and all the implied environmental ramifications of removing a forest for non essential packaging. Before you wrap gifts for the holidays, please consider what you actually need

An Antidote for a Small Kitchen

I wrote a bunch of posts in October on appliance options for smaller and galley style kitchens. Some of the selections were rather sparse to use an innocuous word.


Every kitchen has a sink. Now how about a dishwasher within the sink itself. The KitchenAid Bravia encompasses both.


Have a look