While ambient lighting and task lighting are primarily functional (e.g., does the room have enough general light to see by? Is there enough light to perform a particular task?), accent lighting is all about improving your home's décor while reinforcing your design aesthetic.
Need inspiration for adding that extra little something-something that will make your room design pop? Check out our favorite accent lighting techniques below.
Today, we shine the spotlight on another one of our fabulous team members: Jennette Kollmann. Jennette works in design and sales for our technology division, System 7.
Where did you begin your career?
Jennette: I received my master’s degree in lighting design from Carnegie Mellon University and began designing for theater and live events in New York City. I expanded my design background to broadcast television, working on shows for CNN, ABC, and NBC.
I then worked with the Blue Man Group, designing for their special appearances and video production team. My family and I were also fortunate enough to live in London for a year while I designed the lighting for the Bloomberg TV studio. We loved exploring a new culture.
When did you join the Wolfers Lighting team? And how and when did you transition over to our technology design division, System 7?
Jennette: Two years ago, I came upon Wolfers Lighting. I joined their showroom sales team and worked with customers to select decorative lighting for their homes. This great opportunity allowed me to expand my lighting design to residential and commercial lighting.
Reminder: we've officially moved our Allston store into our Waltham lighting showroom in preparation for opening a new Experience Center in The Boston Design Center.
All of the Allston showroom staff have settled nicely into Waltham. Stop by soon and say hi. (Bonus: we have air conditioning!)
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We're SO in love with this nautically inspired boat line chandelier by Arteriors Home. Used on a beach house project by our friend and designer Marcia Summers, it looks great at any angle!
We often say we have the best staff on the planet. (We really do!) We love shining the spotlight on our team members, some of whom have been with us for decades, like today's subject: Bob Grossman.
Bob is one of our wonderful sales consultants, and he recently sat down with us for a little Q&A session.
How long have you been with Wolfers Lighting? What attracted you to the lighting industry?
Bob: I was referred to Wolfers Lighting by a friend and headhunter. I had some experience working for an electrical supply company when I was younger and my friend thought this would be a good fit. I have now been with Wolfers for 33 years in various roles.
What was your career path prior to being in the lighting world?
Bob: Prior to joining Wolfers, I was the store and district manager for a local retail toy chain store called Child World for 15 years.
Ah, the dining room! This space tends to work overtime whenever it hosts family get-togethers, holiday feasts, dinner parties, romantic evenings for two, or even the kids when they're doing homework.
The right lighting can go a long way in helping to create the right vibe in your dining room (not to mention adding a bit of sparkle for special occasions).
How do you select the perfect fixture or fixtures for your dining room? To start, make sure you're familiar with different lighting types.
Ambient Lighting. This is the overall, general lighting in a room. Make sure there's enough of it.
Task lighting. Task lighting helps focus light on a specific task. In the dining room, this most likely means the food on people's plates. You'll want to carefully consider what light will be shining on your tabletop.
It was touch and go for a while, but the Commonwealth is moving forward with a tax-free weekend on Saturday, August 11, and Sunday, August 12. It's a GREAT time to say so long to the 6.25% sales tax and score some great deals*.
And we thought we'd sweeten the pot even more. In addition to tax-free savings during the weekend of August 11 and 12th, you can save 50% on specially marked display samples!
Think bathroom vanity lights, sconces, pendants, even outdoor fixtures. Worth noting: we're offering this 50% savings on select display (and always popular) Hubbardton chandeliers, pendants, indoor wall sconces, and outdoor wall sconces. This means you can choose from fantastic hand-forged fixtures (in both traditional and contemporary stylings) for a price that will make your wallet happy.
You'll also be able to save on high-end sconces and pendants from Fine Arts, Visual Comfort, Schonbek, and Quoizel. Not to mention we have plenty of other unique lighting products with deep discounts.
Our lighting consultants would be happy to assist you in finding the perfect fixture for your home! Stop by soon to browse and plan. Then, score your tax-free savings the weekend of 8/11 and 8/12. Reminder, we're in Waltham only now, but we'll be open both weekend days!
Details:
Questions? Call us: 781.890.5995.
Happy shopping!
*Tax-free savings valid up to $2,500 per item. No limit to the size of the order as long as each item is under $2,500 and the order is paid in full on the tax-free weekend.
When it comes to dimming lights, none of us probably think twice about it, right? We turn a knob or program a master control, and voilà!
Before the late 1950s, however, the technology used for dimming lights was complex, expensive, and rarely seen outside of stage theaters.
But that all changed when a young physicist named Joel Spira decided he wanted to make a device to dim lights—one that was simple and affordable enough for everyday people to use in their homes.
Spira began his quest by commandeering a spare bedroom in his New York City apartment and setting up a makeshift lab. His hard work paid off in 1959 when he "emerged from his lab with a solid-state dimmer that could replace the light switch in a standard residential wallbox."
Not only that, but Spira's dimmer generated less heat and used less energy—two more big benefits that helped his technology take off and solidified Lutron Electronics as the leader in the space for decades to come.
Always innovating, Lutron is still famous for its lighting, controls, and wireless technology. The company that started out with two products now provides over 15,000 to customers worldwide. Here are some highlights…
Last month, we were down in Dallas for Lightovation, the international lighting show where manufacturers sharer their latest designs and innovations.
Joyce Gravel, our Waltham showroom manager, provides a recap below, including lighting trends that are still going strong—and other ones picking up steam.
Soft gold shows no signs of stopping. We've written about this elegant finish quite a bit in the last few years as manufacturers tried (and ultimately embraced) a warm finish alternative to oil rubbed bronze. Who can blame them? Check out this soft gold finish from Hubbardton Forge.
We love shining the spotlight on our team members so you can get to know more about the people who make Wolfers Lighting so special.
Today, we shine the spotlight on Joyce Gravel, the manager of our lighting showroom in Waltham. Every day, Joyce exemplifies creativity and diligence. Our customers love Joyce!
We recently caught up with her for a Q&A session.
Q: How many years have you been in the lighting industry, and what drew you to this field?
Joyce: Thirty-four years ago, the restaurant I'd been running was selling out and I was going to be unemployed. Unsure of what I would do, a friend put in a good word for me with a small lighting showroom/electrical supply business. They took a chance on me, despite the fact that the only lighting knowledge I had was of a 60-watt lightbulb!
Fortunately, I fell in love with the field. The more I learned, the more I realized what I didn’t know. Lighting became a passion and a lifetime of education.
Q: How did you come to be with Wolfers?
Joyce: A friend of mine was working for what was Standard Electric at the time, and she recruited me. I had been working in lighting for nine years by that point, and I thought I knew everything there was to know… until I walked in the door here! It opened up a whole new world, because there was still so much to learn.
Steamy days and sweltering nights—that's what summer is all about, right?
While we're grateful for the invention of air conditioning, let's face it: closed windows and recycled air aren't necessarily the look-and-feel we're going for in July and August.
Luckily, there's a better option to get us through the dog days of summer: the ceiling fan.
Ceiling fans offer many benefits beyond the obvious:
