david k warfel
An unpredicted grand finale to my 1THING posts takes me to the darkest places of our homes. It is early December as I sit down to write the last 1THING: New Build post of the year. Like my own life, I started with a plan and a clear vision for where I was headed with... Continue Reading →
I once read that the easiest ways to increase the sale price of your home were to paint the front door for a good first impression and add a deck to the back yard. I suppose adding a deck makes the back yard more enticing, perhaps even subconsciously saying to the buyer "purchase this home... Continue Reading →
Today marks a continuation in my 1THING: Plug In series and a reminder that my quest to simplify lighting can result in oversimplification of the profession. Why? I focus in this post on one plug-in solution for landscape lighting, boiling down to the most essential, most beneficial, or most impactful solution that can be achieved... Continue Reading →
I go on a nightly neighborhood lighting patrol. Sort of. When our family divvied up the dog duties, I drew the just-before-bed nightly walk. Albus, our 9-year-old cockapoo, gamely trots around the block while I curse the neighborhood porchlights. Okay, I do not curse the porchlights. But I do wonder how my neighbors would react... Continue Reading →
Today we are going boldly into the great unknown, the vast universe beyond the dining room. Ahem. Sometimes I get a little carried away. Okay, often I get a little carried away. Especially when it comes to coming up with creative ways to talk about light and lighting. So please forgive me when I wax... Continue Reading →
It is particularly difficult to change lighting in a bathroom without hiring an electrician. Most baths are filled with tubs, showers, toilets, and vanities that leave little to no room for tables and lamps. And plug-in lamps near a tub are a bad idea from a safety perspective – electricity near water is a time-honored... Continue Reading →
This post is the third in my 1THING: New Builds series designed to boil better lighting down to the bare essentials. And I promise I'll get to the subject - living rooms - in just a moment. But first, I owe you an apology. One of the benefits of blogging - at least the way... Continue Reading →
If the idea of ripping into a finished ceiling, pulling new wires, installing fixtures, repairing drywall, and repainting is discouraging you from improving lighting in your home, I sympathize. When I was a tad younger (okay, twenty years younger), I thought nothing of crawling through my attic, hacking away at decades old plaster, and pulling... Continue Reading →
I am a dreamer. I dream solutions, I dream new ways to share the gift of light, I dream new ways to use light. I also dream about running the Boston Marathon. Some dreams are more realistic than others. On the flip side of the dreamer is the doer. I like getting checkmarks on my... Continue Reading →
Center downlights on kitchen cabinet doors for better illumination inside the cabinets - and a better look. IF YOU CAN ONLY DO ONE THING TO IMPROVE THE LIGHTING IN YOUR NEW KITCHEN...put the recessed downlights in the right place. Getting great lighting in a home can be a little intimidating and overwhelming. Homeowners will often... Continue Reading →
the language of light 