Room for Improvement: Lighting

WSVN -- Martin Amado: "Simple changes can make a big difference on the look of your home without having to do a full room makeover, so on today's Room for Improvement, I'll be showing you simple ways to use lighting throughout your house to take it to a whole new level of style."

Martin Amado: "Let's begin first with artwork on the walls. If you have a painting or possibly family photos, there's a way to highlight them to give it a gallery look, and that's by using a picture light."

Martin Amado: "Now, the picture lights come in many different finishes, from antique brass, nickel, even black. In today's mini makeover, I'm using the antique brass cause it matches the color scheme of the room and also the artwork."

Martin Amado: "There's two ways to mount the picture light to the frame itself or to the walls. I'm mounting it to the frame to avoid having to drill any extra holes."

Martin Amado: "The picture light is up. It looks awesome on the artwork. The problem we have now, though, is the cord is completely showing, so the solution is to use a cover that we are going to paint the same color as the walls."

Martin Amado: "One final tip, the switch to turn on the picture light is actually located behind the frame so its not very convenient nor accessible. My recommendation is that you connect the cord directly onto a timer, and that way it turns on and off automatically for you."

Martin Amado: "Now, I want you to take a good look at your living room. If you have tables but no lamps, then you're missing an important design element that completes the picture. Now, to many, that might be a given but what I want you to look for is a lamp that has a three-way switch. This way you can actually control the mood lighting in the room."

Martin Amado: "And remember, a floor lamp works great to visually fill up an empty space or a corner and create a cozy reading nook."

Martin Amado: "If you think a light source can only come from above, from a light fixture, think again."

Martin Amado: "It can also come from the floor up. For instance, I'm using what's called an up light right against this wall and it gives it a nice dramatic effect at night."

Martin Amado: "Now, you can also place it behind a plant or even a sculpture. For $20, it's a great design trick."

Martin Amado: "A kitchen is also a great space to think about accent lighting. Now, the obvious choice is right underneath the cabinets, which makes it more functional as you're cooking, but you also want to think about the top of the cabinets."

Martin Amado: "The most inexpensive way to do that is to buy rope lighting. It simply plugs in, and it gives you a nice highlight around the entire kitchen."

Martin Amado: "In the evenings, the easiest way to add lighting and create ambiance in a room is with candles."

Martin Amado: "Now, I know that this might not be feasible if you have small children or pets running around the house, so your option is to use battery-operated candles instead. Gives you the same look but without the risks."

Martin Amado: "Finally guys, there is no substitute for natural lighting. So don't cover up your windows with heavy fabrics this spring. Lighten things up a bit and use sheers instead."

Martin Amado: "So take a look around your home and see what lighting tips you can implement to make your home environment be that more special. As you saw, proper lighting can definitely enhance the look of a room. Thanks for watching, and we'll see you next time."

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Contact: room@wsvn.com 
Miami-Dade: 305-576-HOME
Broward: 954-962-HOME
Martin Amado's Website: http://www.martinamado.com/