RIGHT LIGHT - Plan ahead to get your best lighting?

Lighting is one of the most important elements in your home's décor. To be sure you end up with the best lighting type, style and placement for your home, before visiting a lighting showroom, consider these tips:

Be clear about your mission. What do you want from the lighting showroom? Design help? Fixture selection?

Call ahead, and set up a time. If you have an appointment, a lighting expert can be ready to give you full attention and provide more beneficial service.

Ask about consulting costs. Most salespeople will give a complimentary half hour to provide lighting tips, but beyond that, they may charge a good faith retainer.

Go early in the project. Consulting with a professional early in your project will help you avoid making design decisions that result in costly and time consuming changes to previously completed steps.

Know that lighting educators want to be your partner. Lighting professionals want to create a partnership with their customers.

Many tips for lighting your home beautifully and functionally are featured in Lighting magazine, currently available for free in ALA-member lighting showrooms and for sale on newsstands. You may also click to order a free copy of Lighting now.

SHOW STOPPER - Make an Instant Impact with Very Little Effort

Refreshed metal elements can add unusual textures and intricate cut-outs to new fixtures. One carefully chosen statement fixture can be all that is needed to create a perfectly designed space.

Kichler's Albellona chandelier (pictured at right) features elegant sweeping arms in a sterling gold finish highlighted with delecate crystal beading for a statement-making designer touch.

EXPERT ADVICE - Want More Ideas? Ask a Lighting Professional.

We want to add toe-kick lighting below our cabinets and accent lighting above our cabinets. What type of lighting would work best? - Paula and Marcia A.

An effective product to use for toe-kick lighting and lighting above the cabinet is LED tape light. These systems often require discussion with a local lighting associate at a lighting showroom to determine the various parts needed and the type of tape that would work best in your application