It’s Time to See the Light

Dana Baker is a relatively new face in the JAY-K Lumber Lighting Department, and in his time there, he has made positive changes you can see in lights on display, and on the shelves. The professional lighting designer brings more than a decade of experience designing, configuring, and sourcing lighting for homes, businesses, museums, theaters, and other installations, and brings a creative eye to every project, no matter how large or small. He has revamped and upgraded the lighting displays, brought in new brands and designs, and significantly expanded the department’s LED (light emitting diode) lighting section, from fixtures to bulbs.

“I want people in our community to know they have a lighting showroom right here in-house at JAY-K Lumber,” Dana says. “We have a wide variety of lighting solutions for both residential and commercial applications.” Dana can provide professional consultation for any size project, from a simple bathroom renovation to a lighting plan for new home construction.

Lighting Department Changes
Among the first changes visitors will see are “freshened displays”, with new light fixtures, new configurations, “families” of lights for making easier choices, more variety, and more popular lighting fixtures and lines. Both interior and exterior lighting is on display, and new vendors are featured, though Kichler and Seagull are still strongly represented.

You’ll also see changes in the bulbs represented in everything from designer and outdoor fixtures to recessed lighting and lamps: there are many more LED choices. More on that later.

Seasonal Surges
“Fall is one of our busiest times,” Dana says. “With the time change and shorter days, we’re all using our lights much more. That makes us more aware of the lighting we want and need in our homes, and how that affects our quality of life. It’s a great time to think about how we want to light our spaces, especially through the darker months. New lighting can change our living and working environments for the better, reduce energy consumption, and improve our quality of life.” Dana has years of experience he can put to use helping configure new or improved lighting in your home or business.

Lighting the Future: LEDs
LED bulbs are quickly changing nearly every aspect of our lives. From auto lights to street and environmental lighting, to flashlights, headlamps, and, of course, home and commercial lighting, LEDs are quickly replacing the compact fluorescent (CFL), halogen, and incandescent bulbs in our lives. The advantages of LED lights are clear:

• Lower power consumption (up to 80% more efficient than incandescent bulbs)
• Will last 10-20 times as long as standard bulbs
• Environmentally safer (they contain no mercury like CFI bulbs)
• Many are dimmable
• Warm white, cool white, and daylight color temperatures available
• Smartlight products now available (bulbs and outlets controlled through WiFi)

Not long ago, the adoption of LEDs was hampered by higher prices, but that has quickly changed. The prices for bulbs of every size and shape have come down drastically. LED bulbs can now be less expensive to purchase than comparable incandescent or fluorescent bulbs. When you take into account the long life and reduced power consumption, LED bulbs will save you money in the long term as well.

The latest innovation in LED lighting is the introduction of “smart” lighting. LED bulbs and accessories such as outlets, switches, and motion sensors, all controllable via Wifi and an app on your phone or tablet, are now available. The smart bulbs are able to change from cool white to daylight, or as a full color-changing bulb capable of any color.

The selection of LED bulbs in the Lighting Department has increased from a few select bulb sizes and brightness ratings to the better part of one side of the lighting aisle. Almost any fixture can be changed over to LED to save you energy, money, and replacements over the long life of these bulbs.

The Voice of Experience
A visit with Dana Baker in the improved Lighting Department helps you quickly understand how experience can make a big difference in your lighting plans. Whether you’re lighting a new home or commercial building, or renovating/redesigning a room, after a brief discussion of your wants, needs, and lifestyle, Dana can quickly narrow your choices from thousands of fixtures to just a few makes and models that will meet your needs.

He will work with your builder and/or decorator, and even make a site visit to help you find the right configuration for your residential or commercial spaces.

Seeing the Light
When you’re looking to light a new space and aren’t sure where to start, a large selection and friendly, free expert advice is a great place to start. You can visit the Lighting Department just inside the JAY-K Lumber main entrance.