Kenneth Crawford is a South Florida based interior designer and owner of Kenneth Crawford Interiors.  As the August Designer of the Month, he offers some professional lighting and decorative ideas.

Each element in a well-decorated room from paint color to the detail of each doorknob is important, and the right lighting is key to unlocking the true potential in your design. The space must be orchestrated perfectly, creating a cohesive flow through out.

I have over 20 years of experience with commercial and residential design, and whether you are building a new restaurant or renovating a 500 sq. foot dining room, the lighting fixtures themselves and the angle of illumination make a world of difference. That’s why I shop Capitol Lighting’s extensive database to find everything I need from unique ceiling pendants and elegant crystal chandeliers to simple bath vanity fixtures and top quality light bulbs.

The examples featured below show how the right lighting will create a custom finish and bring out the best in your decorative scheme:

Dining Room

When designing an interior space, you must look at the room as a whole. Light fixtures should blend harmoniously with the decor, adding color, texture and style to complete the design. The Philippe Stark fixture, purchased from Capitol Lighting, is more like a sculpture, making a stunning design statement and blending with the architecture without obstructing the view or overpowering the space.

Guest Bedroom

These nightstand lamps purchased from Capitol Lighting add the perfect finishing touch to this room. I wanted a metallic element to pull the silver embedded in the artwork and create a sparkling effect reminiscent of the Intercoastal on a clear day. 

Powder Bathroom

The Italian glass sconces were selected for their linear design, which adds to the architectural composition of the room.

Bedroom

Surge protection can keep expensive electronics and appliances safe from Kauai’s common power surges.  During our storms, voltage spikes can be harmful to appliances and electrical devices in your home. An increase in voltage above an appliance’s normal operating voltage can cause an arc or high surge of electrical current within the appliance.  The heat created in the arc and/or the power pulse causes damage to the electronic circuit boards and other electrical components.

Example:

A customer’s  washing machine stopped working properly,  after having purchased it fourteen months ago from a major retailer on our island.  Were they covered under product’s warranty?  No.  That lasted for one year with no added extended service protection (which can cost about $400 more on top of the appliance floor price).  They called the retail store’s service man to come out and repair it.  Seven days and $230 dollars later, the small electronic part was replaced, back and running for the time being.  What caused the broken part?  Most likely a large power surge or a series of smaller surges that can break down the inner electronics–an appliance only fourteen months old!

What about your appliances or electronic equipment?    Are they protected from the next storm or outage?

Solution:

A surge protector…..Installing a whole building surge protector connected to your electric panel gives you that needed protection. It absorbs the spiked energy caused by these surges from our power lines or lightning strikes.  The surge suppressor Blue Sky provides, protects electronic devices from higher than needed voltage levels. It protects electronic devices (televisions and computers) and  appliances (washing machines and dryers) with electronic parts from surges that originate from within the home, from the utility service and from other wires that connect the devices to the outside, such as telephone and cable television connections.

Call us so you can protect your appliances and electronics from costly electrical surges.  Let’s not get too acquainted with the appliance repairman. Call: (808) 647-0599

Solar power is something any home can take advantage of. You don’t have to live in the boonies to use solar power to offset your electric bill. The process of installing solar panels is relatively easy and can be taken care of by a Pasadena electrician like those at The Electric Connection. Solar energy is free and is most certainly the way of the future. Imagine cutting your electric bill in half or more by relying on the sun.

The panels are typically installed on the roof of your home. The initial cost of the solar panels will vary depending on how many you choose to have and the various sizes. There are lease options that have proven to be very good options for homeowners who are not quite ready to make the rather sizable initial investment to buy their own solar power equipment. Call it a test run of sorts as you learn to rely on solar energy.

Many people don’t realize that they can use solar power to run their homes even if they live in the suburbs. Most covenants will allow for the panels to be installed. Your home will stay connected to the main power grid so there is no fear of “running out of power.” In fact, if your solar power system happens to generate more electricity than you can use, you can sell it back to your electric company in most cases. How many people can say their power company pays them a monthly fee?

Because the solar panels will need to be connected to your home’s electric panel, you will need to hire an electrician. Pasadena homeowners will see the cost-savings of using solar power within the first month. As you grow more accustomed to maximizing the solar energy, those savings will increase over time. If you would like to learn more about adding solar panels to your home, give The Electric Connection a call today.