Guides

From concrete to bare vintage filament bulbs, it’s difficult to flick through a home magazine these days without a pendant light or standard lamp catching our eye. With so many different materials, shapes and sizes available it can be easy to get lost in the style while overlooking its function.

The trending vintage bulbs may look impressive however, it’s important to understand that they are more suited as an ambient light and unlikely to be suitable as the main light source in a room. With so many different types of light fixtures and bulbs we are finding it is becoming more and more important to bring the different types of lighting to the customer attention. These different types of lighting include task lighting, ambient lighting and accent lighting.

Task lighting is arguably the most important and refers to the most purposeful light. Some examples include over the kitchen benches for food prep and over the bathroom mirrors for shaving or makeup application. In settings such as these it is important to not only consider the type of light, but also its positioning in order to avoid creating shadows, as well as the material from which the fitting is made. Glass fittings over kitchen benches will allow for maximum light, where concrete will create more of a spot depending on the height at which they are installed.

Ambient lighting refers to the overall illumination of an area, examples where this is most prevalent can include living, dinning and entertaining areas where a softer light is desired and often achieved through indirect lighting. A directional wall or downlight can be useful to bounce light off surrounding walls or ceilings to soften light and eliminate glare.

Accent lighting is often used to highlight focal points in a room such as paintings, or highlight different textures such as stone walls and foliage. Once again this is best achieved using some form of directional light source.

Style versus function applies not only to lighting but also ceiling fans.  The biggest fan does not necessarily mean the most airflow and generally the more decorative fans do not produce more air even though the blades might be wider. 

Trends of today have a strong emphasis towards using lighting as a sculptural aspect of the home similar to that of an art work. Gone are the days when a pendant light was limited to one or two areas in the home. Today pendant lights can be seen in almost every room in the house.  Come in and speak with one of our Lighting experts to help create the balance between style and function in your home.  

Solar, outdoor and portable light fittings you simply can't do without.

Looking into the future we are already taking steps to live more efficiently. There are many ways to make our lives more environmentally friendly and more efficient. In Australia we are lucky and should we say privileged to have as much sun as we do. So, the question we should be asking ourselves is why not utilise it? 

This brings us to the main objective for this blog. In the past few decades, solar energy has been identified as of one the most effective energy sources. It saves us money, cuts our extortionate electricity bills and over all creates an environmentally friendly way of living. 

Besides the most obvious choice of installing solar panels and utilising the amount of sun we get to our advantage, we forget that many household light fittings already come with solar incorporated technology

At Lighting Superstore, we are constantly improving and developing our lighting range to keep on top of not only the latest lighting trends but also the latest lighting technologies, which in return helps our valued customers make better and more efficient lighting choices, for their homes and their families.

Beside the clear advantages of solar lighting mentioned above, there are many other benefits in using solar lighting in our households, especially outdoors. 

For example, solar lighting is available for various forms of security lights. These come in handy in a shed, garage, or simply if you would like to be alerted if someone comes through your gates, and no power cables are required for installation. 

Solar Shield Spot Light with Sensor is a smart and perfect solution for this instance. The fitting is designed for outdoor, has the latest build in 6w LED chips for a brighter and better lighting. It comes with detached solar panel and a wide 120° sensor to detect any movement within a generous 2-10m radius. TIP: If you find your security sensor light doesn’t stay long enough after detection of the movement, Shield Spot Light comes with an option of time delay 10sec-3min. 

Another great way to utilise solar lighting is in your garden areas. Not to mention, it is also a huge bonus that there are no wiring required when installing and you are saving a little fortune on electrician’s fee. It’s an absolute win win! London Post Solar Lights are simple to install and are an easy way to light up the paths surrounding your house. They also come in a mini version too! Made out of stainless steel, with built in super bright LED chips and an automatic on/off at dusk/dawn function, they can provide up to 10 hours of light. 

Lastly, many of us take pride in our outdoor areas and often because of our busy lifestyles we find ourselves in need of portable lighting. Lighting Superstore 10w LED Portable & Rechargeable worklight from Brilliant Lighting is a handy light fitting to have around. It has high outdoor rating, with up to 3 hours run time when fully charged. To make this portable fitting even more versatile Brilliant Lighting supply the fitting with 12v DC Car charger, meaning you can have functionality of lighting while being on the go!

The lighting Industry is constantly evolving. At Lighting Superstore it is our job to select only the best and latest fittings that make your life easier. 

Do you want to get inspired? Looking for ideas? Do you want to keep up with the latest product ranges that Lighting Superstore brings in weekly? Follow and Interact with us on Social Media. Are you on Facebook? or Instagram?

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Common Fan Questions as the days rapidly get hotter here on the Gold Coast

Does size matter?

In most cases yes, however there are a couple of exceptions to the rule, it’s always best to look at the airflow measurements.

When looking at a standard wooden blade ceiling fan for bedrooms our advice is to try and go for a 52inch over the 48inch fans as in most cases you will get double the airflow. Meaning throughout the night you will be able to have it on a slower speed, using LESS POWER.  

Wood vs Metal vs The NEW Plastic?

Metal Ceiling Fan blades are hard to beat when it comes to airflow however many of our customers do report the noise they can make as the blades cut through the air at a rapid pace. Wooden blade ceiling fan are often the solution to the noise, virtually being silent, however they do dramatically reduce the airflow. The solution these days seems to be in the newer plastic blade ceiling fans like we stock allowing for similar airflow to the metal with the reduced noise of wooden. Added bonuses are the inability to rust or warp like the metal and wooden blades tend to do over time.

Can I use this ceiling fan outside?

Majority of ceiling fans these days can be used outside as long as they are protected adequately from the elements. For example some supplies will stipulate as long as the fan blade in 1.5m for the edge of the soffit or undercover area they are warranted for outdoor use. It is worth keeping in mind the proximity to water such as beach fronts or canals and your fans likelihood to rust when exposed to these elements. A 316 Grade Ceiling fan is a great option for beach front properties, corrosion is unlikely and the tea staining it may attract can be cleaned. As mentioned previously the plastic blades on the ceiling fan will not rust or warp. Always keep in mind while ceiling fan motors may be warranted for exterior use,  their finishes including the blades may not be. Therefore it is important to pick the right finish and maintain it to the best of your ability.

AC vs DC?

As an example a standard DC Ceiling fan could use a total of 38w on high, while a standard AC ceiling fan will use around 60w on high. DC ceiling fans will usually have 6 speeds compared to an AC which will only have 3. It’s important to mention that the number of speeds does not mean the fan goes any faster, more simply that there is just more variance between them. It’s also important to mention that all DC ceiling fans require a remote, while the AC Ceiling fans can be controlled by a remote or wall control the choice is yours (a good note to make when installing DC ceiling fans in kids bedrooms are rental properties where it’s possible they may go missing).  

Hopefully this has been helpful always feel free to contact us if you have any further questions we are always happy to help. 

With pendants over baths becoming the latest lighting trend, we thought it was important to clarify a few of the most commonly asked questions regarding bathroom lighting.

As we are all aware water and 240volt power is a recipe for disaster, however there are ways to make your favourite pendant compatible for your space.

If your pendant does not already have a transformer built into the canopy your electrician may be able to add one, provided the pendant takes an Edison screw or bayonet globe.

The 12 volt rule does not necessarily apply to all lighting fixtures in your bathroom. Your licensed electrician will be able to advise you on what in required in the area you wish to install your light.

When choosing your downlights for your bathroom it is important to consider the IP Rating and placement. Many downlights are rated to IP44 and can be lightly sprayed with water without causing any issues. They are nice bright downlights and provide sufficient light to apply makeup and shave when placed in area which avoids the creation of shadow.

Should you have any questions regarding your bathroom lighting please feel free to send us an enquiry, we will be more than happy to assist.

What Interior look are you going for in 2023 Coastal or Hamptons?

Here In Australia, we are blessed with our surroundings and weather. Beautiful sunny, coastal beaches are all around us, so It's only natural for us to crave beachy and relaxing vibes In our homes.

It Is no coincidence that amongst the most popular Interior themes of 2017 and coming Into 2018, It Is Hamptons and Coastal styles which are trending right at the top of our “In High Demand” list of popular light fittings.

As an Interior Designer or a Homeowner when It comes to lighting, It Is crucial to choose the right statement pieces. Beautiful, natural and textured pendants , gorgeous lamps, opaque glass wall lights all become Important players In creating the right character and feel.

Pendants come In a wide range of styles, colours and textures. It’s often hard to decide on what would be the most perfect feature light for your Interior space. The process often requires hours of research on the Internet, searching on Pinterest and Instagram for Inspiration and Ideas.

The Lighting superstore team goes through the process in which we carefully select the best of the latest trends and styles that are In demand and at the right price, so that you don’t have to spend hours wasting your precious time. Reading this could save you time researching and to help you confidently make the right choice when It comes to your lighting statement piece.

Beaded pendants are always a popular choice and are currently In high demand by Interior Designers and those who are craving a beautiful and luxurious Hamptons and Coastal style homes. 

Just ask, Sanctuary 28, one of Lighting Superstores’ major builders who specialise In building Hamptons and Coastal style homes. Check out what's their finished projects look like. 

When choosing your lighting, It is Important to choose a clean and simple wood texture rather than distressed colours to ensure you don’t go too far towards a shabby chic look.

Here at Lighting Superstore we have our handmade range of Beaded pendants that come in both Light and Dark finishes. Elegant and simple textured wooden beads add a character, and texture to your space. These beautiful hand made pendants would be an Ideal choice to suit both a Hampton and Coastal style homes.

Do you want to Interact and engage with us on Social media? Ask any questions? Simply look for Ideas and Inspiration? Connect with us on Facebook  or Instagram

What is Smart Lighting anyway?

Smart lighting is a personalised home automation system that can be controlled with voice control such as Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, and free apps via any smart device. Smart ranges now include anything from switches to security spotlights and everything in between. 

Why would I need it?

Security
Have lights come on and off while you’re away from home, just as they always do – no one will even know you’re gone! Add extra security features such as a smart doorbell or cameras to monitor your home – all from the device in your pocket.

Energy-saving
Having your home fully automated ensures no light wastage – and if the kids leave lights on, you can turn them off with a tap on your phone screen. Smart lighting is also generally LED, and some even have a power tracking feature in their apps, saving the planet while saving you money off your electricity bill.

Control and atmosphere creation
No more getting annoyed with your partner for not having the outdoor light on when you come home. Have trouble staying focussed in your home office? Set your lighting brightness and colour for the perfect working environment. Calling the kids for dinner time? The loungeroom lights turn off – they can’t pretend they didn’t hear you now! You can set any number of scenes for cosy nights in and motivating mornings. 

Smart plugs are one of our most popular smart products, as they make it so easy to control your everyday appliances. Here is what one of our customers had to say:

"I use a smart plug for my iron. So when I'm in the bathroom about to iron my clothes, I turn it on and by the time I walk into the ironing room it's hot and ready to go. If I forget to turn it off I can look on the app and check!"

The opportunities really are endless for complete regulation of your home, adding that extra convenience to your daily routines.

How does it work?

The main two ways smart lighting works is through either a WiFi or a Hub connection. Both have their advantages and can work for well for different applications.

WiFi

A WiFi connection is perfect for simple, low-cost home automation with just a few products. It really is as easy as buying a globe or powerboard, connecting it to your WiFi and downloading the app. 

A limitation of a WiFi connection is that your router will eventually reach capacity. Products may also have latency issues if there are black spots in your house. There are several expander type accessories available to solve this, however it could be argued that the connection would never be as stable as having a hub for large amounts of products.

A hub is built for whole-home automation with a stronger connection, meaning a more user-friendly outcome for bigger systems. Products that run through a hub can be advantageous if you have a poor internet connection or if you have a large number of products in your home automation system.

Certain brands can also supply a hub that will work with different brands of smart lighting so that they can all run through the same app. However, we would recommend sticking with one brand of smart lighting for a smoother process overall. 

Who?

Currently, our most popular systems are Mercator Ikuu and BrilliantSmart Lighting. They have the most comprehensive range and user-friendly technology, which our customers love!

When?

Now! Start browsing our Smart Lighting range online and please contact our friendly team if you have any questions.

Planning and designing lighting for events can be both a difficult and fun process, I’m here today to remove the difficulty so you can focus on the fun. Indoor or outdoor, fixed or temporary, this guide will be the only thing you need when deciding how to brighten up your function.

Many of the lighting options within this guide are suitable for:

• Weddings
• Birthday
• Work functions
• Evening drinks
• Gatherings

You can find all of the following items in our Party Lighting collection. 

Outdoors

Festoon Lighting

Festoon Lighting is often considered the penultimate outdoor lighting solution for parties, weddings, functions, and just about any other event. There are endless possibilities in how you can hang and style them with all of them looking dazzling. Festoon lights are a great way to provide that PERFECT amount of light over an area that’s not too bright or dim. Better yet, if you use festoon lights that are rated for outdoor usage such as these 10 Metre Festoon LED Outdoor String Lights, you can leave them up without having to worry too much.

Outdoor String Lights

A festive classic, string lights are typically singular LED diodes with either coloured or uncoloured bulbs across a length of wire. These lights are unparalleled for the visuals they can provide due to their striking colours and ease of use. These lights can look stunning lined on eaves, used as a backdrop for a wall or coiled around trees.

It is important to keep in mind the season or the colour of the string lights at your event as the multi-colour, single bulb string lights (e.g. red, green, blue) are typically reserved for Christmas. Additionally, make sure your string lights are actually rated for outside.

Outdoor LED Strip Lighting

In recent years, we’ve seen a sharp increase in usage of LED strip lighting both inside and outside due to their low power consumption and functionality as both aesthetic and task lighting. Outdoor LED strip lighting can be a great way to illuminate areas such as stairs, decks, and recessed surfaces. An example of this could be placing strip lighting in an outdoor stair or walkway that leads to a key area such as a veranda or courtyard.

LED strip lighting can be a great application of lighting design for outdoor areas as you can provide functional lighting (safety and task) while keeping an intimate, low-light setting.

Garden Lights

Garden lights are most commonly seen in the form of spike, bollard, or spotlights. These lights are typically used to highlight low-height garden beds or a feature such as a tree. Garden spot lights such as the Stockholm Spike Spotlight are an excellent way to create a focal point while bollards/posts like the Luc Post Light are better suited providing aesthetic lighting to the surrounding greenery.

Indoors 

LED String Lights

I promise I’m not repeating myself, LED string lights are a fantastic addition to indoor spaces however there are some key differences from its outdoor counterpart. Indoor LED string lights are typically much simpler in design and can be used in various ways. The most popular type of indoor led string lights are made of a thin metal wire and led diodes, often referred to as fairy lights or led fairy string lights. This style of light looks beautiful when enshrined within intimate settings such as jars on tables, drinks tables, and flower arrangements.

The great thing about these lights is they’re relatively inexpensive, can be battery operated, and provide a surprising amount of illumination.  

Indoor LED RGB Strip Lighting 

There’s not a huge difference between the indoor or outdoor usage of this lighting solution but it can be overall great for providing light to the entire indoor area. One notable difference is that the usage of RGB LED Strip Lighting will be able to transform the mood of the whole event just through colour.

Dimmable Lighting

After a few (or a lot) of drinks, bright lighting can be overly dazzling and crush the mood of the event, especially later on in the night. Having dimmable lighting can be a godsend for setting the ambience of your event, and if you pair it with smart dimmable lighting you’ll be able to create different zones of lighting. 

Colour Changing Bulbs/LED Lights 

Much like the RGB LED Strip Lighting mentioned earlier, having colour changing bulbs or downlights lets you have finer control over the warmth and tone of your room. Once again, if you have smart-enabled lighting you can even sync the lighting to music.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a seasoned event planner or a budding party animal, lighting can have a huge impact on how well your function is received (nobody likes a party that’s excessively bright or pitch black).

What is the best size for a ceiling fan?

Size does often matter when it comes to fans, as generally speaking, ceiling fans with larger blade spans are able to output a higher amount of airflow e.g. The Skyfan 48" DC Ceiling Fan is able to output 13,920 m3/hr and the Skyfan 52" DC Ceiling Fan outputs at a higher 14,610 m3/hr. There are however, other factors that can affect output airflow for fans with similar or identical blade spans which takes us to another commonly asked question.

What material ceiling fan should I get?

Metal Ceiling Fans

Modn-3 Ceiling Fan By ThreeSixty Fans. Buy online from The Lighting Superstore. 

Metal ceiling fans typically have the highest airflow of any material however some metal ceiling fan owners report that due to the rapid speed at which the metal blades cut through the air, there is a noticeable level of noise. These fans are great where the noise isn't a huge concern or airflow is a priority such outdoor areas or in commercial settings.

Wooden Ceiling Fans

Wooden ceiling fans are virtually silent due to the light-weight attributes that wood provides, however a reduction of airflow also comes at the cost of silent fan operation. Wooden ceiling fans are great if you're looking for a particular style to match your home's decor. 

Plastic Moulded Ceiling Fans

In recent years, fan technology has come a long way with the introduction of more efficient motors and plastic / ABS moulded ceiling fan blades. Plastic moulded ceiling fans are a great option as they allow for similar airflow to metal alongside the reduced-noise benefits of wood. Furthermore due to the properties of plastic moulded ceiling fans, they are unable to rust or warp like wooden or metal blades. 

What's the difference between AC Ceiling Fans and DC Ceiling Fans?

A DC Ceiling fan like the Concorde 58" DC Ceiling Fan ceiling fan will use a total of 38w on high, while a standard AC ceiling fan will use around 60w on high. DC ceiling fans will usually have 6 speeds compared to an AC which will only have 3. It’s important to mention that the number of speeds does not mean the fan goes any faster, more simply that there is just more variance between them.

It’s also important to mention that all DC ceiling fans require a remote, while the AC Ceiling fans can be controlled by a remote or wall control the choice is yours (a good note to make when installing DC ceiling fans in kids bedrooms are rental properties where it’s possible they may go missing).  

The lamp shade is perhaps the most overlooked part of a decorative lighting fixture. I'm sure many of us have drooping, curly, or discoloured shades on our hanging light fixtures without necessarily noticing it. The good news is there are several beautiful lamp shades that can give you a fresh look at your fixture for a relatively inexpensive cost. If you're ready to replace that old, drab shade, follow these simple steps (including what to do if you run into any problems). 

Step 1:

It's important to assess what you don't like about your current lamp shade. Is it dirty? Old? The wrong colour? Or is it the wrong shape or size? If the lamp shade is the wrong shape or size, then be sure to measure your current lamp shade so you're able to compare it to a replacement shade. Alternatively, you can bring it in-store for either visual comparison or assistance from staff members. 

Step 2:

First, ensure that your lighting fixture is turned off and if there is a light bulb attached, make sure that it's not hot from recent use. 

Begin removing your lamp shade, some are attached to the bulb itself, if so remove the light bulb first, then proceed to remove the shade.

Alternatively, if your lampshade is attached via a decorative tip or 'finial' on top, then you'll need to unscrew that first in order to lift it off the base.

Step 3:

The easiest, and most fun step! Choose a brand-new lamp shade that suits your needs in terms of functionality and decorative style. Most lamp shades can be defined by their shape/style which include:

• Tapered Lamp Shades
• Drum Lamp Shades
• Bell & Waisted Lamp Shades
• Square & Rectangular Lamp Shades

Most lamp shades come with a standard fitting however depending on the origin of the lamp or age, you may need a lamp shade washer, or a custom fitting which you are able to order from here.  

Step 4:

Gently put the lampshade into place followed by tightening any screws/decorative tips. Turn the lamp or lighting fixture on to test it and ensure that the shade fitting is appropriate.