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The Lighting Doctor

Outside of a home with landscape lights on. Photo: Jeff Zaruba
Landscape lighting should be subtle. The goal is to draw attention to what is being illuminated as opposed to the light source itself. Photo: Jeff Zaruba
What’s the Best Way to Light the Exterior of My Home?
TIP 1: Be street smart As you’ve heard many times before, “You only get one chance to make a first impression.” From the street, the way a house looks at night says a lot about the people inside.… more
exterior lighting, Randall Whitehead
Room with recessed lighting and bright artwork on the walls
Existing recessed fixtures can be retrimmed to make them adjustable, then just replace the existing bulbs with LED versions.
How Can I Update My Lighting Without Replacing Everything?
TIP 1: The old switcheroo The quick and easy thing to do is to replace the existing incandescent or CFL bulbs with LEDs. Most bulbs these days have an LED equivalent. There are now shelves and… more
LED
Kitchen with yellow walls and a pendant fixture
In an Open Layout, How Can You Light a Kitchen Effectively?
TIP 1: Go with the flow It used to be that kitchens were separated from the rest of the house by doors or a pass-through to the dining room. Because the kitchen was set apart, lighting didn’t… more
Randall Whitehead, Kitchen Lighting, Undercabinet Lighting
how high to hang chandelier over dining table
How High to Hang a Dining Room Chandelier
Q: What is the correct mounting height for a fixture or chandelier over a dining room table? A: First off, I’ll provide a guideline: The bottom of the fixture should be 32 to 36 inches above the… more
chandelier, dining room lighting
Mounting Wall Sconces
Q: I am currently working on a new construction residence and I have a difference of opinion with the electrical engineer regarding placement of junction boxes for wall sconces. At what height do we… more
junction box, wall sconce
Trace sputnik swing arm lamp with Chrome accents and a Matte Black finish from Quoizel
Quoizel's Trace chandelier has adjustable arms, so how do you determine how high to hang it? Lighting Doctor Randall Whitehead has the answer.
Best Mounting Height for Swing-Arm Lamps
Getting the correct height for these bedside fixtures is crucial, says our expert. See what advice Lighting Doctor Randall Whitehead has to offer curious readers in this blog. Q.: Randall, what is… more
Bedroom, swing-arm chandelier, adjustable chandelier
bathroom mirror vanity lighting
Photo by Zac Gudakov on Unsplash
Sizing and Lighting a Mirror Around a Vanity

The Lighting Doctor explains where to hang a bathroom mirror and sconces above a vanity. 

Two hanging pendants, one centered and one off center junction box
Photo: Pexels
How to Deal With an Off-Center Junction Box
Q: I can’t find lighting for over my oval dining table. The junction box is 16 inches off the side of the table and can’t be moved because the ceiling is concrete.   A: Yes, you do have a bit of the… more
dining room lighting
130V light bulb
Photo by Diego PH on Unsplash
Light Output and 130V Bulbs

The Lighting Doctor outlines the pros and cons of using 130V light bulbs.

LED
Concrete ceiling lighting ideas for a work space with concrete ceilings and hanging pendants
Photo by Marc Mueller from Pexels
How to Deal With Concrete Ceilings
Q: We have moved into a fantastic high-rise condominium, but we have a problem: The ceilings are concrete and we just have one junction box in the main room. How do we do anything beyond track? A:… more
junction box, recessed lighting
Reading Lights and Bedside Reading Lights
Bedside recessed lighting (like these Halos from Eaton) takes thought and calculation.
Tips on Bedside Reading Lights
Our lighting expert, Randall Whitehead, the Lighting Doctor, tells a cozy bedtime story about perfectly positioning reading lights. Inspired by airplane lighting, he recommends installing recessed… more
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