Remodeling season can mean a lot of gutting, painting and construction, but with a few lighting upgrades, it doesn't have to be so costly or time consuming. If you want to brighten up areas of your home or create an entirely different look, simple LED under cabinet lighting can do the trick. 

If you're a DIYer, homeowner, contractor or electrician, then the LED under cabinet lighting from Environmental Lights is for you. The Modular LED Under Cabinet Lighting Series features diffused energy-efficient LED puck lights, ultra thin under cabinet LED light bars and angled under cabinet LED light bars. The lights are easy to install and provide a diffused natural color. The flawless dimming performance of the lights and easy-to-use LED accessories offer even more design flexibility. The modular light bars have a built-in switch for individual on and off control and are produced in three lengths to fit custom needs. 

The applications for LED light bars and puck lights for under cabinet lighting are endless and include all areas of the home. If you're updating your kitchen and want to bring some light into the room, consider installing light bars under cabinets, inside cabinets and above cabinets. They're great for under cabinets because they can provide better visibility for when you're cooking or completing tasks using the countertops. The lights inside the cabinets can make it easier to see what you're reaching for or to highlight your spice cabinet a little better. Storing belongings above cabinets is now an option because the light bars can highlight these more personal items. 

The lights can also be installed inside closets to illuminate darker areas of the bedroom or hallway. They can help homeowners see inside closets and make better choices while picking out clothes since they can be directed and angled. 

Living rooms can look much brighter with the light bars in display cabinets highlighting heirlooms or awards and even the children's artwork. Install the lights to show off pictures on the entertainment center or on the fireplace mantel. 

When choosing lighting for your bedroom, it's important to remember that good lighting will not only help you feel more comfortable, it will also help you see better. According to the American Lighting Association, lighting provides homeowners with a sense of security, safety and comfort. When creating the ambiance and mood of your bedroom, lighting and lighting controls will allow you to have some flexibility in adjusting the room to fit the look you desire while maintaining energy-efficiency. 

The bedroom is a relaxation sanctuary and the perfect place to come home to after a day's work. Sleeping, reading and relaxing are things to remember when installing new lighting fixtures or products. For general and task lighting, dimming controls are a good option to allow for flexibility in varying the brightness of the light to complement your mood. It's also beneficial to keep in mind how long you plan on staying in the home before installing lighting. If you plan to live in the home well into old age, dimmers are the best choice and will keep you from having to make the upgrades later down the road. 

Track lighting can be used for general or ambient lighting. The flexibility of track lights allows homeowners to adjust the lighting to focus on different areas of the room or to highlight areas above dressers to allow for easier viewing when picking out or putting away clothes. Downlights are also a good option for efficient bedroom lighting design.

For lighting the closet, LED puck lights and recessed lights can be an easy to install choice to allow you to see better. They can be installed under shelving to highlight items that may otherwise be difficult to see and shadowed by a general overhead fixture. 

EnvironmentalLights.com, a leading online retailer for high-quality, energy-efficient LED lighting systems, recently teamed up with Pickett & Sons Construction, Inc. to complete a custom LED display for the Red Carpet Ride and Shine Express Wash in Fresno, CA.  Along with the task of constructing a new building, Pickett & Sons had the added challenge of needing an exciting exterior design to catch the attention of prospective customers driving past the car wash.

"We wanted to create a design that reminded customers of moving water flowing down the side of the building, " said Mike Fillebrown, Project Lead at Pickett & Sons Construction, Inc. "We have worked with LED lighting before, but were unsure of a product that would allow us to create a fluid chase effect. EnvironmentalLights.com recommended pixel control lighting to us and we were able to create all the effects we needed and more!"

Watch the PixelPro Car Wash Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRRlLifApDo

View Pictures in the PDF Project Spotlight: www.environmentallights.com/files/documents/marketing/project_spotlight_carwash.pdf

Pixel control lighting combines the ability to produce millions of colors, with the technology needed to achieve individual pixel control. EnvironmentalLights.com carries a family of individually addressable pixel lighting – PixelPro – which gives customers a wide range of LED module shapes and sizes for building custom LED digital displays.

"We developed this product line in response to requests from customers for easy-to-use intelligent RGB LED lighting," said Alicia Cheng, Director of Product Development. "Each RGB module can be individually controlled at the same time, which allows for complete creative freedom and animation when paired with any DMX controller or light board control system."

Fluid Chase Design

Pickett & Sons chose to install 21 reels of waterproof PixelPro LED strip lighting, so they could create long runs of chasing light extending the entire length of the car wash.

"As you can see in the video, we wanted to randomize the effects so they weren't stagnant," explained Fillebrown. "Sometimes the lights chase colors and other times we set it to solid color change modes. By setting up the programs with our DMX 512 controller we are able to create the eye-catching effects that we were looking for."

By pairing the PixelPro strip light with DMX pixel decoders from EnvironmentalLights.com, Picket & Sons were able to control the lights using their DMX controller and program the animations needed for the lighting design. This is the beauty of pixel control.

EnvironmentalLights.com also provided the power supplies and connecting cables needed for the installation – offering a turnkey solution for one-stop shopping for LED lighting systems.

RGB PixelPro LED Lighting

Not only is RGB PixelPro available in LED strip light, but EnvironmetnalLights.com also offers 6 additional LED modules for unique lighting design and LED pixel displays: square, bullet, circular, rectangular, dome or mini dome.

This is a fantastic product for creating animated effects in studios, stage lighting, architectural features, or any other decorative purposes — an easy solution for any project that requires an individually addressable LED control system!

About EnvironmentalLights.com

EnvironmentalLights.com is an industry leader in providing specialized LED lighting solutions for their business partners through expert engineering, superior products, and dependable service. Their in-house sales engineers provide complimentary advice in the selection and design of lighting systems, as well as technical support throughout the installation process.

They offer a broad spectrum of LED light bulbs, rope and strip light, under cabinet lighting systems, dimmers, controllers and necessary hardware for any lighting project. For more information visit www.EnvironmentalLights.com.
About Picket & Sons Construction, Inc.

Pickett & Sons Construction, Inc. was founded in 1971 and exclusively works on commercial projects throughout California, specializing in retail shopping centers, office buildings, light industrial buildings, apartments and assisted living facilities.  Pickett & Sons Construction is a premier general contracting company in Fresno and has many repeat clients due to their high quality projects and affordable solutions. For more information visit www.pickettandsons.com.

Red Carpet Ride and Shine Express Wash recently reached out to Pickett & Sons Construction, Inc. to build a new car wash for them in Fresno, CA.  Along with the task of constructing a new building, they had the added challenge of needing an exciting exterior design to catch the attention of prospective customers driving past the car wash.

"We wanted to create a design that reminded customers of moving water flowing down the side of the building, " said Mike Fillebrown, Project Lead at Pickett & Sons Construction, Inc. "We have worked with LED lighting before, but were unsure of a product that would allow us to create a fluid chase effect. EnvironmentalLights.com recommended pixel control lighting to us and we were able to create all the effects we needed and more!"

Watch the PixelPro Car Wash Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRRlLifApDo

View Pictures in the PDF Project Spotlight: www.environmentallights.com/files/documents/marketing/project_spotlight_carwash.pdf

Pixel control lighting combines the ability to produce millions of colors, with the technology needed to achieve individual pixel control. EnvironmentalLights.com carries a family of individually addressable pixel lighting – PixelPro – which gives customers a wide range of LED module shapes and sizes for building custom LED digital displays.

"We developed this product line in response to requests from customers for easy-to-use intelligent RGB LED lighting," said Alicia Cheng, Director of Product Development. "Each RGB module can be individually controlled at the same time, which allows for complete creative freedom and animation when paired with any DMX controller or light board control system."

Fluid Chase Design

Pickett & Sons chose to install 21 reels of waterproof PixelPro LED strip lighting, so they could create long runs of chasing light extending the entire length of the car wash.

"As you can see in the video, we wanted to randomize the effects so they weren't stagnant," explained Fillebrown. "Sometimes the lights chase colors and other times we set it to solid color change modes. By setting up the programs with our DMX 512 controller we are able to create the eye-catching effects that we were looking for."

By pairing the PixelPro strip light with DMX pixel decoders from EnvironmentalLights.com, Picket & Sons were able to control the lights using their DMX controller and program the animations needed for the lighting design. This is the beauty of pixel control.

EnvironmentalLights.com also provided the power supplies and connecting cables needed for the installation – offering a turnkey solution for one-stop shopping for LED lighting systems.

RGB PixelPro LED Lighting

Not only is RGB PixelPro available in LED strip light, but EnvironmetnalLights.com also offers 6 additional module shapes for unique lighting design and LED displays: square, bullet, circular, rectangular, dome or mini dome. Learn more about pixel control lighting at: http://www.environmentallights.com/led-rope-and-strip-lights/led-pixel-control-lighting.html.

This is a fantastic product for creating animated effects in studios, stage lighting, architectural features, or any other decorative purposes — an easy solution for any project that requires an individually addressable LED control system!

About Picket & Sons Construction, Inc.

Pickett & Sons Construction, Inc. was founded in 1971 and exclusively works on commercial projects throughout California, specializing in retail shopping centers, office buildings, light industrial buildings, apartments and assisted living facilities.  Pickett & Sons Construction is a premier general contracting company in Fresno and has many repeat clients due to their high quality projects and affordable solutions. For more information visit www.pickettandsons.com.

Easy to use Plug-and-Play LED Puck and Downlight kits from Environmental Lights are easy to use and affordable. There are several surface and flush mount options with natural color and a high CRI.

Puck light and downlight kits can be useful in several different areas of the home. For instance, they can be installed as under cabinet lighting in the kitchen, which will increase visibility on the countertops and lighten up a tight space. They're also great for installing at a home desk to create a better and more functional working environment.

Installing puck lighting in a pantry can serve as a beneficial highlight for seeing spices, foods and other cooking ingredients and utensils.

Homeowners can install them to highlight personal items in the living or family room. LED puck lights can provide accent lighting for showcased belongings and are visually appealing. They also provide a focal point for the room.

LED puck lighting used in under cabinet lighting can set the mood of a room and highlight a home's decorative elements. The accent lighting for a living room that can be created with LED puck or downlighting can add extra illumination to the room. It also helps homeowners who don't want to rely on the main light of the living room when it's late at night or to create a more relaxing atmosphere.

Environmental Lights offers LED puck light and downlight kits that are great for these areas of your home and can offer expert advice on designing any size installation with puck lights. Homeowners can choose their desired color temperature, finish and beam angle with custom designs from Environmental Lights.

Environmental Lights recently launched a new ultraviolet (UV) LED strip light, or black light, product that offers several different uses. The strip light is different from bulbs because it's like a long string of lights. Similar to a move theater video reel, the lights can be rolled out and easily wrapped around items to illuminate them or to create any desired black light effect. 

The LED strip light is useful for observing fluorescence and can also be used to create artistic black lighting effects. An LED black light can be used in a large installation for nightclubs that want black lighting effects or for DJs who might use them to light up their booth. Because they're a strip of light, they are flexible and can be easily moved around compared to large fixtures that may be heavier or more difficult to manipulate into different positions.

The lights can also be easily installed because of a high-adhesion stickyback on the strips. The lights are installed and ready to go by just peeling off wax paper and sticking it to any clean, dry surface. They can also be connected to dimmers or controls using any of the LED dimming drivers or pulse dimmers supplied by Environmental Lights. 

Amusement parks can use them to light up indoor areas of rides or other attractions. They're also great for security use as they can aid in the detection of counterfeit money. Additional uses for the lights include decorative black light applications, video arcades and medicinal uses.

The versatility of LED strip lights makes them a great option for those who need them for multiple uses. Both the medical and music industries can benefit from purchasing these lighting solutions because of their value in providing light effects and accents for accessories and black light needs. 

Bathrooms serve as an escape and the perfect place to relax after a stressful day. When it comes to the bathroom, the proper lighting can really set the mood.

The task lighting in the room must fulfill a homeowner's lighting needs, but they must also work to complement the room with fixtures such as accent lighting. This type of lighting solution can soften the room's ambiance and create a relaxing atmosphere, however, it can also be energy efficient and eco-friendly. 

No matter the size of the bathroom, lighting can always work to improve the look of the room. 

"Task lighting must be bright enough to do its job, but also work well with indirect accent lighting to soften the room's ambiance and provide a warm glow," according to the American Lighting Association. "Decorative and ornate light fixtures and lamps provide elegance and sophistication." 

Decorative wall fixtures on each side of a small mirror can provide an even and shadow-free facial illumination, making it easier to see while doing daily grooming, the article stated. Horizontal vanity lights are also good for larger mirrors and a dimmer can be a beneficial addition.

Recessed downlights are good for wet areas such as the shower and tub. They also serve as a good fixture for reading while relaxing in the tub or shaving and cleaning while standing in the shower. Accent lighting and even LED track lights from the outside of the tub is also another way to add drama to the room and create the feel of relaxation.

One of the best options when choosing new fixtures for the bathroom is under cabinet lighting. According to the lighting association, lighting for under cabinets can make trips to the bathroom during the nighttime hours easier and safer. Consider installing a linear lighting or LED system underneath vanities and cabinets. An occupancy sensor can also come in handy for saving energy when homeowners don't want to leave lights on during the night. 

Now that spring is in full swing, so too is the remodeling reason. The warmer weather and blossoming plants mean a fresh approach to remodeling ideas, and many homeowners are going to turn to kitchen upgrades. An important aspect of a kitchen remodel including the lighting for the room and staying on top of trends all while trying to keep the project at an affordable price. Environmental Lights specializes in LED under cabinet lighting, which also happens to be one of the biggest ways to quickly improve the lighting in a kitchen. 

Homeowners, DIYers, contractors and electricians can take advantage of the easy-to-install Modular LED Under Cabinet Lighting series that fits in a limitless number of areas, including under cabinets, inside pantries and in china hutches. The LED puck lights and thin light bars can be connected together to customize any style of display. The under cabinet lighting offers a soft, diffused lighting of natural color with dimming performance as well as interchangeable accessories. 

LEDs can be installed while completing a kitchen upgrade to highlight any new additions or to reduce lighting use but they can also be installed in other areas of a home. The look of a living room, bathroom or bedroom can be transformed with under cabinet lighting. For instance, adding some dimmable LED lights to a bookcase in the living room or in a display case can show off the items in your home that were sometimes darkened by a lack of lighting or traditional lighting fixtures. 

Adding cabinet lighting to your bathroom can add some light to the room without needing to turn on harsh overhead lights in the middle of the night. Under cabinet lighting can highlight areas of your home in an energy-efficient manner. 

A new study by The Minnesota Project revealed that energy-efficient lighting such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) indoors may lead to more productive flocks among turkeys. According to Midwest Energy News, a Central Minnesota turkey farmer installed dimmable and programmable LEDs to simulate natural light patterns to help the turkeys.

Evidence from the study suggested that dimming schedules can help regulate circadian rhythms of the birds and result in healthier and more prosperous animals. The LEDs are 87 percent more efficient than the 100-watt incandescent light bulbs previously installed at the turkey farm in Eden Valley, Minnesota. Midwest Energy News said that is also allowing farmer Mike Langmo to save money on energy costs.

"Any way that we can help farmers reduce their production costs is beneficial to farmers individually and rural economies in general," said The Minnesota Project's clean energy Manager Fritz Ebinger.

One dozen farmers in Minnesota are testing out the LEDs in their turkey barns that have shown they can hold up to dusty and dirty conditions often times seen in a barn, the report stated. Due to assistance from The Minnesota Project and partner Once Innovations, more farmers are able to adopt the lighting retrofits and turn to energy-efficiency.

According to the article, LEDs give farmers control over both color and brightness and allows them to schedule dimming programs like those used in Langmo's barn. Not only are farmers interested in LEDs because of the energy savings the bulbs provide, but they also don't contain any mercury like compact fluorescent bulbs, so farmers don't have to worry about the possible dangers posed to the birds if the bulbs were to break inside the barn.

LEDs are expected to grow in popularity among farmers and in poultry barns. One of the goals of The Minnesota Project is to give rural farmers more access to rebate programs to boost interest in LEDs.

"Once you hit that tipping point of acceptance, it's going to happen really quick," said Brian Babb, head of new business development at Once Innovations. "We expect to see something in the neighborhood of 50 percent penetration in less than five years."

When you're choosing the lighting for your living room, it's important to remember that there are several things to consider before you begin a lighting installation or upgrade. For instance, if there are any decorative element you want to emphasize like artwork or wall textures, different lighting will be used than if you were just going to be hanging out and watching television. Lighting fixtures can also enhance the interior design of your living room so you want to make sure the lighting in different areas of the room work well together and complement each other.

Whichever lighting fixtures you choose, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and other types of eco-friendly lighting can both accent items in your living room and save energy.

Under cabinet lighting
Using lighting underneath your cabinets can accent objects set up in a showcase. They're also visually appealing so they can add a focal point to the room if there's something like a portrait or fireplace you wish to illuminate. 

Portable lamps
If you're looking to add ambience, task or accent lighting, then a portable lamp will give you the option of moving the light to wherever you want in the room. Table lamps and floor lamps are great portable lights to add to your living room's interior design. 

Accent lighting 
You can add drama to a room and create visual interest with accent lighting to focus on house plants, paintings, sculpture and other items you want to bring interest to. You should also keep in mind that accent lighting requires at least three times as much light on a focal point as general lighting does. LED track lighting, recessed or wall-mounted lighting are available options if you're interested in creating accent lighting.