Dominion Electric Lighting Blog

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Veterans' Day Sale

Can you believe it's almost November??? The good news is, that means it's almost time for our annual Veterans' Day Sale, so there are going to be some great deals at Dominion Electric Supply next month!




The sale officially runs from November 5th through the 14th, but we're doing a "preview" for our special customers, so if you print out this post and bring it in, we'll give you the sale prices early. All in-stock decorative lighting and accessories (fans excluded) will be 15% off our lowest tag pricing. We have quite a few reduced, red-tag items in all 3 showrooms, and we even take the 15% off the sale price, so there are some fabulous deals to be had!


Thursday, October 22, 2009

Parade of Homes

Laura Overly Gerber just paid us a visit (she used to work here, but now she works for one of our builders, Sagatov Homes), and she reminded me that this weekend is the Virginia Parade of Homes. Here is a copy of the brochure, which I know will be hard to read, so be sure to go to http://www.vaparade.com/.

This is the map of where the homes are.


And the corresponding names & addresses.

And our ad!


Laura tells me that this year the donations to the charity (HomeAid) will be optional. I'm sure they're trying to get lots of people to come out and visit the homes in this slower economy. So get on out there!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Energy Star

We're on an Energy Star, energy savings roll at my house! Last night my husband installed this light at our front door ~ the wall bracket in the lower right.


I love it! All Energy Star outdoor fixtures have a built in photocell, so it will come on at dusk and turn off at dawn. It uses a 13-watt fluorescent lamp, which is equal to about 60 watts in incandescent, and it is the PERFECT amount of light! The amber glass, along with a warm color temperature on the lamp, makes the color of the light look exactly like incandescent. Designers Fountain, the manufacturer, says Energy Star lighting provides bright, warm light but uses about 75% less energy than standard lighting, produces 75% less heat, and lasts up to 10 times longer (I'll keep you posted on its longevity!).

Monday, October 19, 2009

Lutron Radio Powr Savr

I was just reading the October issue of our TED magazine (The Electrical Distributor), and I saw this Lutron ad:


We just installed this in our basement this weekend! My boys are forever leaving the lights on down there, and we have 4 fixtures that take 3-60 watt bulbs each, so it's a LOT of energy. But we like to be able to dim the lights from the top AND the bottom of the stairs, so until now, our choices were really limited. But my husband was able to put this in with NO problems and quite quickly (yes, it helps that he's a former electrician AND he works in inside sales here at Dominion Electric Supply!) ~ and it works like a charm. The sensor is completely wireless, so he just stuck it on the ceiling and then changed out the two dimmers. Pretty nifty!

Friday, October 16, 2009

Cakes By Happy Eatery

Eileen & I just got back from a most delicious lunch at the Grand Opening of Cakes By Happy Eatery in Manassas. Today was their very first open day, but you would not have known it ~ they were very organized, and our sandwiches were excellent! And of course we couldn't leave there without bringing back a box of exquisite sweet treats for everyone at Dominion. Yum! Eileen helped the owner, Victoria, with all of her lighting needs, as well as some of her general design decisions. They did a fantastic job ~ look how beautiful it is!


Their address is 9685 Liberia Ave, Unit 107, Manassas, VA 20110
703-530-8898
Victoria, the owner, on the left, and our Eileen Naughton on the right


Look at the delicious treats! And don't forget the beautiful lighting by Besa.




I loved the framed "portfolio" pictures.
They also have a Centreville location where I had helped with lighting several years ago. That address is 14200A Centreville Square, 20121 (703) 988-9688. And their website is www.CakesByHappyEatery.com. Enjoy!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

CharityWorks GreenHouse

Eileen Naughton from my showroom attended the CharityWorks GreenHouse yesterday and said it was so fabulous, she went through it twice! I'm hoping to go next week, but in the mean time, I thought I'd share the highlights from the program she picked up.


This is the front cover of the book, with a great drawing of the house (of course, Eileen says it's much more gorgeous in person).

This is the "before" picture. Eileen tells me their goal had been to use 50% of the materials from this original house, and they actually used 97%! Isn't that incredible???

Here's our ad!


Skip Sroka gave us a nice mention...


... as did Susan Gulick, one of my oldest and dearest customers!

I'm also pleased to see Dominion Electric Supply mentioned by so many of the designers, along with many products we carry:
Susan Gulick and her team consulted with Erin Schwartz in my showroom for their lighting design needs, and they used Jesco LED lights in their media room.
Skip Sroka listed us in his resources & special thanks area, mentioning LED Lighting by Jesco.
Barry Dixon utilized Lutron shades & Robert Abbey desk lamps.
Raji Radhakrishnan used Cree LLF Recessed LED Lights in her areas.
And our Kichler/Jesco rep, John Chapman, tells me they also used Kichler LED landscape lights outside.

So we all need to get over there and see all this fantastic work!

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

CharityWorks GreenHouse

I'm a Washington Spaces follower on Facebook, and I just saw this post by them:

Just a few more days until the CharityWorks GreenHouse opens its doors this Saturday, Oct. 10. Read more: http://www.washingtonspaces.com/blog/articles/2009/10/06/sustainable-style-in-dcs-backyard#ixzz0TGzlRMGz

I understand that our Pat Stanley in the Arlington showroom handled almost all of the lighting needs at the GreenHouse, so we are all hoping to get in there to see it! We are very proud to be associated with most of the designers who are working on the house ~ I can't wait to see it!

JP Brehony Homes and Encompass Design Build

I got today's blog idea from Debbie Carr, an ALA certified Lighting Specialist in my showroom who does all the lighting design for both of these companies: JP Brehony Homes and Encompass Design Build. They sent her this news brief, and we thought we should share it!



Two upcoming events to take note of:

On Saturday, October 17th, and Sunday, October 18th, from 10:00 - 4:00, Troy Fenley of Encompass and JP Brehony will be present to assist you in any remodel/renovation ideas at the "Remodeled Home Tour", at 2634 N. Vermont St., Arlington, VA 22207. Come out and see what your home can grow in to!

On Saturday, October 24th and Sunday, October 25th, from 11:00 - 5:00, JP and Troy will both be available at the Annual Custom Builders Parade of Homes at 7103 Eastman Drive, Falls Church, VA 22043. Our entry this year is a Fully Decorated, Stone and Stucco, European-Style home with the latest in Green and Energy Saving Technology. Join us for a Cheese and Fruit Pairing from 12:00- 4:00.

For more infomation on this year's exciting Parade of Homes go to: www.vaparade.com

Vienna, VA – October 6, 2009 - JP Brehony, owner of JP Brehony Homes, and Troy Fenley, owner of Encompass Design Build, have launched a new venture addressing a question that many homeowners in our area face: Move or Improve? Sharing leads for the past four years, Brehony’s custom home business and Fenley’s full-service remodeling firm have discovered a need for unbiased information comparing new home construction against major remodeling.

By blending their individual experiences and vast professional resources - a combined 35 years of experience in residential construction and remodeling in Northern Virginia - they are focusing on something no other firm in our community is offering.

The financial equation behind choosing a new home vs. a significant remodel is confusing and complex, and Brehony and Fenley have found clients to be receptive to their consulting. Traditionally these interests are served in two distinct types of companies. One, unbiased resource is proving to be effective and efficient.

The question still remains for many homeowners: Move or Improve? Brehony and Fenley answers this question by comparing both sides of the equation and presenting hard facts and figures to arrive at the optimum decision.

After a decision is made to Move or Improve, JP and Encompass orchestrate the entire process – from design through construction.

Each firm remains independent and continues to focus on its’ specific areas of expertise. The primary benefits of the combined relationship are: the research and decision-making process is easier and clearer; and clients now have the opportunity to add the signature Brehony look to their remodeled home.

The Singh family in Vienna has realized these benefits first hand. After considering a custom Brehony home, they found an existing property that met most of their requirements. However, they needed a second-story addition to complete their wish list. The Singhs, who are currently in the design phase, will have the first home with the JP Brehony look applied to an Encompass remodeled home.

"It was very helpful to our decision process to have the opportunity to work with JP Brehony and Encompass Design Build as a team. We wanted the JP Brehony look and feel, but not a whole house product. Working together, we can have the best of both worlds," the Singh Family said.

Encompass Design Build is a full-service design-build firm specializing in kitchens, bathrooms, additions and total home renewals. Encompass clients benefit from the firm’s award-winning design team and its commitment to a proven project-management process. Encompass, based in Vienna, VA, has been serving homeowners in Northern Virginia for 8 years. Visit the Encompass Design Build web site: www.encompassdb.com.


JP Brehony Homes is dedicated to families, our community and our Town. Their homes are constructed as authentic Southern Farmhouse, Arts and Crafts Bungalows, Coastal Cottages and graceful Victorians. These unique structures reflect classic in-town, turn-of-the-century to mid-1900s architecture, and are designed to enhance exterior streetscapes while benefiting the lifestyles of families seeking a stronger sense of old-fashioned community. Visit the JP Brehony Homes web site: www.jpbrehonyhomes.com.

Monday, October 5, 2009

recessed lighting

I received this question from a reader: "I'd like to add some recessed lighting to my son's bedroom. He currently has nothing in the ceiling. Are there any "rules of thumb" for recessed, and anything I need to know before I buy?"

It's a bit hard to answer the question in a general sense, but these are the questions we'd need to ask:
~ Is there insulation in the ceiling? (If so, you need an IC-rated housing.)
~ Do you have access to the ceiling from above, or will you be cutting in holes from below? (If you have access, you use a "new-construction" type housing. If not, you use a "remodeler" style.)
~ How high are the ceilings? (If they are 8-9' high, we like 5" recessed apertures. If higher, you may want 6" lights.)
~ Do you want general illumination, or do you want to highlight or spotlight certain architectural features or artwork? (If general, I'd just use a basic white or black baffle with an incandescent flood bulb. If highlighting, I would recommend a low-voltage MR16 fixture.)

To answer her question as for "rules of thumb", I would say most average-sized bedrooms where you want general illumination would need four 5" regular downlights. We place them 2-3' from the walls, and then they're usually about 4-6' apart.

Hope that helps!