Designing (or re-designing) your home is always an exciting endeavor. It forces you to take stock of what works, what doesn’t and where your priorities lie when it comes to lifestyle. And let’s be honest—there are times when you see something, think, wow that would be so great in my living room (kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, etc.), then learn that it’s not the eco-friendliest option. This sends you back to the drawing board, searching for design solutions that add visual interest to your home without causing detriment to the earth.
Balancing your environmental goals to reduce your carbon footprint with your desire for a beautifully designed home can be challenging at times. It’s not like you’re ready to throw out all your worldly possessions and live off the land, but you also want to minimize your impact on Mother Nature and do all that you can to support a sustainable future.
“Balancing your environmental goals
to reduce your carbon footprint with your
desire for a beautifully designed home can
be challenging at times.”
There’s good news! It’s entirely possible to light up your home in a way that’s stylish, functional and energy efficient all at once. Let’s talk about the power of LED lighting technology.
LED Lightbulbs by the Numbers
You want your lightbulb to release its energy in the form of light, not heat. That’s why incandescent lightbulbs are so inefficient—90 percent of their power escapes as heat. Light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs, on the other hand, are “six to seven times more energy efficient than conventional incandescent lights and cut energy use by more than 80 percent,” according to the U.S. Department of Energy. (Image source:)
For you as a homeowner, LED lights are advantageous because of their long lifespan. You won’t have to spend as much time scaling a ladder to switch out your bulbs, or worry about constant burn-outs at the most inconvenient times.
Which Bulbs to Buy?
You can even emulate the warmth of an iridescent lightbulb with an LED—or you can choose a cool white or blueish daylight color temperature as well. It all depends on where your chosen bulb falls on the Kelvin scale. A rating of 2700-3500 Kelvins would appear as a warm white tone, while a rating between 5000-6500k would show up as closer to natural daylight. A rating in the middle (around 4000k) means the bulb will exhibit a cool white color. (Image source:)
The versatility of LED lights means you can outfit your home with the best lighting for various spaces. For example, your bathroom might call for cooler colors while your kitchen and living room work well with warmer, more inviting tones.
“Light up your home in a way
that’s stylish, functional and
energy efficient all at once with
LED lighting technology.”
Designing with LED in Mind
So we’ve established that LED lights are utilitarian, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you want a single, naked bulb hanging overhead (unless you’re a hardcore minimalist, in which case, more power to you). Luckily, lighting fixtures that support LED technology have come just as far as the bulbs themselves! (Image source:)
Let’s say that after your last get-together, you noticed that your dining room could really use some brightening. There’s a fine line between ambiance and dimness, and your old light fixture has surely crossed it. What are your options? Unlike traditional, incandescent hanging lights, LED chandeliers from YLighting combine the pizazz of striking modern design with the energy efficiency of LED lightbulbs. Bonus: the unique shapes and materials will give your guests an automatic conversation topic to kick off group dinners. (Image source:)
Don’t stop at your dining room; there’s an LED light fixture for every room! Try a table lamp on your bedroom night stand, wall sconces around your bathroom mirror, a floor lamp in your living room and hanging pendants in your kitchen! LED lights are here to help you be green and save green in the long run.
Have you switched to LED lighting in your home?
Share your thoughts and comments with us.
I love that they are making LED lights in so many different shapes and sizes. It makes it far easier to use them. Thanks for sharing on the #WasteLessWednesday blog hop!