Brighten your décor with lighting choices

Light Up Your Life 


An often overlooked element of interior design is lighting. The proper lighting can transform a room from cold and sterile to warm and homey—but poor lighting can do just the opposite. Marty Bursky, owner of Cleveland Lighting, understands the need for guidance when it comes to navigating the myriad lighting choices on the market today. “Lighting is the icing on the cake,” he says. “Lighting can create some of the greatest drama in a room.”

Bursky has been in the electrical and lighting industry for 40 years, working with and learning from industry leaders like Kichler Lighting. He established his own business, Cleveland Lighting, in Lyndhurst in 1994. With his son, Matt, as business partner, he launched an Akron location—Cleveland Lighting South—in September 2015 in the distinctive building constructed by Todd Ederer on W. Market Street. “All our fixtures are displayed as they would appear in our clients’ homes, mounted to drywall,” Bursky says. The result is a series of vignettes, with bath lighting on mirrors, kitchen pendants against granite, stone and siding for outdoor options. “All of this helps the clients with a clear vision of the outcome in their homes.”

Vision is what Bursky shares for the trends in home lighting today. Whether you’re looking to dive into an edgy statement piece or simply want to refresh a room with subtle updates, Bursky’s advice brings light to the subject.

LED
 “Everything of quality LED is of interest to consumers today,” he says. “But like any newer technology, you need expertise in navigating the marketplace.” All staff at Cleveland Lighting stores go through the American Lighting Associates educational courses before assisting clients, so they know how to match product to need. “The correct product in the right application is huge,” Bursky says.

Cleveland Lighting South offers hundreds of LED options, from pendants to sconces, chandeliers to vanity lights, floor lamps to under-cabinet lighting, in every conceivable style, from sleek and modern to elegantly classic, edgy and industrial to opulently baroque, with price points to fit every budget. “LED is more expensive as an upfront cost, but the payback is huge,” Bursky says. “It’s really all about the energy savings, low power consumption and almost no heat produced.”  

Timeless Style
 Like a classic trench coat or a sleek leather sofa, some looks never go out of style. The same is true for some lighting options that have become staples due to their practicality or versatility. “Recessed lighting has always provided that clean ceiling look, but now has been positively affected by LED technology,” Bursky says. With options for warmer or cooler colors to complement other design elements, dimmable technology and super long lifespans, LED is the way forward with recessed lighting.

Ceiling fans are another trend that has become standard, largely due to their dual purpose of light and air circulation. “Fans never really were out for our clients,” says Bursky. “They have also been improved by the manufacturers addressing size, style and technology.” The selection at Cleveland Lighting South covers a range of sizes and styles ranging from classic woodgrain to Swarovski Crystal “fandeliers.” Technological features include the ever-present LED option, as well as remote control, wall switch wiring, and oscillating cage fans.

Newest Trends
 Attending the annual lighting show this January, Bursky noticed a few trends emerging for the coming season. “The largest trends we recently saw were soft gold finishes, gold and black combinations, [and] vintage or historic bulbs of all shapes and sizes,” he says. While brushed nickel and bronze are still very prominent, softer golds are definitely taking over. And these finishes work well when combined with each other or with natural textures, like wood and fabric.

Another trend to consider if you’re perhaps a bit bolder is a chandelier in an unexpected place, like a bathroom or bedroom. “We love the unexpected,” Bursky says. “It’s part of being creative on the design side, while making it work with the client’s taste and décor.” It can be tricky to integrate disparate elements into an overall cohesive look, but that’s the fun part. “Whether it’s an unorthodox application or mixing finishes, the design community has the talent and foresight to accomplish these tasks.” Bursky sees many of the area’s top designers in the showroom, matching their expertise with the array of unusual products to bring homeowners’ dreams into reality.

Switch It Up 
 Each time you flip on a light switch, you interact with a part of your lighting design that is ultimately forgotten—the switch plate. “It’s an area most people miss entirely and simply don’t pay attention to,” says Bursky. This small element of the lighting design can be beautified by paint, fabric, decorative paper, or with the help of a company named Legrand. Bursky says this company has developed a new shape of plate that marries style and new technology. The combination transforms a simple but forgotten lighting accessory into a design difference maker. “For those with a discerning eye, they enhance any space in a classy, subtle fashion.” 


LEDs made simple

Watts vs. Lumens


Wattage measures energy drawn. Lumens measure brightness emitted. While there is no simple math to calculate watts-to-lumens, most LED packaging includes some equivalents, and conversion calculators are easily found online.

Color Temperature


This refers to whether the light emitted is cooler (white, blue) or warmer (yellow) and is measured in kelvins. A lower kelvin number means warmer, yellower tones. Light from incandescent bulbs has generally been viewed as warmer than that of LEDs, but that is changing as manufacturers develop a spectrum of LED colors, from purple to a variety of whites.

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Cost

LEDs cost more at the store but use less energy, so they can have an impact on lowering long-term electric bills, the way a hybrid car will cost more to buy but require fewer trips to the gas station.

LEDs also last longer than incandescent bulbs, so you won’t have to buy them as frequently.

Prices on LED bulbs have been dropping as the technology for manufacturing them becomes more streamlined.

Keeping It Cool


LEDs remain much cooler than incandescents do—a primary factor in their longer life. But they still produce some heat, which is pulled away by a “heat sink” in their base. This bit of heat needs to dissipate to preserve the life of the bulb, so enclosed fixtures are not a great place for LED bulbs.

(Source www.cnet.com)