1. Four Tips to Improve Your Home’s Outdoor Lighting -

    Posted on April 27, 2012 by wolfers_admin

    With warm weather quickly approaching, it’s time to revisit your home’s landscape and outdoor lighting scheme. Whether you are hosting a backyard barbeque or are trying to list your home on the market, your home’s exterior leaves a lasting impression on visitors. It’s important to find the right outdoor lighting solution that not only fits your style but is practical and functional. Here are four outdoor lighting tips for boosting your backyard and enhancing curb appeal.


    1. Give your home a warm and welcoming atmosphere with a well-lit front entrance. Wall lanterns on each side of the front door allow you to greet your guests and identify visitors as a safety precaution. We also recommend recessed, chain-hung ceiling fixtures to provide further lighting under a porch or overhang.
    2. Light up pools and fountains with beautiful underwater lighting options. We recommend ambient lighting sources like low-voltage and LED lights. Alternatively, installing fiber-optic lighting around your pool’s edge creates a twinkling effect.
    3. Brighten up areas in your backyard where you will be grilling, serving, and dining with task lighting. We recommend installing a recessed spotlight on a roof overhang or mounting light fixtures on railings nearby the grill and/or eating area.
    4. As afternoon cookouts and pool parties drift into the evening, it’s important to consider safety and visibility. Light driveways, paths and steps accordingly to help guests and family find their way safely and easily after dark. We recommend lining your pathways and driveways with low-level path lights and post lanterns, spaced about 5-8 feet apart from one another.

    To learn more about outdoor lighting and find the right exterior lighting plan for your home, visit one of our showrooms or schedule an appointment with one of our lighting consultants today.

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  2. Spring Is Blooming With New Lighting Trends –

    Posted on March 30, 2012 by wolfers_admin

    Spring is officially here! And so are the latest spring lighting trends. One of our expert lighting designers, Susan Arnold, offers some insight into three recurring trends we are seeing for the spring season here at Wolfers Lighting:


    Color Pop –
    Another spring lighting trend this season is the use of hot, bold colors, allowing for that pop of color you may be looking for to brighten up a room. “We’ve seen a wide range of colors pop up in lighting schemes and products, with a strong inclination towards warmer tones, such as reds, oranges, pinks, and yellows.” Brightly colored fixtures are perfect accents for pendants, wall sconces and ceiling lights. Color trendsetters include manufacturers such as Axo and Tech Lighting.


    The Modern Sparkle –
    A final trend we’ve seen for spring lighting is a touch of sparkle. Manufacturers have put a modern twist on the traditional chandelier, using a new and rare model of crystals to add just a hint of sparkle to a lighting fixture. The biggest sparkle trendsetter right now is Schonbek, as this manufacturer offers several products and series of unique and modern chandeliers and crystal lighting. Susan suggests Schonbek’s Petite Laurelie or Brocade chandeliers, or their Shadow Dance series.


    Reduce, Reuse, Recycle –
    Today’s strong push for green technology and sustainable living has permeated the lighting industry. Lighting manufacturers are fully embracing the green era with a new trend of using recyclable materials to make their fixtures. From plastics and glass to metal and aluminum to even rubber and burlap, “manufacturers are finding more and more materials every day to reuse and recycle into making beautiful lighting fixtures,” says Susan. Recycling trendsetters include manufacturers such as Varaluz and Troy Lighting.


    “People want to keep it simple. But I love to add a fixture that has sparkle or a hot color. It completes the design and makes it personal,” says Susan. “Every good design must have the wow piece, that pop that attracts attention and brings visual interest to a room. These are the up-and-coming trends that we will see a lot of in home lighting and design this season.”


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  3. Wolfers Lights Up Isabella Gardner Museum Renovation

    Posted on February 7, 2012 by wolfers_admin

    Wolfers Lighting sheds some light on their recent participation in the expansion and preservation of Boston's famous Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. This $118 million renovation merged new with the old, as the project added a 70,000 square-foot building to the existing yet refurbished museum.


    Wolfers Lighting was honored to host an extensive lighting demonstration for the museum's project leaders and architects. Selected suspension and floor lamps from a variety of manufacturers were displayed side-by-side in Wolfers' Allston showroom to facilitate the decision-making. After reviewing the available options, Prandina was selected as the lighting manufacturer of choice. These lights are now featured in the living room and cafeteria of the new museum.


    The renovation of the Gardner marks a close end to Boston's intensive, decade-long museum building boom. The museum, complete with the new building, reopened to the public on January 19th and is expected to draw in 250,000 people this year. To learn more about the expansion and preservation of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, click here.


    Experience lighting design in action at one of our unique and interactive lighting demonstration labs. For more information, visit Wolfers.com.


    Photos courtesy of The Boston Globe.

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  4. Wolfers Lighting Designer Featured on WGBH’s This Old House

    Posted on January 10, 2012 by wolfers_admin

    Wolfers’ own ALA certified lighting designer, Susan Arnold, will be featured on episode #3115 of WGBH’s This Old House, airing January 12th. As part of the Bedford Project – a restoration of the historical Nathaniel Page Homestead in Bedford, MA – Susan reveals her strategy for lighting both the high-ceilinged family room and the low-ceilinged kitchen.


    This was no easy task for a 1720 Georgian home – a home that was once lived in by a Revolutionary War participant and is currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places. But, while controlling everything with a new system that can be operated via a smartphone app, Susan found the right lighting solutions for one of the oldest and most historical homes in the show’s 32-year history.


    • For kitchen lighting, the low ceilings acted as the above floor, creating a challenge for fixture installation. Susan overcame this obstacle by using flush mounts, installing Philips eW Downlight Powercore, a surface-mounted LED light, and energy efficient fixtures.
    • For the family room addition, Susan did not want to lose insulation by penetrating the high-sloped ceilings. Instead, a large Arcadia chandelier was installed for general lighting, as well as Kendo fireplace sconces and a Toledo barn light sconce for perimeter lighting, with floor lamps for task lighting.
    • A final lighting challenge was found when the kitchen and the family room became one open space, leaving little wall space for lighting controls. Susan used Lutron Radio Ra 2 keypads, placed at each entry, all controllable from an iPad app.

    This past fall, the This Old House crew began The Bedford Project. Susan, along with a great team of renovation professionals, continue to work together and meet the owners’ wishes of retaining their home’s historical character while adding modern touches and amenities. With the LED cabinet lights, compact fluorescent lamps, and Radio Ra 2 controllers, Susan, together with Wolfers Lighting, created energy efficient, green lighting solutions for the Bedford Project.


    To catch this week’s episode of This Old House, check your local listings at www.thisoldhouse.com/tvlistings or watch online at www.toh.com/watchtv.


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  5. Follow Up: Incandescent Light Bulb Phase Out Stalls

    Posted on December 23, 2011 by wolfers_admin

    In August, we reported that the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 would phase out general service bulbs starting in the New Year (For full details about this Act, click here). However, new developments conclude otherwise.


    Congress recently pulled the plug on the incandescent light bulb ban by eliminating the funds the Department of Energy would need to enforce it. Some praise this decision – claiming consumers should have the freedom to choose what kind of light bulb they want. The industry, however, has already moved on. Lighting manufacturers continue to rethink the incandescent bulbs, making them better and more efficient.


    While the stalling of this Act might give these “energy-guzzling” light bulbs a bit more time on the shelves, it looks like they won’t be saved for long, as the industry continues on its path of creating energy efficient and green lighting solutions.


    To learn more about the latest in LED lighting products and energy efficient technology, visit Wolfers’ Green Zone.


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  6. Choosing the Right LED Desk Lamp for You

    Posted on November 21, 2011 by wolfers_admin

    At Wolfers Lighting, we stay up to date on the latest in LED lighting and green technology. Two examples are the award-winning Equo desk lamp and Square Walnut’s innovative Seagull Light.


    Designed for simplicity and sustainability, the Equo LED desk lamp sets a high industry standard for future green lighting elements. The Equo features a thin and feather-light design with a mostly aluminum composition. This LED lamp contains 53% of recycled material and uses energy saving LED lights, each with a lifespan of 50,000 hours, an overall environmentally sound and energy efficient lighting solution.


    The Seagull Light is an innovatively designed LED table lamp that takes the form and function of a flying seagull. In response to the eco trend, the Seagull adopts LED as its lighting source, consuming significantly less energy than traditional lighting sources, yet providing the same brightness for both ambient light and reading functions. The lamp’s unique design allows for interactive fun and function while also being LED energy efficient.


    To learn more about the latest in LED lighting products and energy efficient technology, visit Wolfers’ Green Zone.

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  7. Mass Save Rebate Program: Save Money Now with LED Lighting

    Posted on October 21, 2011 by wolfers_admin

    With today’s harsh economy, every cent counts. Thankfully, the latest Mass Save Rebate Program allows you to save money by upgrading your business to energy saving LED reflector lamps. These lamps are priced between $50.00 and $60.00 and are eligible for rebates up to $40.00 per lamp. LED lights also last longer than incandescent and halogen versions, carrying an additional savings of up to $600.00 over the life of the lamp. Whether you are in an office environment or a retail store, this energy efficient rebate program may be the right economical solution for your business. If you are a business customer of National Grid or NSTAR and are currently using incandescent or halogen reflector lamps, you may be eligible for the Mass Save Rebate Program. Contact us at Wolfers Lighting and one of our expert lighting consultants will help you get started.

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  8. LED Lighting: Today’s Energy-Saving Solution for Your Business

    Posted on September 15, 2011 by wolfers_admin

    Wolfers Lighting recently worked with Mulberry Road, a children’s store located on Newbury Street in downtown Boston. Our expert lighting consultant collaborated with the storeowner to develop a lighting plan that would be energy efficient yet cost effective, as the store is open for 8 to 10 hours each day. LED lights were chosen as the best energy-saving solution for Mulberry Road. Wolfers selected Lightolier LED track heads, which use only 17 watts per fixture - two-thirds less wattage than a 50-watt MR16 bulb - and light the retail space warmly and appropriately. Additionally, the LED track lights have a life of 50,000 hours, lasting 15 years before needing replacement and emitting less heat than an MR16 bulb. These provide a remarkable savings in cost and energy. Mulberry Road will not only avoid the hassles of re-lamping their fixtures every month, but they will also save a great deal of money on their electric bills. One particular note about this project is that it qualified for an NSTAR pre-approved utility rebate, which helped fund the use of these energy-saving LED track lights. Visit us today to learn more about LED Lighting and to schedule your next design consultation.


    Check out these photos of the Mulberry Road project.

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  9. Incandescent Light Bulb Phase-out

    Posted on August 9, 2011 by wolfers_admin

    At Wolfers, we like to keep you up to date with the latest lighting laws and regulations so let us enlighten you…Starting on January 1, 2012 the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 will phase out general service bulbs. The act will require that they be replaced with new, energy efficient light bulbs. Following the general service 100W bulb, the 75W bulb will discontinue in 2013 and the 60W and 40W bulb in 2014. A little worried that you won’t be able to purchase incandescent light bulbs in the near future? Don’t be! This is where we come in. Our staff is educated on all the new regulations that are being implemented. If you come into Wolfers Lighting we can guide you in the right direction when choosing your lighting so that you won’t have to worry about this new phase-out. We have also linked a brochure below that provides you with essential information. It lists the light bulbs that will be phased out and informs you on which bulbs are the best replacements. Check out the brochure or come into Wolfers and speak to one of our lighting experts to get all the answers you need!


    Visit www.sylvania.com/lightbulblaws and click on "Download the Guide For the New Lighting Options Brochure."

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  10. Control Your Lighting with RadioRA

    Posted on June 27, 2011 by wolfers_admin

    Don’t you hate it when you forget to turn off the lights and need to get back up just when you were getting comfortable? We do too. That’s why we’re sharing the latest technology with you. Lutron RadioRA 2 is a wireless, total home control system. It provides the ability to turn lights on and off throughout your home, from one device – either a remote console or your iPad.


    The system is not only convenient, but energy saving as well. RadioRA is able to adjust the amount of daylight versus electric light utilized, to control temperatures in individual rooms of the house and to turn off standby power of small appliances when they are not in use.


    We recently held a successful BLAST (Basic Lighting and Shade Training) seminar for electrical contractors, led by Joanne Enegess from Yusen Associates. One feature of the workshop included learning how to program Lutron’s RadioRA 2 “essential” software package. We learned how easy it actually is to retrofit this product into design. Upon completion of the BLAST course, all attendees received RadioRA 2 “L1” qualification, with access to the software programming package.


    At Wolfers Lighting, our staff members are trained on how to program this trendy system. We will soon have the iPad lighting control activated and ready for demonstration in both of our showroom locations in Allston and Waltham. Be sure to come check it out and try it for yourself in our interactive lighting labs.


    Make an appointment with a Wolfers expert lighting consultant today to experience RadioRA and all of the latest technologies at Wolfers.

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  • Four Tips to Improve Your Home’s Outdoor Lighting -

    With warm weather quickly approaching, it’s time to revisit your home’s landscape and outdoor lighting scheme. Whether you are hosting a backyard barbeque or are trying to list your home on the market, your home’s exterior leaves a lasting impression on visitors. It’s important to find the right outdoor lighting solution that not only fits [...]


    April 27, 2012
  • Spring Is Blooming With New Lighting Trends –

    Wolfers Lighting, the premier retailer for commercial & residential lighting in Greater Boston, offers spring lighting trends from expert lighting designer, Susan Arnold.


    March 30, 2012
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