The Lowdown on High-Efficiency LED Lighting

lighting 2When LEDs (light-emitting diodes) came on the market, people were slow to use them at home, because the lights tended to give off a bluish-white hue. Today that has all changed. Advancements in technology mean that LEDs can produce that warm, yellow light many homeowners prefer in their living spaces.Though the upfront cost ($40 to $80) is much higher than for traditional bulbs, the return on investment comes with lower power bills, longer-lasting bulbs and better-quality light. LEDs can last up to 25,000 hours and use 75 percent less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs.

But the best part is their versatility. LEDs cover the range of light, from soft and warm to crisp and cool, and come in various design options that let you play around with neat lighting schemes. LED tape, panels, pucks, ropes, cans and bulbs work wonders with uplighting, downlighting, accent lighting and more.

Here’s a rundown of the basic LED options you can use to illuminate your living space.

traditional kitchen by Inspired LED

LED Tape (Flexible Strip) Lighting
LED tape illuminates this kitchen in two color temperatures. Above the cabinets an LED tape described as “normal bright” casts a white glow, while warmer white tape shines under the cabinets.
Read all about it at Houzz

 

Bathroom Remodel: From Dated Southwestern to Serene Minimalism

amazing_bathroomWhen a Cleveland couple saw this house, their imaginations ran wild … yet minimalist. Its original style was Southwestern, not to their modern tastes, but it had great bones. The renovation, designed by architect Ryan Duebber, included a bathroom that inspires moments of Zen (in fact, a wall-mounted TV near the tub means the homeowners can enjoy that segment of The Daily Show while taking a soak).Natural materials, a simplified color scheme with strong textural contrasts, an extended vaulted ceiling, more storage and a new layout add up to a minimalist retreat designed for two. Sneak a little break from whatever you’re working on and let this bathroom daydream take you away.Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their blended family
Location: Cleveland
Size: About 192 square feet

contemporary bathroom by Ryan Duebber Architect, LLC

The existing vaulted ceiling and large window make the room feel spacious, which Duebber enhanced with a minimalist approach and a thoughtful layout.He made the most of the big view by placing the freestanding bathtub in front of the window.

The bathtub sits on a platform made of Brazilian massaranduba wood. “The platform elevates the tub so that they can enjoy the view, and creates a moment of contrast between the wood and stone,” Duebber says. Massaranduba is used for outdoor decking and can stand up to water splashing over the sides.

floor_planRead the entire article at Houzz

The Best Time of Year to Buy Household Items

ShoppingWho doesn’t love a deal? I loved this article at Realty Times, which recently revealed the best time of year to buy certain household items in order to score the biggest bargains, based on research from AARP and LifeHacker.

January: Furniture, new flooring, and bedding and linens

February: Air conditioners and older model televisions that will soon be moving out for newer models

March: Gardening tools, china, and flatware

April: Vacuum cleaners

May: Barbecue equipment, patio furniture, and home office furniture

June: Tools

July: Kitchen appliances, such as refrigerators and ranges

August: Linens and storage containers

September: Grills and lawn mowers

October: Appliances and clearance patio furniture and outdoor items

November: Electronics, appliances, and tools

December: Televisions, electronics, and small appliances like toasters and blenders

Read more month-to-month breakdown of household discounts at Realty Times.

Use your iPhone to control your entertainment center: Logitech Harmony Smart Control

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Logitech will soon allow you to control your entire home entertainment system from your iPhone using its new Harmony Smart Control system. Centered around a small black box called the Harmony Hub that connects to up to eight devices through Wi-Fi, the Harmony Smart Control lets users control their television, sound system, game console and media players using Logitech’s iOS app.

Control your home theater devices from the iPhone or Android mobile phone you already own. Anyone in the house can download the Harmony iPhone or Android app turn their mobile phone into a personal universal remote control, including 50 favorite channel icons and gesture control.

Although it comes with a remote, the power that this system is supposed to have really centers on the app, which requires iOS 5.0 or later. You can set up the Harmony Hub through the app using Bluetooth, and then configure your devices individually. Then you can use the app to do things like change the channel and control movie playback on a game console. Logitech makes a point of saying that the Harmony Hub can be hidden in a cabinet or on a shelf, getting out of the way. The Harmony app will be free, while the Harmony Smart Control, the Hub with a basic remote, is available for pre-order for $129, and is expected to be released in May.

Source: Logitech

Energy Efficient Home

Is your home as comfortable as it could be? Giving your home an energy overhaul isn’t just about reducing your environmental footprint – it’s also about achieving a better quality of life. A deep energy retrofit is a holistic approach to making a comfortable, healthy, and energy efficient home. Check out our infographic to find out what a deep energy retrofit can do for you.

energy-efficient-home

A Musical Bathtub and 5 Other Smart Home Products

Would you buy any of the wow products HouseLogic’s intrepid reporter spotted at the home builder show?

After hiking miles of aisles past thousands of products (you’re welcome!) displayed at the 2013 International Builders Show in Las Vegas, I found a few designed to make your life easier, cooler, more efficient, and more fun. (Of course, many come with a steep price.) Come on, wouldn’t you want these?

Music in Your Showerhead

Showerhead

Credit: Kohler

Closet crooners, rejoice! Kohler’s Moxie shower head features a Bluetooth-enabled speaker so you can pipe your favorite playlist directly into your morning shower. The waterproof (obviously) wireless speaker attaches with a magnet to the shower head so that — even if you can’t carry a tune — you can detach it post-shower and carry the little speaker with you while you decide which socks to wear. The lithium-ion battery gives 7 hours of play and is rechargeable via USB. List price is $199.

Music Inside Your Bathtub

Can’t help but give innovative Kohler another shout-out for its VibrAcoustic hydrotherapy technology that lets you transfer your music directly into your tub via an MP3 device. Plug in your iPod, pick some mood music, and VibrAcoustic makes the walls of your tub — and the surrounding water — gently vibrate to the rhythms of your tunes. Talk about an immersive musical experience!

VibrAcoustic technology adds $2,400 to the price of your tub. Need even more fun? Include chromatherapy (colored lights) for another $600.

Solar-Ready-or-Not HVAC

Solar HVAC

Credit: John Riha for HouseLogic

Sure, you’d like to go solar, but maybe you’re not sure how to go about it. No worries —Lennox SunSource solar-ready air conditioners and heat pumps are ready when you are. When you decide to go solar and save on your utility bills, an HVAC pro simply plugs compatible solar panels into the unit — there’s no need to fool around with your breaker box or add a power converter.

If you’re not using your HVAC, the unit simply routes the juice from your solar panels into your home to power your appliances, lights, and other electrical goodies.

A high-efficiency unit runs $2,500 to $3,500 installed, depending on its capacity. Solar panels available through Lennox are $1,200-$1,500 per; a typical house uses at least eight.

You may be eligible for a federal tax credit of up to 9% of the cost of “solar-ready equipment.” If you also invest in solar panels, then you may be able to claim a federal tax credit of up to 30% for the whole kit and kaboodle. Check with your tax pro.

Don’t forget: Many states offer additional credits and rebates for solar installations.

Is Your Refrigerator in Hot Water?

Hot water refrigerator

Credit: John Riha for HouseLogic

Your refrigerator wants to be so much more to you than cold. The GE Café series has a touch-control, on-demand hot water dispenser that serves up H2O at four pre-set heat settings. You can get warm water for baking or piping hot water for instant oatmeal. Yup, you can get chilled water and ice cubes from the door-mounted dispenser, too. The sleek fridge retails for $3,299.

Even More Keyless

Fob lock

Credit: John Riha for HouseLogic

Biometric locks have been on the market for a while now, but Simplicikey takes high-techsecurity one step further: a handheld key fob locks and unlocks your door from up to 50 feet away.

Add the new Keycloud technology and you’ll be able to lock your door using your smartphone, tablet, and laptop. Use the Keycloud app to check the status of any of your exterior doors, even at a second house or rental property. Cost: $199-$279 (the app is free).

Private Screening

Bamboo curtain

Credit: John Riha for HouseLogic

On the low-tech end of things, I saw this at a booth and thought it was pretty clever. No, it’s not an actual product, but part of a booth design. Take a large planter, fill it with polished rocks, and stick some bamboo stalks in it to create a tres modern fence. Use it as an indoor partition or outdoor privacy screen.

Energize Your Tax Return

energize-your-tax-return

Ecofriendly and Salvaged Style in a Montreal Triplex

Montreal_homeShortly after buying a triplex in Montreal, first-time homeowners Dominique Leroux and Anne-Marie McSween attended a local environmental rally that made them rethink their design approach. The two spent the next couple of months researching ecofriendly design methods, then enlisted architect Vouli Manfredis of Studio MMA to do the renovation, which lasted a year and included reusing as much leftover material as possible from the gutted interior.
Montreal_home2
Most of the salvaged original wood framing became the new flooring, while local artisans repurposed the rest into kitchen cabinetry, a dining room table, stair treads and more. Even Leroux’s and McSween’s families stepped in to donate unused wood and furniture. “Everything has a story,” says Leroux.

Montreal_home_3read the entire article at Houzz.com

 

Everything You Need to Know About HVAC Systems [Infographic]

maintenanceThere’s a lot to know about HVAC systems, particularly if you want to avoid $400-plus energy bills every month. Line//Shape//Space’s latest infographic offers many insights on HVAC systems.

So whether you’re an HVAC firm in need of a quick, digestible way of showing potential clients what they need to know about fresh-air flow, or you just have an HVAC system in your house, this one’s for you.

HVAC_Infographicsource: LineShapeSpace.com