Speak
Showroom
ACCENT LIGHT: Used to highlight
architectural details, decorative
elements, or keepsakes.
AMBIENT LIGHTING: Overall
light throughout the room (usually
from ceiling fi xtures).
CHROMATICITY: The quality of
color, independent of brightness.
COLOR RENDERING INDEX
(CRI): How accurate a light source is
at rendering color (when compared
to a reference light source).
FOOT-CANDLE: The amount of
light a one-candela source places on
a surface 1 foot away. Equal to one
lumen per square foot.
LUMEN: The brightness of light.
LIGHT EMITTING DIODE (LED):
A solid-state light source that
effi ciently transforms electricity
into visible light using thin layers of
semiconductor materials.
LIGHT REFLECTANCE VALUE
(LRV): Percentage of light refl ected
by a surface compared to the amount
of light falling on that surface.
TASK LIGHTING: Concentrated
light to help with tasks, like reading
or cutting food.
❋ Choices galore In addition
to the beautiful fi xtures on display in a
showroom, consultants have stacks of
catalogs and designer access. They can
get their hands on almost any fi xture
you can dream up.
Lighting showrooms off er
plenty that big-box
and online stores can’t.
❋Personal service^ Working
one-on-one with a trained lighting pro
allows them to get to know your home,
style, and personality. They can use their
expertise to fi nd solutions specifi c to
your needs. Plus, if anything goes wrong,
you know exactly who to call for help.
❋ Endless answers^ Plenty of jargon fi lls the
lighting industry. Without the right vocabulary, you
may buy the wrong thing. A showroom consultant
knows it all and is used to helping people who don’t.
“Even if you don’t know what a light switch is, come
in. We’ll explain it in a very patient way,” says Tim
Stumm, creative director at Z-Lite Lighting.
❋Hands-on experience^ Choosing a fi xture
online is a gamble. What if there’s glare? What if it
doesn’t work with your fi nishes? What if the light
output is too weak? In a showroom, you can see
and touch before you buy. “With lighting you have
to see it and experience it to understand it,” says
Terry McGowan, director of engineering at ALA.
“A showroom is the only way to make that happen.”
❋
LIGHTING WISDOM
“
È
Find a nearby showroom to get
professional lighting advice at
ALAShowrooms.com
Why
Buy
from
the
Pro s?
ONE-THIRD OF
AMERICANS OWN AT
LEAST ONE SMART-
HOME DEVICE, AND
MORE THAN HALF
WILL BY 2023.
[DID YOU KNOW?]
110 Lighting 2019
