One of the benefits to using spotlight lighting is the amount of light spotlights can give. Although spotlights direct their light to one spot only, they do work very well at illuminating that area. This is why the spotlight is a great light for task lighting. Another reason why you would want to use spotlights is because they are inexpensive and energy-efficient.
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Here are some of the possible uses of spotlights:
1. Stair lighting
Aside from the obvious uses of spotlight lighting, you can also use them as stair lighting. At night, you will need a lighting fixture that will light up the staircase in an energy-efficient and cost-effective way. The spotlight sort of light is a good candidate. They do work well in illuminating a long staircase and can ensure safety. Using spotlights as stair lighting reduces the likelihood of accidents at night.
2. Task lighting
One of the best forms of task lighting you can have is a spotlight. The good news is, there are different kinds of spotlights today that fit in more modern or contemporary settings. Square downlights, for example, are very contemporary in design. Install them close to your vanity mirror so you can easily see what you are applying on your face when you are applying make-up or getting ready to shave in the morning or night.
You can also install them in your garage and use them as spot task lighting to illuminate the areas of the car you want to illuminate. Architects working on their drafts or students doing homework can also use these lights to focus on their work. It helps make working on the very difficult tasks that require good lighting a shade easier.
3. Kitchen lighting
Cooks know how important it is to have good lighting in the kitchen, especially near the stove. This will help them check the condition of what they are cooking. Under poor lighting, it might be difficult to check the food if it has been undercooked or alternatively burned. Spotlights can be placed close to the stove. Square downlights can also serve as accent lights and can be placed above the countertop or the island counter.
If you have a bar close to your dining room or kitchen, these spotlights will also come handy. Use square downlights to highlight or showcase your mini bar and your wine glasses. It works brilliantly, especially when you are entertaining.
4. Outdoor lighting
Outdoor parties can be difficult to pull off without proper lighting. If you have hosted outdoor parties before, you probably know how challenging it is to get proper lighting. Spotlights shine best when they are outdoors. They work well in illuminating the area. Try to create a make-shift dance stage using these spotlights. You can also use these lights to illuminate the outdoor cooking area.
5. Garden lights
As garden lights, these spotlights are indispensable. More than anything else, they do their work in preventing prowling burglars as night. A well-lit backyard or garden could ward off potential burglars.
You may want to get the best spotlights for your home. You have many options out in the market. Consider the space where you are going to integrate the spotlight first so you can have a clear idea of what sort of spotlight you are going to look for. Gone are the days when the only spotlights you can choose from are those utility ones often used for the stage. There are now designs intended for home use. You can choose from those designs to complement the overall design of the room.
Always opt for energy-efficient lights. Most homeowners use their spotlights overnight. If you intend to use these lights in the same manner and length of time, you would want to choose those with bulbs that do not consume a lot of energy. When installing this in outdoor spaces, make sure they are encased in protective covers so they can resist common wear-and-tear.
Spotlight lighting works for virtually all intents and purposes. You would want to wrap your creative mind on the possibility installing these square downlights. These lights really work for a variety of purposes such as stair lighting, task lighting or garage lighting. They also work effectively in a well-designed room since you can find a lot of spotlights with an increasing array of impressive decorations.
Often people ask about the fees involved with hiring an interior designer for their project. How much would it cost to hire a designer? Is their designer over-charging them? Any question regarding design fees cannot easily be answered because each project is unique, as is each client, each designer, and each design firm.
However, there are five ways in which interior designers can charge:
1) Hourly fee. This is dreaded by many clients, and understandably so. Are we talking 20 hours or 35 hours? That's a huge difference in the total amount. Some designers (and other service providers too) are willing to set a "cap" on the total dollar amount, or total number of hours. But before signing an agreement with a cap, you must make sure you know what will happen when the maximum is reached. Will your designer consider it "case closed", or will (s)he just not bill for the balance of time spent on your project? An hourly fee is more fair for everyone when it is used for consultations rather than complete design services.
2) Percentage-based agreements. For a percentage-based agreement, the designer will charge you a certain percentage of the total budget of your project. The agreement should be clear as to what would happen should you increase your budget, or decide to decrease it for whatever reason.
3) Commission-based agreements. Very similar to percentage-based, but rather than being a percentage of the total budget, it is a percentage of the costs of the items specified and/or purchased for your project. It is most common to see this type of billing on decorating projects, or used in combination with another fee structure.
4) Fee based on square footage. This is most commonly used for larger non-residential projects. Usually designers/firms have pre-established dollar-per-square foot rates for the different phases and types of work that could be requested of them. This method of billing is never used for basic residential projects because the work and time involved is similar for a tiny and a larger washroom or even kitchen!
5) Fixed-fee contracts. These are often preferred by clients (and by our office). Aside from the obvious benefit of taking the guesswork out of how many hours you might be billed for, it is usually based on the designer's experienced estimate of hours required, size of the space, budget, and other factors all averaged out.
Payment schedules are another issue often discussed. This is when and how much you will be paying your designer. It interior design is common practice for a designer or firm to request a deposit or retainer fee on signing of the agreement or contract. A retainer should not be requested for services such as a two-hour consultation, and a retainer should be around 15% of the total design fee, although I have often heard of designers requesting as much as 50% up-front.
Different designers have different billing methods or habits. Some bill every other week, while others bill weekly or monthly. I like the idea of billing as phases have been completed; not only does this give the clients the confidence that they are paying for services rendered, but it helps illustrate how the total amount of the contract was reached. When the designer's work is completed, the balance should be paid in full unless other terms have been agreed upon.
To roughly estimate how much the design fee for your project could be, calculate 10% to 15% of your total budget. This is not necessarily accurate, but it's the best guideline anyone can provide without seeing what is involved. Of course, if your budget is unrealistic, the number you arrive at will be far from accurate. And designers are known to charge anywhere from 10% of the total budget all the way up to 30%. But, that doesn't necessarily mean that it will cost you that much -- your designer should be passing trade-discounts on to you unless otherwise stated in the agreement. (The code of ethics states that the designer is not supposed to be making money off the project that the client is unaware of.) On a recent project Idealspace Design handled, the design fee was approximately $1500, but only added about $250 to the total budget because the discounts (compared to regular retail prices) totaled a bit over $1200.
It is impossible to make suggestions about hourly rates because an independent designer just starting out will charge a lot less than a larger firm that has been established for many years. Keep in mind that hiring a beginner, charging $25 per hour, might require 20 hours to do something that a more experienced designer will only require half the time to accomplish. In that case, paying $60 per hour only costs $100 more at the end.
No matter the fee structure or payment schedule, you should feel comfortable with the amount you are going to be paying your designer. Some designers are also willing to work on a consultation basis even for do-it-yourselfers, so no matter your budget, it is possible to enlist the help of a qualified interior designer.