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Welcome to the Online Light Shop Blog where all the latest news and events are posted on a regular basis. 

Traditional hall lights

Give your home a fresh breath of life with traditional hall lights If there is one area most home owners in the UK neglect, it has to be the hallway. You can be forgiven if you fall under this category because how long do you actually spend in your hallway? Still, your home can suffer greatly from a neglected hallway and one way of sprucing it up is by investing in traditional hall lights. Remember, your hallway will be the first impression your guests get of your home when visiting you. Looking Back at Ceiling Lights The earliest ceiling lights dating back to candles and oil wick lanterns still form some of the most poignant features in movies set in that...

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Give your home a fresh breath of life with traditional hall lights

If there is one area most home owners in the UK neglect, it has to be the hallway. You can be forgiven if you fall under this category because how long do you actually spend in your hallway? Still, your home can suffer greatly from a neglected hallway and one way of sprucing it up is by investing in traditional hall lights. Remember, your hallway will be the first impression your guests get of your home when visiting you.

Looking Back at Ceiling Lights

The earliest ceiling lights dating back to candles and oil wick lanterns still form some of the most poignant features in movies set in that period. This goes to prove that the hallway is indeed one of the most important parts of the house.

While much has changed since the days of candles and lanterns, the idea remains the same; welcoming everyone who walks in warmly. Without good lighting, you will be sending the wrong message however well illuminated the rest of the house is. Moreover, traditional hall lights will offer:

Ambience and glamour to the hallway, creating a good atmosphere.

Grandeur and aesthetics. If you want to wow your visitors before they enter, there is no better way than to dazzle them with an amazing chandelier.

Functional lighting. If you have a corridor before the main rooms, you need lights to completely light up the area.

Getting Your Hallway Lighting Right

Choosing the best ceiling light is easier said than done and you need how to do it right. Some of the factors to consider include:

Type of ceiling light: There are multiple styles to choose from including semi-flush, pendant, wall lights, lanterns, pendulum chandeliers in different designs and many more. Before starting your search, make sure you have an idea what you want.

Type of hallway: If your house has a large entrance hall, you can fix a grand chandelier in all its splendour. However, a corridor would require shallow suspended light because of the size.

Design of the light: You have to consider the rest of the décor before choosing your hallway lighting. As such, look around for styles that will complement what the rest of the house offers. You can opt for a classical touch, modern lights among many others.

Other factors to consider include the weight, ease of fitting, elegance of the design and material of the frame you want.

As you shop for traditional hall lights, remember they are supposed to warmly welcome your guests but not cause them to stumble. You can also see our range of hallway lights in our lighting showroom in Northern Ireland.

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Lighting shop Northern Ireland

Moy Lighting Centre in Northern Ireland specialise in retailing lighting for homes and commercial premises. We have over 3000 lights in stock at our retail premises in Moy, County Tyrone. Over the last forty years we have grown from a retailer selling various types of electrical appliances to now specialising in all types of lighting, from wall lights to lamps. Light Shop Ireland We pride ourselves in being one of the leading lighting stores in Northern Ireland, with access to over 100 different lighting wholesalers and manufacturers from all across Europe. Our Northern Ireland customer base stretches from Belfast to Enniskillen and now in recent years more and more of our customers are travelling from across Ireland. We are conscious of how far prospective customers are travelling and we...

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Moy Lighting Centre in Northern Ireland specialise in retailing lighting for homes and commercial premises. We have over 3000 lights in stock at our retail premises in Moy, County Tyrone. Over the last forty years we have grown from a retailer selling various types of electrical appliances to now specialising in all types of lighting, from wall lights to lamps.

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Bathroom lighting advice

Great care needs to be taken when choosing bathroom lighting as the regulations are strict concerning the type of light you can use. The bathroom mirror deserves some special attention and a diffused glass light either side will give a good general illumination where it is needed. The alternative is a halogen down-light from the ceiling or fluorescent strip light over the mirror. The latest generation of mirrors incorporate lights into the mirrors themselves with sections of the reflective surface removed and lights fitted behind them. This is a very effective way of generating an even light and improving safety. For general illumination in the rest of the bathroom either use down-lights for their refreshing halogen colour or a high...

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Great care needs to be taken when choosing bathroom lighting as the regulations are strict concerning the type of light you can use.

The bathroom mirror deserves some special attention and a diffused glass light either side will give a good general illumination where it is needed. The alternative is a halogen down-light from the ceiling or fluorescent strip light over the mirror.

The latest generation of mirrors incorporate lights into the mirrors themselves with sections of the reflective surface removed and lights fitted behind them. This is a very effective way of generating an even light and improving safety.

For general illumination in the rest of the bathroom either use down-lights for their refreshing halogen colour or a high output flush ceiling fitting to suit the decor.

Portable lights are not permitted in a bathroom so for mood lighting use ceiling mounted directional spotlights aimed away from the bath and at interesting features. Lights designed specifically for showers are available and must be carefully fitted according to the instructions.

The following information is a guide to help you understand what fitting can be placed where. This is not an installation guide and reference should be made to the IEE Wiring Regulations (17th Editions) or a qualified electrician. Firstly it is important to understand the rating by which bathroom and some outdoor lights are classified. IP rating stands for 'Ingress Protection' and is always followed by two characters. These two numbers refer to the level of protection and it is important that you choose fitting with the correct rating according to where they are to be sited within the bathroom.

The diagrams at thr bottom show a bathroom split into four clear zones: 0,1,2 and 3.

Zone 0 is in the bath or shower itself. Any fitting used in this zone must be low voltage, (max 12v) and be rated at least IP67 which is total immersion proof.

Zone 1 in this area above the bath to a height of 2.25m from the floor. In this zone a minimum rating of IP44 is required. If the fitting is 240V a 30MA residual current device (RCD) must be also be used to protect the circuit in this zone.

Zone 2 is an area stretching for 0.6M outside the perimeter of the bath and to a height of 2.25M from the floor. In this zone an IP rating of at least IP44 is required. In addition it is good practice to consider the area around a wash basin, within a 60cm radius of any tap to be considered as zone 2.

Zone 3 is anywhere outside zones 0,1 and 2 (subject to specific limits) and where no water jets are likely to be used. No IP rating is required. In addition to the above, if there is a likelihood of water jets being used for cleaning purposes in zone 1,2 ans 3 a fitting rated IP65 must be used. Full details can be in found in the latest copy of the IEE wiring regulations.

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Dining Room lighting advice

The main light source here will be over the dining table. The use of a dimmer will allow the table to be used for jobs such as sewing or studying and yet give a low mood light for dining. Don't hang a pendant so low that your diners have to peer round it, about 60cm above the table is about right. If you like dining by candle light, make sure the heat and smoke are far enough away from the light fitting. If you have a glass dining table, make sure the light is fitted with a diffuser so that your diners are not looking at a reflection of the light bulb. Long tables can be lit with a longer...

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The main light source here will be over the dining table. The use of a dimmer will allow the table to be used for jobs such as sewing or studying and yet give a low mood light for dining.

Don't hang a pendant so low that your diners have to peer round it, about 60cm above the table is about right. If you like dining by candle light, make sure the heat and smoke are far enough away from the light fitting.

If you have a glass dining table, make sure the light is fitted with a diffuser so that your diners are not looking at a reflection of the light bulb. Long tables can be lit with a longer light fitting suspended on two wires.

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Bedroom lighting advice

This is an area so often neglected. Consider the number of functions required of a bedroom. For dressing you will need general illumination or, if your partner has to rise at a different time, do you need a lower level pool of light which won't disturb them? A well-positioned down-light will help here. Many people read in bed. In a double room, it is useful to have bedside lights which are individually switched. Adjustable reading lamps are ideal if you want to read while your partner sleeps. For convenience and safety, you should aim to have all of the bedroom lights controlled from the bed. Dressing tables used for make-up will need more specific lighting and the use of two slender...

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This is an area so often neglected. Consider the number of functions required of a bedroom.

For dressing you will need general illumination or, if your partner has to rise at a different time, do you need a lower level pool of light which won't disturb them? A well-positioned down-light will help here.

Many people read in bed. In a double room, it is useful to have bedside lights which are individually switched. Adjustable reading lamps are ideal if you want to read while your partner sleeps. For convenience and safety, you should aim to have all of the bedroom lights controlled from the bed.

Dressing tables used for make-up will need more specific lighting and the use of two slender table lamps either side of the mirror gives a good working light without glare and will add to the cosy effect to the room.

Try to create pools of light to reduce any hard contrasts. Adding a table lamp or illuminating pictures will be very effective.

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