Now that you have the holes for lamp sockets, we need to start wiring the lamp sockets.

Kevy, an eCommerce Marketing Automation ​company that specializes in automating and personalizing the shopping experience. ​ ​​Kevy gives online retailers the tools they need to help visitors find the products they care about most. When she is not at Kevy, Brooke and her husband Ryan love creating new projects and are always looking for a new DIY opportunity around the house.

The media room is perhaps the most lived-in area of your home.  Whether you are watching TV or reading a book, the lighting should be comfortable, energy-efficient and beautifying.  Tune in to a picture-perfect setting with lighting tips from Capitol Lighting’s professional consultants.

1. Track and Recessed:  General or ambient lighting is a must in any room, but it is especially important in a multi-functional space such as a den or media room where there will be a wide range of activities that call for specific light settings.  Overhead lighting should be installed as part of the initial room design.   Oftentimes, a standard grid lighting pattern does not work well with your seating and furniture layout, so it is best to draw up your lighting design in the initial stages of planning.

NOTE:  In general, recessed cans should be installed 30 inches away from the wall and 4-5 feet apart.

Track heads, recessed and/or rail lights should be strategically located so as not to create glare or cast unflattering shadows upon individuals in the room.

Rail lighting from WAC Lighting highlights artwork;  hanging pendants provide soft ambient illumination and artistic accent light.  Rail and track lighting are highly versatile and allow for easy adjustments if you decide to change your decor.

2. Wall Lighting: Wall lights work well in a media room as they expand the space and provide an evenly distributed balanced illumination.

Image from HGTV.com “Must-see Media Rooms”

“Jaxon” wall lighting from Troy Lighting, available in a variety of color options

3.  Portables:  From sturdy reading lamps to decorative table lamps, portables are a useful addition to the multifunctional media room.  They provide individualized task light, as well as general illumination throughout the room.

Room design by Sandra D’Amata International

Ambience table lamp (shown above), Frederick Cooper “Script Reader” floor lamp and Minka-Aire’s “Great Room” fan from Capitol Lighting

4. Control Systems:  Dimming and automated control systems are a must for the media room.  Even if you have programmed your lighting controls into your Smart phone, wall switches with a variety of room settings and dimming capabilities are a good idea and are available in a choice of colors to complement your rooms’s decor.

Dimmer switch from Kichler Lighting

5. Special Considerations:  LED bulbs and LED light fixtures are suitable for media room lighting designs, just be careful to choose all your light sources with the correct color rendering, color temperature and shielding. Look for LED light sources that are dimmable and in warm (2700K)  color temperatures. *

LED torchiere floor lamp from Holtkotter

* Solid State Lighting and LED light sources are being refined so that predictable color rendering and color temperature will be more visually accurate.  A new metric to measure LED illumination is in the works:  The Color Quality Scale (CQS) will help to identify the visual characteristics of LED light sources more clearly, but right now–a bit of trial and error may help you find LED light sources that are complementary to your media room’s decor.

3 Keys to Remember:

*  Avoid having sharp areas of contrast between dark and light–illumination should be evenly dispersed with slight variations that allow your eyes to transition from reading a book, conversing with friends or watching  TV.

* Make sure lighting/fan controls are easily accessible–opt for a remote control system in addition to wall switches.

* Go for the most energy-efficient light sources, but do not sacrifice the overall look of your room.   If you are not using fluorescent or LED light sources, opt for eco-halogen or top quality incandescent bulbs in portable light sources.

Eric Lebersfeld and his dedicated Capitol Lighting team have expanded their reach and literally broadened the horizon toward “Making Lives Brighter.”  Together, they have enriched the lives of many and remain gratefully committed to their work with Habitat for Humanity.

Most recently, Habitat for Humanity Palm Beach County honored Lebersfeld at their gala celebration for his outstanding service and commitment.  Lebersfeld and the Capitol Lighting team remain faithful supporters of Habitat for Humanity and look forward to continuing the relationship and investing their resources in this noble organization.

Capitol contributions to Habitat for Humanity include:

•Donating over $100,000 in cash and products just this year.

•Investing their time and supporting the cause for almost 10 years.

•Developing the Making Lives Brighter Campaign with partner and spokesperson Rob-Van-Winkle, aka Vanilla Ice, to better serve the community and expand gift-giving capabilities.

• Bringing comfort to inhabitants, Capitol Lighting collects old lighting fixtures to be donated to Habitat and then offers donors a 10% discount towards new lighting purchases.

Members of the Capitol Lighting family enjoyed an evening of celebration and an awe-inspiring acknowledgement of their efforts on behalf of Habitat for Humanity.

For his work over the past 10 years, Habitat for Humanity Palm Beach County appointed Lebersfeld as an honoree.

Here are some excerpts from Lebersfeld’s speech at Habitat for Humanity’s Gala Celebration:

October 5, 2013

“So, how did it come to be that a little Jewish boy from New Jersey who sells lights for a living ends up being honored by a big international Christian Ministry that builds houses? “

Lebersfeld credits his parents, who taught him by their example to live his life in a certain way, to see what connects us as human beings, rather than what divides us:

“If one elevates their thinking just a little bit, we come to realize that the small differences between us are easily dwarfed by the commonalities we all share. 
The quality of a person is not made up by whom they know, what they have or how they look, but by who they are, what they create and how they can add to the lives of others.”

Lebersfeld went on to impart some of the history behind Capitol Lighting, a family-owned business that began in 1924 with his great-grandparents:

“Together, they started Capitol Lighting and began our mission to make lives brighter. 
They did this literally and figuratively. For almost 90 years, Capitol Lighting has been on a quest of making the lives of our customers, our communities, our vendors and most importantly, our employees – brighter”.

“Habitat’s stated mission is that of “building hope with homes”. Their organization is filled with dedicated and passionate people striving to provide deserving and hard working families with an incredible gift. They also have provided me personally and every member of my team who has worked on a habitat project the gift of allowing us to do a mitzvah – a good deed”.

“Our goals are aligned and Capitol’s and Habitat’s working together makes all the sense in world”.

Lebersfeld acknowledged with gratitude Capitol Lighting’s spokesperson, Rob Van Winkle, also known as Vanilla Ice, for boosting the Making Lives Brighter campaign and helping Capitol to donate well over $100,000 to Habitat.

He concluded his remarks by whole-heartedly thanking Habitat for Humanity for allowing Capitol Lighting the opportunity to support their good work: “It allows us to fulfill our mission while helping you fulfill yours”.

Lebersfeld also vowed his continued support for Habitat for Humanity, as he thanked Mike Campbell, director of Habitat, and Ana Vento of Vento Designs for making the evening such a success.

For any home that depends on natural gas power for heating, cooking, or other tasks, a risk exists of exposure to carbon monoxide. Most modern gas appliances and pipes are built to high safety standards and should present little danger to a household. However, it is wise for any home with a gas line to set up carbon monoxide detectors as a precaution.