3. How to Choose Lighting for an Old World-style room?

Go with a ceiling fixture that suggests age in an Old World-style room. An antique brass or copper, bronze, verdigris, or rust-finish metal chandelier is suitable; for lamps, the same metals or stone work beautifully.

4. How to Choose Lighting for cottage, American country and garden-style rooms?

Buy a simple glass fixture (frosted or pressed-glass ones are nice) or a plain chandelier for cottage, American country and garden-style rooms. In lamps, ginger jar, candlestick or rustic terracotta-base models work well.

5. How to Choose Lighting for Mexican country style rooms?

Find a wrought-iron chandelier. Use lamps of wrought iron, lively painted pottery or plain terracotta; a worn or battered wooden artifact can be converted into a conversation-piece lamp, too.

6. How to Choose Lighting in minimalist interiors?

Think simple. Recessed ceiling fixtures and track lights work well; go with very plain lamps such as wood or ceramic cylinders or cubes.

7. How to Choose Lighting in high-tech environments?

Put obviously manmade fixtures - the more utilitarian-looking the better. Recessed can lights work well for the ceilings, as do track and cable-style fixtures; for lamps, adjustable halogens - often you see these in black-painted steel - work well.

8. How to Choose Lighting in arts and crafts interiors?

Let a Tiffany-style or a mica-type shade cast a subtle glow. Mission decor (part of the arts and crafts movement) includes fixtures of geometric wood or metal strips around frosted and colored glass.

9. How to Choose Lighting in eclectic-ethnic interiors?

Buy a wrought-iron chandelier. Use lamps of wrought iron, lively painted pottery or plain terracotta; a worn or battered wooden artifact can be converted into a conversation-piece lamp, too.

10. How to choose lighting for entertaining and watching television?

Use recessed lights, floor lamps and soffit uplights instead of a harsh, single ceiling light.

11.How to choose lighting for reading or sewing?

Use table lamp.

12. How to choose lighting for accent art and architectural features?

Add track lights.

13. How to choose lighting for a dining-room?

Go with a low pendant or a candle-style chandelier, use twin lamps on a sideboard for soft background light.

14. How to choose lighting for kitchen?

Under-cabinet lights brighten countertops so you don't work in your own shadow. Halogen bulbs render food colors accurately. Position recessed, track and pendant lights to illuminate work centers. Install low-voltage strip lights inside cabinets with glass doors.

15.How to choose lighting for bedroom?

Furnish the bedroom with general and task lighting for a relaxing atmosphere. Flank the bed with mounted sconces or swing-arm lamps to free up nightstand surfaces. Recessed can lights are inconspicuous and ideal for low-ceiling rooms.

16. How to choose lighting for home office?

To avoid eyestrain, use at least 100 watts of incandescent or 40 watts of fluorescent task lighting for reading, writing and computer work. Supplement table and floor lamps with uplights and wall washers that spotlight plants or bookshelves.

17. How about choosing color-balanced lighting?

Color-blanced lghting can duplicate the color of natural outdoor light at noon on a clear day. It put a sparkle in bathrooms, shows clothes in closets at their true color, brightens up a kitchen and provides excellent reading light.

18. How to Choose Lighting for an aquarium?

• Use fluorescent bulbs, which are cooler and use less electricity.
• Avoid grow-lights, which will not only make your fish look oddly colored, but will also cause
  algae blooms.
• Choose bulbs that equal 2 1/2 watts per gallon of tank water.
• Using LED lights is the best way to light up an aquarium. It creates a marine-like ambience,
¡¡with various color options available. It's a cold source, so there is no heat. It uses a very low
¡¡voltage, so it is highly energy efficient and long-lasting.

19. I am always in doubt when I am in a store to choose lighting for my home, what should I do?

When in doubt, go simple. A plain fixture is like a chameleon: It will adapt to future decor changes.

20. How to make sure that I have enough light for my fish and plants?

• Give your fish at least 12 hours of light a day.
• Watch the plants in the tank to determine whether your lighting is adequate. If the plants are
  growing, there's enough light; if the algae is growing out of control, there's too much light.

21. How to light a bathroom?

Ample lighting is essential for safety and convenience in the bathroom.

• Place wall fixtures on each side of a small- to medium-size mirror (about 36 inches or narrower)
  over the sink to illuminate your face as needed for shaving or applying makeup. Ideally, these
  fixtures should be 28 or more inches apart and about 60 inches off the floor
• Hang a row of lights with halogen bulbs above a large, wide mirror.
• Provide lateral lighting on a large mirror by drilling through the mirror to install light fixtures.
• Consider theatrical lights, which feature exposed incandescent bulbs, around the perimeter of
  the mirror if your layout permits it.
• Use color-corrected fluorescent bulbs (so they won't tinge objects with blue) if heat buildup from
  incandescent bulbs poses a problem.
• Install recessed downlights, designed for use in wet areas, in the shower and above the tub.
• Plan a central ceiling fixture that will give adequate light for general tasks, including dressing and
  cleaning, in the bathroom.
• Put a separate ceiling fixture, either recessed or surface-mounted, in a separate toilet
  compartment.
• Provide a night-light for safety. A conventional night-light or a dimmer switch on other lighting will
  be fine, but you could also go with low-voltage linear lighting mounted in the toe-kick space
  beneath the vanity or base cabinets.
• Dress the bathroom's window or windows so that natural light beams in while preserving privacy.
  Consider a skylight for natural lighting in a bathroom that lacks a window.

22. How much light the houseplants require?

Light is measured in units called "foot candles," which refer to the amount of light emitted by one candle at a distance of one foot.

• Understand that low-light plants require at least 25 foot candles of light. That is equivalent to
  the amount of light shining through a north-facing window.
• Understand that medium light plants require 75-100 foot candles. This is equivalent to an
  east- or west-facing window.
• Understand that plants with high light requirements need at least 200 foot candles. You can get
  this amount of light from a south-facing window.
• Understand that very high-light plants need at least 2000 foot candles of light. To achieve that
  amount, you will need to grow your plants under fluorescent lights.

23. How to determine light requirements for houseplants?

• Place a piece of white paper near the location you wish to set your plant.
• Put your hand about 12 inches from the paper between the light source and the paper.
  If you see a distinct shadow, the location has high light. If you see a shadow, but the
  edges are fuzzy, you have moderate light. If you barely see the shadow at all, the area
  has low light.

24.How to light pictures?

• Aim track or cable lighting at the picture. You may need to adjust the light's angle a few times
  to place it in the optimum, glare-free position.
• Install a cylinder-shaped picture light (these are often made of brass) on the wall above the
  painting. Route the cord through the wall to keep it from looking unsightly against the wall.
• Set an inexpensive uplight on the floor and aim its beam at the artwork.
• Have a professional install a state-of-the-art projection light - sold at specialty lighting stores -
  to accent your artwork. These lights cast rectangle-shaped illumination that stops at the edges
  of your picture.
• Don't use fluorescent bulbs - they fade images.

25. How about fluorescent lamps?

Fluorescent lamps come in small sizes, save energy, operate cooler, last longer - and can produce light that is balanced to natural light for true rendering of colors.

26. What size of the chandelier that I should buy?

Pay attention to scale. Bigger is usually better; too often a chandelier can look tiny.

27. How high should I hang the chandelier?

Consider both the chandelier and the room you're lighting: if the chandelier has bare bulbs, for example, it will need to be hung high enough to avoid glare. Otherwise, if you have an 8-foot ceiling, you'll want to avoid hanging a chandelier too high or it will look sawed off and stunted.

28. Do I need a chandelier with a zillion flame bulbs?

No. Remember that a chandelier is more of a room decoration than a functional light fixture.
Let other lighting in the room appropriately supplement a more restrained chandelier.

29. What chandelier should I buy?

Choose a chandelier that meshes with the mood and style of the other furnishings in the room: wall sconces, furniture, wallpaper, window treatments and other accessories. Stick with the classic looks. If you want your chandelier to match the room closely, outfit it in up-to-the-minute mini- shades - they're easy and relatively inexpensive to replace when they become pass.

30. Do I need to take the kind of bulks the chandelier uses into account?

Yes! Determine whether a potential purchase uses specialty bulbs or standard bulbs. Specialty bulbs can be hard to find and/or expensive.

31. What¡¯s special caution when I buy a chandelier?

Always ask if it is the best price they can give you. Inevitably, they will give you some kind of discount, even if it's just the tax. And try to get it already assembled! Lighting stores have special areas where they assemble their stock.

32. How to avoid glare problems in the room?

Buy a chandelier equipped with tiny shades (mini-shades) or add tiny shades to bare candle-type lighting. Or: Put the fixture on a dimmer and then supplement the room lighting with sconces, table lamps or recessed lighting.

33. How to clean a crystal chandelier?

• Turn off the chandelier's power at the wall switch. Place a piece of tape over the wall switch so
  that no one can accidentally turn it on while you're working. (Set up alternative lighting nearby
  if necessary.)
• Cover any upward-pointing bulbs with sandwich bags. Secure the bags with rubber bands.
• Place a drop cloth below the chandelier.
• Mix a solution of one part isopropyl alcohol or ammonia in three parts distilled water. Or, buy a
  special chandelier cleaner from a lighting retailer. Put some solution in a spray bottle.
• Spray every part of the fixture with the cleanser, avoiding wires and other electrical components.
• Allow the crystals to drip-dry. If your chandelier is too dirty for this drip-cleaning method, you'll
  have to hand-wash each individual crystal with the cleaning solution.
• Remove the plastic bags from the lights once the crystals have dried, and wipe down light wells
  and other noncrystal parts with a soft cloth dipped in the cleanser.
• Allow the entire fixture to dry overnight before turning its power back on.

34. How to choose the style of fixture for an outdoor lighting system?

Path lights can be hidden or visible, in styles that range from flower shapes (such as tulips) to colonial lanterns, while spotlights on trees or artwork may consist of bulbs only.

35. How to choose the materials and finish for fixtures for an outdoor lighting system?

Materials include aluminum, wood and copper. Black and verdigris finishes help the fixtures blend into the garden. Or match the finish to your home's color and style.

36. How to make dramatic touches with outdoor lighting system?

Consider dramatic touches such as highlighting the form of a tree by placing a light at its base (uplighting), great for illuminating trees with interesting forms, such as Japanese maples or oaks, and statues and water fountains. A lamp positioned above a gate or arbor can spill its light on the ground like moonlight.

37. How to select the bulb wattage for an outdoor lighting system?

Choose a low-voltage system designed for outdoor use. Common choices range in brightness from 4 to 50 watts, typically from 18 to 24 watts. You decide how bright a bulb you want for its specific use-- lighting the steps may be more important than lighting a tree.

38.How to determine the size of transformer for an outdoor lighting system?

Multiply the bulb wattage times the number of bulbs you need. Buy a transformer with the wattage that most closely matches this total. Don't go over that amount; if necessary, divide the bulbs into two groups and use two transformers. An automatic timer allows you to set lights to go on and off at specific times.

39. How to arrange lights outdoor?

Arrange lights in a line, a T-shape or a circle, but remember that the farther the last bulb is from the transformer, the dimmer its light will be.

40. Do I need a motion-sensor light for an outdoor lighting system?

Yes! It¡¯s best for safety; it turns on the lights for a few minutes whenever it detects motion.

41. How to make the most effective lighting for an outdoor lighting system?

Place fewer lights close together (within a 10-foot or 3 m area) rather than more lights farther apart.

42. How to make an exotic look?

Light ponds underwater with waterproof fixtures.

43. How about a solar lighting system?

A solar lighting system is a good alternative wherever electricity is hard to come by or expensive, and sunshine is plentiful.

44.How many lights should I use in my garden?

Use the minimum amount of light so that you can enjoy the special qualities of nighttime. Flooding the whole garden with bright light creates an artificial atmosphere and washes out the moonlight, the night sky and the intimate atmosphere of darkness.

45. How to determine light requirements for my garden?

Simulate the light level of a bright, moonlit night

46.How to light the pathways in my garden?

Use path lights or create a series of pools of light that lead through the garden. Even if you don't have defined paths through the garden, you probably have a route or two through it that you'll want illuminated for safety.

47. The light fixtures in my garden should be visible or not?

Be invisible unless they are decorative elements themselves. Even a beautiful stone lamp does not need a visible, glaring bulb.

48. How to accent the most dramatic trees in my garden?

Illuminating the trunk and branches of a tree from below draws attention to their beauty and adds enough of an ambient glow that the garden can be safely navigated at night.

49. How to replace a ceiling light?

• Turn off the power to the light at the main circuit breaker or fuse box.
• Remove all the screws securing the old fixture to the ceiling. Use a screwdriver and hold the
  fixture from the bottom as you work.
• Lower the light a few inches to expose the wires, then unscrew the wire nuts connecting the wires
  coming out of the wall to the old light.
• Set the old light aside.
• Remove 1/2 inch of insulation from the wire ends of the new fixture with a wire stripper.
• Lift the fixture into place and, using wire nuts, splice together the new fixture's neutral (white or
  gray) wires and the incoming neutral wires, and the fixture's and incoming hot wires (any color
  except green, white or gray).
• Join the fixture to the grounding wires in the box if it also has a grounding wire (green or bare
  copper).
• Tug on the wires to make sure all connections are secure.
• Tuck the wires into the ceiling box and screw on the new light. If the new light's mounting holes
 don't match up with those of the old one, you may have to drill new holes.
• Turn the power back on at the main circuit breaker or fuse box.

50. How to replace a dimmer switch?

• Turn off the power to the dimmer switch at the main circuit breaker or fuse box, and test to make
  sure it's off.
• Unscrew the switch's cover plate and remove it. The cover plate is the piece of metal or plastic
  covering the switch.
• Pull the old switch out of the wall carefully with your hand. Do not hold the metal parts of the
  switch as you do this. The switch should come out a few inches, exposing the wires.
• Unscrew the wire nuts connecting the wires coming out of the wall and the old dimmer switch's
  wires.
• Take the switch to the hardware store and get another exactly like it - the same number of wires
  and the same kind of wire. If you aren't sure, ask at the store. Also, make sure to get new wire
  nuts (this will ensure good splices when reconnecting wires).
• Match the two wires from the wall with the two wires on the dimmer switch.
• Firmly attach each pair in a wire nut. Make sure the wire nut is screwed on firmly and that no bare
  copper is exposed.
• Give each wire a light tug to make sure the wires are secured in the wire nut. • Mount the new
  switch into the wall and screw the cover plate back on.
• Turn on power at the main circuit breaker or fuse box.

51. How to replace a light switch?

• Turn off the power to the switch at the main circuit breaker or fuse box. Test by flipping the switch
  on to make sure the power is off. Tag the circuit box 'Man at Work' or something similar so no
  one mistakenly turns the power back on while you're working.
• With a screwdriver, remove the two screws holding the cover plate and take the plate off. (The
  cover plate is the piece of metal or plastic covering the switch.)
• Remove the two mounting screws holding the switch in place inside the electrical box.
• Pull the switch out of the wall. The switch should come out a few inches, exposing the wires.
• Remove the screws holding the two wires coming out of the wall to the switch, making sure to tag
  which wire came from which screw (they are usually color coded) with colored pens and tape.
• Take the switch to the hardware store and get another one exactly like it. Ask a salesperson for
  help if necessary.
• Take the new switch home and hold it up to the wall, right side up, so that the word 'off' appears
  when the switch is in the off position.
• Attach the wires to the screws on the switch's back according to the tags you made earlier.
• Secure the new switch in the box with mounting screws.
• Replace the switch cover.
• Turn the main power back on and test your work.

52. How to remove a broken lightbulb?

• Turn off power to the bulb and unplug the lamp.
• Put on protective gloves.
• Grip the metal lip of the bulb with needle-nose pliers.
• Gently unscrew the bulb base, turning it the same way you would an unbroken bulb. Watch your
  fingers while turning the bulb base. Sheered glass remnants may still be inside.
• Remove the bulb base from the socket.
• Be sure to vacuum up any broken glass from the floor.

53. How to turn off electrical power?

• Find your circuit breaker box or fuse box.
• Open the box's cover and locate the breaker or fuse on the circuit you want to kill power to.
  (Circuit breakers are small, usually horizontal switches.)
• Make sure breakers and fuses are labeled with the area of the house they serve - for example,
  "kitchen," "bathroom" and so on. If they aren't labeled, identify the proper circuit by turning the
  breakers off or removing the fuses one at a time and checking to see which lights or plugs have
  lost power.
• Flip the circuit breaker from "on" to "off" or remove the fuse.
• Turn the electricity back on after you've finished working on the circuit by reversing this process.

54. How to install a new dimmer?

With a dimmer, you can adjust light levels to create just the right lighting to suit your mood and enhance your home's atmosphere. Equally important, dimmers save energy and make bulbs last much longer than they would at constant full power.

• Shut off the circuit at the main service panel and remove the housing over the switch. Unscrew
  the switch and lift it out. If the box is metal, be particularly careful not to let the screw terminals
  on the side of the switch touch the box.
• Test for power with a neon tester, probing one switch terminal and the bare grounding wire;
  repeat the test for the other terminal (see A). Proceed if the test light doesn't glow.
• Cut off the wires at the switch terminals using wire cutters/strippers, and strip about 1/2 inch
  (12 mm) of insulation off the two cut switch wires.
• Wire the dimmer. A dimmer with two black wires has no polarity, so twist each dimmer wire
  together with either one of the switch wires and screw on a wire nut (see B). If the dimmer has a
  green wire, connect it to the grounding wire.
• If a dimmer has black and red wires, wire the black one to the incoming power (line) and red to
  the lights (load). To identify the wires, pull both switch wires out of the box; if you have a plastic
  outlet box, pull out the bare wires, too. Keep them well apart from each other. Have someone
  restore power. Use a neon tester to probe one switch wire and the bare wire (or the metal box).
  If the tester glows, that is the line, and the other wire is the load.

55. How to replace a fluorescent lightbulb?

Replace the bulb

• Make sure the light switch is turned off.
• Remove the lens or diffuser to access the bulb. On most fluorescent lights, the lens or diffuser
  is a plastic panel below the bulb. Push the panel up and tilt to remove.
• Check to make sure that the problem isn't something so simple as a poor contact. This can
  usually be corrected by giving the bulb a gentle turn a few degrees and then back to the lock
  position.
• Hold the old bulb firmly at one end, and rotate it one quarter-turn clockwise. This should put the
  end prongs in line with the loading slot.
• Slide the bulb free.
• Lower the end of the bulb carefully out of the socket. When one end is free, pull slightly and the
  other end should come out also.
• Set the old bulb aside and lift a new bulb into the fixture.
• Hold the bulb horizontally, and rotate the new bulb until the prongs on each end are lined up with
  the grooves in the socket.
• Insert the prongs in the socket and rotate the bulb a quarter-turn in a counterclockwise direction.
  The bulb should click into place on each end.
• Test the light at the switch. If the light still doesn't come on you may need to replace the ballast. • If you aren't sure what length the bulb is, remove the old one and take it to the store when you
  get the new one.

Replace the Ballast

• Find the ballast, usually seated near one end of the bulb. It is a silver, cylinder-shaped item with
  a diameter similar to that of a quarter. The ballast provides the starting voltage and then
  stabilizes the current for the fluorescent bulb.
• Loosen the ballast by turning it 1/4- to 1/2-turn counterclockwise.
• Pull the ballast out of fixture and take to hardware store to match with a new one.
• Insert a new ballast into the light fixture; twist clockwise to lock into position.
• Replace the lens cover.