Museum of Light

Last Week, a group of 20 design students from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) visited the Lightology Showroom for a Lighting Education Tour. Lighting Designer Diane Fairchild and Architect Richard Kasemsarn brought their “Design with Light” class to Lightology for an immersive educational experience.

Students Tour Lightology – View from the Catwalk

The one hour student tour explored fundamental lighting principles, the properties of light, lighting design techniques, and the evolution of electric lighting technology. This design class is one of many to have taken the tour, which evolved over the years as increasing numbers of student groups requested access to Lightology’s space.

Students Tour Color Temperature Stairway (left) – History of Light Stairwell Bottom Landing (right)

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the International Academy of Design & Technology, and Harrington School of Design are but a few of the prestigious design schools that often ask for student tours at Lightology.

Tour leader Andrew Goldman notes, “We’ve heard a lot of feedback that these student groups leave Lightology with a deeper appreciation and understanding of things they’ve been learning about in class. Our exhibits and displays allow them to see and touch the things they learn in books.”

Ascending the History of Light Stairwell

More than a Showroom

Lightology founder and owner Greg Kay sees the tours as a sign that he must be doing something right. The award-winning lighting designer and Master Electrician opened Lightology in 2001 with a mission to offer the finest modern and contemporary lighting in the world. At the same time, he wanted to create a world-class educational center for lighting design.

“For me, Lightology has always been about more than just selling light fixtures—it’s more than a place to browse and shop,” says Kay.

Color Temperature Stairway

“When I first had the idea to open Lightology, I knew I wanted people to be able to explore the showroom as they would The Museum of Science and Industry, for example.”

Indeed, it’s no stretch to think of Lightology as Chicago’s Unofficial Museum of Light. The modern, glass-enclosed structure boasts 3 stories of stunning lighting displays and looks more like an art gallery than a lighting store. A variety of eye-catching and unexpected Light Art displays add to the ambience.

Visitors may explore a host of permanent, educational and interactive exhibits on the properties of light and color, the history of electric lighting, and the emergence of LEDs as the future of lighting. A breathtaking exhibit in the Morpheus Room demonstrates the impact of light and lighting systems on architecture, design, and human emotion.

In addition to educational tours for design and architecture students, Lightology’s award-winning showroom also hosts a variety of lighting seminars, industry training sessions, and other events. Complementing these educational experiences is a multitude of cultural events, parties, and photo shoots that take place throughout the year. (Even weddings!)

“Lightology is an experience,” affirms Kay. “It’s an adventure, a resource for lighting education, and really an opportunity to expand people’s notions about light, art, and the world around them.”

For more information, contact Fred Kern at fkern@lightology.com or call 773-770-1143.

Share a Photo of Your Thanksgiving Dining Decor to Win a Koncept Z-Bar LED Desk Lamp

This time of year, your dining room becomes the most important room in your home; a place for food, family and fellowship. And whether this is the only time of year your dining room gets used, or you break out the polished silver every Sunday, Lightology wants to see how your dining room has been transformed for the Thanksgiving season! By sending us a photo, you can win a $275 Koncept Z-Bar LED desk lamp!

To enter, take a photo of your Thanksgiving Dining Decor (family members not necessary!) that also shows off your lighting.

Like Us on Facebook and Post Your Pic on Our Page!

Or Follow Us on Twitter and Tweet Us your Photo!

A winner will be selected Monday, November 28th at 5 pm and will win a Koncept Generation 3 Z-Bar Desk Lamp, a $275 value!

The award-winning Koncept Z-Bar LED table lamp ($275 value) uses only 10.5 watts and is fully adjustable, with rotating arms that move to your exact desired position. The touchstrip allows for easy dimming with a simple slide of the finger. The perfect gift – or reward for your hard work this Thanksgiving!

Send in the photo of your Thanksgiving Dining Room TODAY for a chance to win!

Go Green: Make It Your New Year’s Resolution

The New Year is upon us – and it’s time to make some changes! Many of you are asking how to can save money and be energy-efficient, so make it your resolution! Here are some great tips on how to conserve energy, increase lamp life and save money on lighting in 2011.

Replace Inefficient Above, Under and In-Cabinet Lights with LED Soft Strip and LED Puck Lights

The average home will use cabinet lights around 2,000 hours per year; retail stores around 4,000 hours. When you install LED Soft Strip and Puck Lights, residential homes will enjoy 20 years of illumination!

The flexible and linear LED Soft Strip uses between 1 and 3 watts per foot and has all kinds of connectors to create custom shapes and sizes. LED Puck lights are compact, 3 watt fixtures that look great inside cabinets or closets and can either be surface mounted or recessed.

Use the Cody LED Picture Light to Illuminate Artwork Without Damaging UV or IR Rays

No one wants their valuable artwork and priceless family photographs damaged, discolored or faded from the harmful UV and IR rays that incandescent and halogen light sources put out. Using LEDs eliminates these concerns while also saving energy – the Cody LED Picture Light uses 6-12 watts (depending on size) emits zero harmful UV or IR rays and contains no mercury.

Convert Incandescent Bulbs to CFL or LED

LEDs are improving everyday, and you can always find the latest technology at Lightology. Our LED replacement bulbs are used to replace standard incandescent and halogen light sources while saving large amounts of energy and lasting up to 45,000 hours. For example, the EnduraLED A-19 is a direct replacement for a standard incandescent and uses only 7 watts!

Use Dimmers and Occupancy Sensors to Save Energy and Increase Lamp Life

By dimming incandescent or halogen lights just 10%, you not only save 10% on energy costs, but it also increases the lamp life by 80%! For example:

Incandescent Bulb Lifespan
Full Brightness: 1,000 hours
Dimmed 10%: 1,800 hours

This increase in lamp life helps save money, lower energy use and reduces waste. Add an Occupancy Sensor that uses motion detectors to turn lights on/off, making energy-saving a no-brainer!

Lightology Sponsors Installation at DIFFA’s Dining by Design Charity Event

This past week, Lightology paired with Chicago area design firm HDR Architecture for their Alice In Wonderland – inspired dining room installation for Dining by Design, an event hosted by the Chicago Chapter of DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS). This event raises funds for Chicago area HIV/AIDS service organizations that provide direct service, education, and outreach to the community.

Lightology donated the Ginetta chandelier for the installation, while companies like Coalesse Furniture, Designtex Fabrics and Interface Carpet donated other elements to perfect the whimsically chaotic setting.

HDR Designer Anne Rockwell had her sights set on the Ginnetta chandelier from the beginning.

“The chandelier was the perfect formal element with a modern twist,” she explained. “It helped tie the room together with the white table and scrolling graphic side walls.”

Find out more about DIFFA and what you can do to help.

Chandeliers: The Ultimate Holiday Accessory

Pair your perfect holiday meal with the perfect dining room accessory — a chandelier from Lightology. Working double duty as a source of light and a decorative element, hanging a chandelier above your dining table creates a welcoming ambiance that is sure to enhance your thoughtfully planned meal.

Foscarini’s Caboche uses perfectly designed glass globes to softly diffuse light while still providing direct up and down lighting.

Random, from Moooi, uses a resin-drained yarn wrapped around an inflatable mold. Once dry, the yarn becomes a sphere of translucent, 3D fabric. This unique aesthetic is quickly become an iconic image in the world of lighting and design.

Make sure to shop the Lightology Home for the Holidays Sale, with Chandeliers up to 30% OFF until November 30,2010.

Design With Light Winners!

 

Finalists from Left to Right: Derek Porter, Jasmin Marie, John Clark, Kristin Taghon, Elliot Eakin, Dru Wallon, Joseph Nicotera, Sam Matson, Curtis Cassell

 

 

After many months, Lightology’s first-ever design competition has come to an end! Last night, over 200 people came to celebrate with most of our finalists and congratulate them for their amazing designs! To see more photos from the event, visit our facebook page.

Congratulations to our winners!

Grand Prize

Derek Porter Studio

“Taut”

People’s Choice

Sepp Spenlinhauer and Brian Fassett/Eclectic Precision

“Sparkle Globe”

Don’t Leave a Lonely Chandelier

Staff Tips: Xavier Yager

“When it comes to lighting, every room must be dealt with individually,” says Certified Lighting Consultant Xavier Yager, of Lightology.

Yager has been in lighting design for 15+ years and knows that you must take into account the room’s purpose, the decor and the architecture before deciding how to best light the space.

“If we’re talking about the dining room, it is important to remember that it is more than just a place to sit and eat,” says Yager. “It is a place to entertain. Furthermore, the atmosphere or mood we wish to achieve may change depending on the time of day or the company we are entertaining.”

Edge Lighting Monorail System works perfectly over a dining table

“The idea behind lighting is to have multiple sources, types and qualities of light so you can create the feel you desire in the room. Everyone likes their dining room to have a show piece. However, if that is the only source of light in the room, you are asking a lot of that single chandelier. It will give you enough light to eat at the table, but you are really limiting how the room can feel.”

It is true that the chandelier selection is the first step in the process. Being that it is the focal point of the room, it must work with the energy you want to create. Furthermore, your other layer selections are based on this choice.

“What’s great about Lightology is that we offer many more options compared to your average lighting showroom and a totally unique palette of colors. All of Lightology’s sales staff are also certified in the trade and have extensive technical knowledge to ensure that the lighting you purchase will work correctly and safely within your home.”

Circle Suspension by Swarovski Architectural Lighting

Once the chandelier — also referred to as suspension lighting — selection is made, the next step is determining the secondary source of light, says Yager. You need to be able to highlight certain aspects of the room, whether it’s the top of a buffet, service at the dining table or artwork on the walls.

“For instance, we may want add light that will highlight the beautiful china on the table. For these types of circumstances, a little trick I do is I add two recessed cans, preferably MR-16s, on either side of the chandelier. I then cross the beams to where the light from the recessed cans actually covers the entire shape of the table. This allows the chandelier to be brought down to a soft glow, because I am not depending solely on it to light the entire table top. Now, the recessed cans shine down on any cut crystal, china or other reflective surfaces and illuminate the beauty of the table accents. This ultimately creates a more brilliant dining scene.”

LED Soft Strip is perfect for cove lighting, and comes in white (shown) and RGB (color).

“To add a more dramatic effect, a third layer of light, or ambient light, can be added to the space. This is achieved a number of ways. One option is adding wall sconces or a cove lighting application that washes light up the ceiling or down the wall. This ultimately creates a soft glow in the space, pulling the height of the ceiling up and accentuating any architectural highlights in the room, like a stone or brick wall. The thing to remember is, the more layers you incorporate, the more you can achieve.”

Another important aspect for lighting a space are the controls, says Yager. Having no dimmers or control system is like having a car without breaks or an accelerator. You have to be able to stop it, slow it down and make it do exactly what you want.

“Many people do not understand the value of dimming to create an atmosphere. Incorporating a control system into your design not only gives you the ability to set lighting scenes that are accomplished with the mere push of a button, you can also program the system to automatically change throughout the course of your evening.”

For control systems, Yager recommends the Radio Ra by Lutron. It is a system that works throughout the entire home, not just a single room. You can control all the lighting in the entire house by one master console. For those looking for a single room lighting control system, Yager recommends Lutron’s Grafik Eye.

“Every space presents its own unique set of circumstances. Can I say there is any one secret to lighting a dining room – no. There are rules of thumb to follow, however, multiple things can be done in a dining room. That is why it is important to have a certified lighting consultant who can advise you on how to best accentuate the space and not rely solely on a lonely chandelier. That’s where Lightology can help. Not only do we offer a completely unique spectrum of lighting, our knowledgeable staff can work directly with your architect and/or interior designer to create the best lighting scheme to enhance your living environment.”

Designer Profile: Mia Rao

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Call her a design philanthropist. Mia Rao, of Mia Rao Design in Chicago, IL never thought that being a designer would win her any points on the do-gooder scale.

“For the longest time, I thought I wasn’t doing anything philanthropic,” says Mia. “But I’ve come to realize that people are really affected by their environment. It’s exciting to watch the transformation of a space, but the most rewarding aspect of being an interior designer is finding out how much your designs can impact a person’s life.”

Mia has used Lightology for many of her projects, and shared with us some of her favorites.

Why Lighting?

“Lighting really has the ability to make huge transformations to a space. I think it is one of the most important aspects of my job; there is not much point to doing interior design without doing lighting. Once a client sees the right lighting in one space, they understand how important it is and almost always want to re-light the rest of their house.”

Why Lightology?

“Lightology is the best in Chicago when it comes to variety and options. Clients are always impressed when they come into the showroom, and its just a fun place to go and pick fixtures. I have worked with a lot of the staff and I’ve always had very good service.

Because you guys are always ahead of the curve, there have been a few times where I have been the first to buy a new fixture from your showroom, and clients just love knowing they have a truly unique fixture.”