Smart home technology is changing the way in which we use light in our homes. Increased adoption of smart speakers, such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or Apple HomePod, is helping to shift our behaviour by giving us complete control over our lighting – all through the power of our voice. What’s more, the ability to control lighting via a mobile app is also an attractive proposition for many homeowners – particularly when you consider the level of customisation that most modern smart bulbs allow for at the touch of a button (or swipe of a thumb!).

We recently asked our customers how they feel about smart lighting, and the results confirm that not only is smart lighting taking over our homes, it could soon be taking over our gardens too!

In fact, the research revealed that over a quarter (28%) of respondents are already using smart lighting as part of their daily lives. And for those who don’t yet have smart lighting in their homes, half are considering installing it in the near future. Why? The main reasons are increasing home security (41%), reducing carbon footprint (21%), and keeping in touch with the latest tech trends (17%).

Smart lighting can be scheduled to turn on and off at set times

Endless possibilities

As well as offering homeowners many practical benefits, such as turning on lighting remotely before you arrive at home, or turning off lights after you leave, smart lighting can also be used in a number of fun ways, including programming your lighting to:

• flash in your sport’s team’s colour when they score
• change colour, based on the weather
• be just the right colour temperature and warmth to help your child fall asleep
• mimic the sun rising in order to wake you up in the morning
• flash when you receive a text message or email.

Philips Hue lets you play with 16 million colours!

We predict a ‘smart summer’

Whilst the living room (65%), bedroom (38%), and hallway (30%) are the most popular rooms for smart lighting inside the home, the research also revealed that 63% of respondents are interested in outdoor smart lighting.

As homeowners contemplate longer, warmer evenings sat outdoors in their gardens, the idea of being able to change the colour of outdoor lights for a party, or illuminating flower beds with different colours, is clearly an appealing one.

Smart tips for smart lighting

Smart lights are only ‘smart’ when they are connected to the internet, so before investing in new smart bulbs it is important to ensure that you have the right foundation on which to build a connected lighting ecosystem. From a technical point of view, users should consider the following key points:

• check the WiFi coverage in areas where the lights will be used
• check the brand of lightbulbs being purchased will integrate with existing smart devices such as smart speakers
• check any associated apps are compatible with your smartphone or tablet device.

Providing these boxes can be ticked, then there’s nothing to stop you from enjoying smart lighting in your home. To find out more and to view our wide range of smart lighting products, including products from leading suppliers such as Philips Hue, WiZ, and iDual, visit our smart home page.

Andrew Evangelidis Head of Buying

Andrew is an experienced buying professional who takes an entrepreneurial approach to identify new lighting solutions and ensure Lyco have first-to-market ranges for our customers. Having previously worked for well known brands such as Wickes, Carphone Warehouse and Toys R Us, Andrew has now turned his hand to sourcing commercial lighting and ensure our customers receive top brand quality products at marketing leading prices. He manages a team of commercial and decorative buyers who travel the world finding new products that our customers don’t even know they need yet.

Dimmers allow you to achieve the exact light level that you desire in a room and consequently alter the mood to whatever you choose.

There are various types of dimming options available, but the most popular are ‘phase control’ (or phase-cut) dimmers which by ‘chopping out’ parts of the voltage and so reduce power to the light bulb or lamp.

There are two types of phase control dimmer available, ‘trailing-edge’ and ‘leading-edge’, and they work in different ways which ultimately affects their compatibility with certain lightbulbs:

Leading-edge dimmers

Leading-edge dimmer switches are cheaper and simpler than trailing-edge, and were used originally to dim incandescent and halogen bulbs or wirewound magnetic transformers.

Many existing leading-edge dimmer switches have a relatively high minimum load, which often rules out their use with modest LED lighting circuits. However, leading-edge dimmers are by far the most common dimming control in existence.

Trailing-edge Dimmers

Trailing-edge dimmers are more sophisticated than leading-edge dimmers, and usually provide a much smoother dimming control, absent of any buzzing noise, and are ideal for use in most homes.

A trailing-edge dimmer has a lower minimum load (often 10W or below) than leading-edge dimmers, making it a better choice for dimming modestly sized low-powered lighting circuits.

Particularly beneficial for incandescent and halogen bulbs is the ‘soft start’ feature in trailing-edge dimmers, which prevents filament bulbs from dying or exploding of thermal shock when first switched on.

One example of an excellent trailing-edge dimmer switch is the Matt Black Screwless 1-Gang 2-Way Trailing Edge Dimmer.

LED lights and dimming

Unlike incandescent bulbs, which are all dimmable by default, LED bulbs have a built-in driver in their base. The driver converts AC power to DC power and maintains a constant current to the LED. This is at odds with a phase control dimming system, since the driver attempts to compensate for the sliced-out portions of input voltage.

LED fixtures such as downlights usually include the LED driver, either of a ‘constant current’ or ‘constant voltage’ type, depending on the LED array design. In either case, the same issue arises: the LED driver or power supply will try to patch up the missing parts of input voltage. In theory, LEDs should be fully dimmable, and normally they are – provided they are paired with a compatible driver.

However, widespread LED compatibility problems exist, and often supposedly dimmable LED driver designs only work with selective dimming control systems. These problems show up in a number of ways, including flickering, flashing, and dead travel.

How to avoid LED dimmer compatibility issues

For an LED lightbulb to work with a phase control dimmer, the electronics of its driver must be compatibly adapted.

Leading-edge dimmer switches are sometimes called ‘incandescent dimmers’, because they were originally designed to handle the resistive load of incandescent light. Existing dimmer switches tend to have high minimum loads and may require multiple LED lamps in order to even have a chance of working.

For an increased chance of compatibility, trailing-edge dimmer switches tend to work better with the capacitive load of an LED driver. The Varilight V-Pro LED Dimmer 1 x 300W is from the award-winning V-Pro range. It has an industry-wide reputation for delivering one of the best LED dimming performances available.

Research & Investment

If you’re installing a dimmable LED circuit from scratch, it’s worth checking out the bulbs that you’re likely to use and then look for a list of tested dimmer switches. Most leading bulb manufacturers test their dimmable lamps with a variety of switches and publish lists of known compatible models.

Similarly, you can upgrade your existing dimmers and so avoid compatibility headaches. What’s more, such an investment is likely to extend the lifespan of the lamps you buy, giving you an added incentive.

Remember, also, that LED bulbs are more complex than incandescent, so sticking to the same model of bulb is advisable when you find a winning formula. Once you have everything working, the many benefits of LED dimming will become apparent and transform the lighting in your home!

Andrew Evangelidis Head of Buying

Andrew is an experienced buying professional who takes an entrepreneurial approach to identify new lighting solutions and ensure Lyco have first-to-market ranges for our customers. Having previously worked for well known brands such as Wickes, Carphone Warehouse and Toys R Us, Andrew has now turned his hand to sourcing commercial lighting and ensure our customers receive top brand quality products at marketing leading prices. He manages a team of commercial and decorative buyers who travel the world finding new products that our customers don’t even know they need yet.

Earlier this year, we carried out some research looking at the many ways lighting can affect our customers’ daily beauty routines, and we were surprised to find that three out of four women are applying their makeup in poor lighting, often leading to disastrous consequences. The main issues were that the lighting in the room where women typically apply their makeup either varies too much, or is too dark.

As we settle in for another dark winter, achieving a flawless makeup application is only going to get more difficult – certainly not ideal when party season is also looming.

Daylight saving time may have come to an end, but that doesn’t mean your makeup routine has to suffer. With the average woman spending almost £22k on makeup products in her lifetime, we put together the following tips for achieving optimal lighting so you can get the most out of your makeup, and look flawless, all year round.

1. Step into the daylight – Natural light is the best light for applying makeup, and this is obviously in limited supply once the clocks have gone back, so it’s important to choose lightbulbs that closely mimic daylight.
2. Lumens, lumens, lumens – the brighter the source of light, the easier it is to see the finer details when applying makeup. Choose a lightbulb with around 1350lm (lumens) to ensure enough brightness.
3. Side to side – Setting the lights either side of where you apply your makeup, 90-100cm away from each other, with the radiance focused at eye level, will reduce shadowing.
4. Avoid downlights – Lights that shine in a downwards direction will highlight wrinkles, bags, and skin problems making the face appear – and feel – instantly older, leading to inevitable overcompensation of products.

At Lighting Direct, we have a number of products to illuminate your makeup area, whether that’s in the bedroom, bathroom, or somewhere else. Bathroom LED Swing Arm Mirror Light, for example, is framed with a built in white bulb ring light so you can always see what you are doing. It offers 3x magnification and can easily be tilted up and down.

Alternatively, the Edit Bravi 3 Light Bathroom Mirror Light fitting is great for small spaces as it can be can be fitted vertically or horizontally. What’s more, the light is IP44 rated, making it suitable for use in bathroom zones 1 and 2.

Whilst it’d be great if we could all completely overhaul our fixtures and fittings to suit our personal makeup needs, you don’t have to spend big to achieve better lighting. Something as simple as upgrading to a daylight bulb can make the world of difference.
If you need some help choosing a lighting solution, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Maxine Clarke Senior Buyer

Maxine has been our decorative buyer since 2015. With her experience in working for consumer-led brands, she is the perfect person to pick out the latest lighting trends for both your home and business. Maxine has an eye for the best up-and-coming lighting from the UK and around the world and works tirelessly to add new brands to our portfolio. One of her trends to watch in 2020 is connectable garden lighting; with summer garden parties more and more popular, being able to build and extend your own outdoor lighting with spotlights, festoons and string lights has never been easier – simply plug and play.

When comparing different light bulbs, most people look at wattage as a measure of brightness. However, due to the widespread adoption of LED technology, this unit of measurement is becoming less and less relevant; now, it’s all about the lumens.

So what are ‘lumens’?

Lumens are defined as “a unit of luminous flux in the International System of Units, that is equal to the amount of light given out through a solid angle by a source of one candela intensity radiating equally in all directions“. Great, but what does that actually mean? Put simply, lumens measure the total amount of light produced by a light source; in other words, the brightness of the light.

Lumens Vs. Watts

Watts measure the amount of energy that is used by a light bulb to produce light. However, with bulbs becoming more energy efficient, this measurement does not always provide an accurate steer on levels of brightness. And then when you consider that the sole purpose of a light bulb is to illuminate an area, it makes perfect sense to compare different bulbs based on the level of light they produce – and not the energy they use.

Low energy LED bulbs, for example, are able to produce a higher light output without using as much power; a 6.5W LED bulb will give a similar light output to a 50W halogen bulb! In this scenario, if you were comparing the wattages of both bulbs you would think the halogen bulb was far brighter due to the higher wattage, however this is not the case.

As helpful pointer, many LED bulbs come with an equivalent watt specification that make it easier to compare ‘old’ bulbs with ‘new’ ones; however, remember that this is only an approximate comparison.

A technical point: lumens and useful lumens

When comparing lumens levels, it is important to understand that they are measured differently across the various styles of bulbs. When measuring lumens for non-directional bulbs such as globe, golfball, or candle shaped bulbs, the lumens output is measured in all directions. However, with directional bulbs, such as spotlights, some of the light produced may be ‘wasted’, but is still counted in the total lumens rating.

To allow for an easier comparison between bulbs, a useful lumens rating was introduced. This rating only measures light that is released in a 90° cone from the centre of the bulb, ignoring any spilt or ‘wasted’ light. When comparing the lumens rating vs. the useful lumens rating, you will notice that the useful lumens rating is lower. However, this measurement is far more accurate for spotlights as the light is only emitted in one direction.

Hmm. How many lumens do I need?

Each room around your home will have its own lighting needs, and therefore varying levels of lumens will be required in order to achieve your desired lighting effects. Unfortunately, there isn’t an exact science around the number of lumens required as the room size, ceiling height, and colour scheme will all impact the number of lumens needed in each room. For example, a large room with a high ceiling and dark walls will require a higher number of lumens compared to a smaller, lighter room.

As a useful steer, take a look at this cheat sheet:

For the energy conscious among us, wattage will always be an important measurement of how energy efficient a bulb is. However, if you want a true understanding of how bright your bulb will be, then make sure you keep a close eye on your lumens.

To find out more about lumens check out of handy video below:

Andrew Evangelidis Head of Buying

Andrew is an experienced buying professional who takes an entrepreneurial approach to identify new lighting solutions and ensure Lyco have first-to-market ranges for our customers. Having previously worked for well known brands such as Wickes, Carphone Warehouse and Toys R Us, Andrew has now turned his hand to sourcing commercial lighting and ensure our customers receive top brand quality products at marketing leading prices. He manages a team of commercial and decorative buyers who travel the world finding new products that our customers don’t even know they need yet.

Decorating your home is an exciting time; enjoyment and satisfaction come from choosing your favourite style and colour scheme, as well as sourcing products that match your inspiration. Lighting is a major factor to consider throughout the design process, and not just for the main rooms, but also for the ‘forgotten spaces.’

Each room has its own purpose and therefore, its individual requirements. This is also true for those areas that connect each room: hallways, stairs, and landings. In this blog, we’ll give you some great advice and top tips to follow in order to make the right lighting choices for these vital spaces in your home.

Lighting your hallway…

Your hallway is normally the entrance to your home and the first room any visitor sees when they come to your house, so it needs to make the right impression. Hallways aren’t usually blessed with an abundance of natural light, so the lighting you choose becomes even more important.

When planning the lighting for your hallway you should first consider the dimensions of the space. Hallways are often long and narrow, without much room for floor or table lamps. In these scenarios, recessed downlights are a great option for guiding people down the hall. The height of your ceiling will influence the type of lighting that you can choose. For low ceilings, it is best to use flush ceiling fittings to avoid any obstruction; however, if you have very high ceilings, then a chandelier will make a bold statement in your hallway. Finally, if you have a wide hall then adding stylish table lamps wherever possible will create a warm, cosy and welcoming atmosphere.

Stairway lighting – some top tips

Stairs are another area that tend to receive less natural light, so choose your stair lighting wisely. Wall lights are a fantastic way to make a stylish statement, while providing good illumination for walking up and down the stairs. Furthermore, if you are looking to add that wow-factor to your home, then consider a cascading pendant or chandelier at the top of your staircase. On the other hand, if you are looking for a more subtle solution, recessed lights set into the walls next to the stairs, or in the steps themselves, will add a modern finish to your staircase.

Landing lighting – the finishing touch

Your landing may not be seen by as many guests as your hallway or stairs, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve the same level of attention. Once again, like your hallway, you should be aware of the dimensions of your landing before deciding whether it would be best to take a bold approach using lots of bright colours, or to follow a more simple style that uses a subtle palette. Recessed lighting is a brilliant choice for this area of your home. Dimmable lighting is a useful option if you have young children, as this will allow you to softly illuminate your landing and avoid waking sleeping children by accidentally flooding their rooms with harsh, bright light. Incorporating the décor of adjoining bedrooms into the design of your landing will create a seamless look that flows from one room to another. Using the same wall lights in your bedrooms and landing will create a unified style throughout the upstairs of your home.

Hallways, stairs, and landings are all important, but often forgotten areas of the home. Taking the time to plan the lighting in these areas will significantly improve the look and feel of your property by helping to provide natural transitions between rooms. If you need any help in choosing the right light fittings for a hallway, stairs, or landing, then contact us today.

Maxine Clarke Senior Buyer

Maxine has been our decorative buyer since 2015. With her experience in working for consumer-led brands, she is the perfect person to pick out the latest lighting trends for both your home and business. Maxine has an eye for the best up-and-coming lighting from the UK and around the world and works tirelessly to add new brands to our portfolio. One of her trends to watch in 2020 is connectable garden lighting; with summer garden parties more and more popular, being able to build and extend your own outdoor lighting with spotlights, festoons and string lights has never been easier – simply plug and play.