Some Ideas to Consider …

  • Follow These Tips for Choosing the Right Light Bulbs for Your Home

    You have several light bulb options for your home. Home lighting can be highly customizable, and the perfect bulbs can help you save money over time. But choosing the right light bulbs can be a challenge. Do you know your options?

    Here are your choices:

    • Incandescent: The standard in American homes for over 100 years. They typically last roughly 1,000 hours and are costly because 90% of the energy they create is lost as heat.  The U.S. is phasing out incandescent bulbs and starting in January, companies will be barred from making them.
    • Halogen: A variation of the incandescent but 25% more efficient. A capsule around the wire filament holds gas to increase efficiency. These bulbs are most used under cabinets, in pendant lights, and in recessed cans.
    • Fluorescent: Producing a visible light that appears bluish in color, these lights are commonly used in basements, garages, and attics.  These light bulbs are not as warm and therefore not as good for other applications.
    • Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs): A curly version of the fluorescent light, it lasts 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs and can be used in most lighting fixtures.  These light bulbs take awhile to get to full strength when turned on which causes some people not to like them.  CFL’s are better than fluorescent but not as good as LED.
    • LED: LED bulbs are a solid state lighting source that lasts 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs. LED bulbs are gaining in popularity as they become more inexpensive and easier to find. Many smart bulbs today are of the LED variety and allow you to change color, timing, and lightness through an app on your phone.

    For your future purchasing of light bulbs, a 72-watt incandescent halogen or 23-watt compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb will replace, and be as bright as a traditional 100-watt incandescent bulb.

    For more information about the latest light bulb technology, please contact the professionals at Country Club Homes, Inc. today at 203-762-0550.

  • Higher Light: Interior Transom Windows

    Transom windows are a lovely historical detail with an interesting history of practical purpose. Before the advent of air conditioning, transom windows were an innovative design feature that allowed for cross ventilation between rooms. Typically, transom windows could be opened and closed using a long metal rod. There were also styles that opened on a…

  • Chic Simplicity: A Black and White Bathroom

    The black and white bathroom is a design classic that always feels fresh. The simplicity of black and white allows for endless experimentation with color and texture to make your space feel distinct and memorable. The walls in a black and white bathroom are an interesting place to explore the use of patterned wallpaper, particularly…

  • Hot Ideas for the Hearth: Custom Fireplace Designs

    As autumn settles in, the age-old custom of gathering around a glowing fire becomes ever more appealing. The fireplace in your home can be a conversational centerpiece with the right application of design skill and imagination. Your fireplace should reflect the overall look and feel of your home, whether traditional, modern, or somewhere in between….

  • Empty-Nesters Purchase Cottage with Downsizing In Mind

    Interested in downsizing? A soon-to-be empty nester couple fell in love with this delightful cottage and purchased the home with downsizing in mind. As the renovation project started, it turned into a labor of love for the couple as they envisioned it as their beach-style retirement home. The small corner lot on Belle Island in the Rowayton section…