Whether you have a spacious and expansive wraparound porch or a cozy stoop to welcome you inside, the front porch is the perfect place to establish a mood that flows throughout the home. Today I’ve rounded up a unique collection of front porch decorating ideas that celebrate the beauty of Spring with bright colors and endless charm.

Springtime is all about freshness and a world ablaze with color. This bright DIY welcome mat filters out both the dirt and the troubles of your day.

I’m a big fan of coming up with Etsy.)

Unique ways to display a bounty of your Spring flowers abound in these fresh front porch planter ideas that are anything but predictable.

via submersible LED tape lights to your water feature.

As you welcome your friends and family into your home this year, there are many ways to welcome Spring too. Small touches and pops of color are simple ways to turn your front porch into a bright and cheerful space to invite guests into the home.

Electric cars are becoming very common. If you have visited a car lot lately, you will see the selection has increased dramatically and Prius is no longer the only game in town. It is the future of cars and there is no time like the present to start learning the ropes of using an electric car for your transportation needs. A Santa Monica electrician is here to help you make the most of your new electric car or make your old one a little better with the installation of a Level II charger at your home. The team at The Electric Connection can assist you in getting the most out of your gas-saving car.

One of the problems with electric cars is their inability to drive long stretches on the battery alone. They are great for commuters with short distances to travel. Most electric cars can go anywhere between 40 to 100 miles on a single charge. Unfortunately, it can take a full day for a car to get a full charge when using a Level I battery charger. An electrician in Santa Monica can install the 240-volt outlet you need to run the Level II or fast charger in your own garage. This means, every day you get home from work, you plug in the car and it is fully charged and ready to go the following morning.

The faster chargers are a bit more expensive up front, but when you factor in the gas savings, it is an investment that will pay off over time. It is also more convenient in general. Because the charger requires more electricity to run, you will need an electrician. Santa Monica homeowners can decide where they want to charge their car and have the outlet installed nearby. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your installation.

Are you looking for ways to cut down on energy usage? Wanting to reduce power consumption is a very common thing, whether it’s to save money, or in an attempt to reduce your carbon footprint. The most common ways people save electricity are by toughing out the heat or cold by not using their AC or heater and by turning off the lights whenever they can. There is a much simpler, convenient way to save energy however.

According to many studies lighting tends to be a fairly large chunk of the average family’s utility bills. Even when lights are turned as often as possible, they can still take up around 12% of the bill. Replacing standard bulbs with fluorescents can save a lot of money over the course of a year on electric bills. In fact, studies show that replacing even just five light fixtures can save the average family over $50 a year. If you need more information about fluorescent lighting or need assistance installing it in your home, contact your local electrician. Pasadena residents can rely on The Electric Connection to answer questions about lighting options.

Fluorescent bulbs tend to be more expensive to buy, but don’t let their price tag scare you away. They are much more energy efficient than regular bulbs, and also last 5-6 times longer than them as well. This means that in the long run they will actually be much cheaper than a standard light fixture.

Although they are more expensive than a regular bulb on the store shelves, it is well worth the investment. The Electric Connection will have a trained and certified electrician in Pasadena ready to help you with any questions you might have about fluorescent lighting. They can also help anybody in need of more energy savings by creating an energy savings plan, which could include fluorescent lighting or other power saving techniques and equipment.