There are many channels to buy your lightings these days that could make you spoilt for choice. Some might draw inspirations from decor magazines and websites while others pick out their lights based on personal preferences.
We will be listing down some practical tips that you can take into consideration when shopping for new lightings.
Selecting and Buying Your Lightings
1. Determine the number of lighting points in your home
This is important as you would want to allocate sufficient lights in each space. For example in the main bedroom, the light projected from a central ceiling light may not be bright enough for you to do some bedside reading at night hence you will need to cater for an extra lighting source.
2. Decide the function of each space in your home
We typically prefer to have a warm and cozy light ambience in our bedrooms and brighter daylight colour lighting in the study to protect our eyes. In the kitchen, do consider adding recessed lighting above the countertop so that you can carry out your food preparation with ease.
3. Should all your lights be of the same style or can you mix it up a little
The rule of thumb is to maintain the same style throughout your house. Generally the various decor themes are rather distinct in styles which makes it difficult to mix and match the lights.
4. Allocate a budget and make some room for upward adjustments
After you have decided on the lighting for each space, it is time to determine the pricing range for each lighting point. For example, if you plan to use a statement piece in the dining area, do set aside a higher budget than the other spaces. The statement piece should be the centre of attention in your house to arouse your guests' interests over the light.
5. Research online for the lighting designs you are interested in
Check out home decor websites where they do feature stories on the most spectacular homes or interior design firms with portfolios of renovated spaces and 3D renderings of the various themes. There are also social media apps such as Pinterest and Instagram where you can find an assortment of design ideas and lightings that you never thought was possible. So get out there and find the designs that resonate best with you.
6. Compare prices with the shops in popular lighting spots
Now its time for some exercise, you can either spend more time walking the ground to see up close the physical lightings and bargain for the best deals or turn on the aircon, have a mug of your favourite beverage beside you and surf through the many online stores offering you fair and transparent prices.
7. Make the purchase
All done finalising the items in your list? Whether you are buying it in the physical store or online, do make sure you keep the receipts to cross check you have all the lightings you require and for warranty purposes. At Lights&Co, you can rest assure that our payment channels are secure as we work with a global payment gateway where credit card transactions are processed with the latest encryption technology over the HTTPS network.
]]>Renting out your spare room or the entire house is a great way to make passive income. What does it mean to be a landlord? Is it just about knowing all the terms and conditions in the Tenancy Agreement? Read on to find out more about subletting in Singapore!
Know who is eligible to rent your property
You can rent to Singapore Citizens and Singapore Permanent Residents, subject to the other conditions above. For foreigners, they must possess at least one of the following:
1) Long term social visit pass
2) Student pass
3) Work permit
4) S-pass or other employment pass
Landlords have to verify the records of the tenants, so do ensure you sight the original passports and ICA issued documentation and retain a copy for your records.
Rules regarding your eligibility to sublet your private property
Owners can rent out their units once it receives the Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP). The occupancy cap is 6 unrelated tenants regardless of the size of the property.
Rules regarding your eligibility to sublet your HDB flat
There are more rules regulating HDB rentals. Firstly, you have to be a Singapore Citizen who has fulfilled the Minimum Occupancy Period (MOP) before you can sublet the entire flat. Currently the MOP is 5 years regardless of whether you purchased a BTO or a resale flat. There is also the non-citizen quota and industry sector quota for tenants, hence do check the prevailing quota for the current month via the HDB website.
The maximum number of tenants for a 2-room flat is four and for 3-room or larger flats, it is six tenants. All flat owners must also obtain HDB’s prior approval before renting out their flats or bedrooms. All sublets need to fall between the minimum lease period of six months with maximum lease period of 24 months (if your tenant is a Malaysian, the maximum lease period can be increased to 36 months).
Last but not least, tenants are not allowed to be tenants or owners of other HDB flats unless they are divorced or legally separated (in this case only one party can rent a HDB flat from another flat owner), or owners who are eligible to sublet their whole flat.
Ensure that your fixtures are in good condition
Most experienced landlords know that ensuring that the lightings, faucets, showers, built-in appliances, and built-in carpentry are in good condition. This will help to speed up the process of getting a tenant. Tenants will want to rent units that are problem-free to reduce any potential issues between both parties.
Engage an experienced real estate agent
You can choose to DIY or engage a real estate agent to streamline the processes and paperwork. The agent will advertise the unit and conduct the viewings saving you precious time and reduce the vacant period. The tenancy agreement will be drafted by the agent to protect your interests.
Do speak to a few real estate agents and find out how they can best meet your needs. Good luck!
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In the first 6 months of 2022 alone, we have already seen numerous news reports of fires across the island. As we spend more time at home due to work and to minimise mingling in crowded areas due to covid-19, electricity usage has also gone up.
The main reasons behind the fires were usually due to contents in the house or due to PMDs and PABs but let's not let our guard down as we delve into some prevention and maintenance tips.
1) Check and replace old or worn electrical wiring in your house. Everything has a finite lifespan and the same goes for electrical wires with an estimated average useful life of 25 years. However it is best to make the change if the condition has deteriorated or when the lifespan is over. Remember to engage a Licensed Electrical Worker (LEW) to check and submit a report to the relevant authorities once the works are done.
2) Ensure appliances and devices are compliant to regulatory requirements. Large household electrical appliances such as washing machines, fridges and ovens have to be certified with the Singapore Safety Mark. You can check online at www.consumerproductsafety.gov.sg to see if the appliance you are getting requires a safety mark.
3) Use original charging accessories. Manufacturers would have put tested these accessories vigorously to ensure they are up to mark and to protect their reputation. Charging accessories of poor quality tend to melt or overcharge your devices and can lead to fires.
]]>If you are embarking on your renovation journey, how can you future proof your homes to make it remain relevant through the years? Let's explore some of the top ideas to incorporate into your home decor!
1) Light Colour Schemes
Forget the Victorian or Industrial home decor themes as they don't resonate well with many home seekers these days. Instead, consider light colour schemes to accentuate the natural lighting in your house. Think Japanese Zen or Muji inspired themes with white colour cabinets to maximise light dispersion.
2) Space Efficiency
Homes are getting smaller but the need for storage has not diminished. While we need a lot of cabinets to conceal our stuff, do spend some time to look around the house closely for overhead spaces you might have missed out. Add in more carpentry along the area where your DB Box or Household Shelter to conceal them so they look flushed.
3) Ample Natural Light
The best light is from mother nature itself so let in as much natural light as possible. Don't place any large furniture or wardrobe where your windows are. Install your curtains in such a way that there is ample space to draw and keep them neatly at the sides of the windows without blocking any portion of the windows.
If your house is on lower floors, you may need more lightings placed strategically around the house to properly light up the place.
4) Get Durable And Stylish Flooring
Vinyl flooring was the rage 5 to 7 years ago as it allowed home owners to overlay on existing flooring thereby saving them time and money compared to hacking and putting in new flooring. One of the latest trends now is the herringbone tile pattern which is perfect for creating intricate and unique style patterns with different colour tones of tiles.
Our opinion is to go for large format square tiles in the living and dining areas to bring out the spaciousness of the house. Homogenous and marble tiles have been around for decades and the lighter, simpler colour tones and patterns are always welcomed by many.
5) Luxe Feel
Visited a condominium showflat lately and was wowed by the luxe feel of the property? It all starts with picking out the right style of fittings and furniture and you do not have to go full on marble tiles for your bathrooms or install top of the range sanitary fittings etc. The idea is to select designs close enough to exude the feel good factor to make the house feel luxurious.
]]>1. Metal and Glass
Instead of the common polished chrome finish for kitchen faucets and bath fixtures, matt black and brass gold finishes are popular to achieve a contrast especially against darker colour wall tiles or paint colour. However it is better not to use more than 2 different colour tones with your other metal furnishings as it would overcomplicate the entire decor. We would recommend that you match the colour of your lighting fixture to the other furnitures you want to complement such as the wall lamp and the metal frame below which complements each other and stands out against the dark navy blue wall.
Our CAVER Classic Wall Lamp (as pictured below) provides a single globe or double globe option with a brass gold metal body.
2. Balcony / Patio Lighting
Homes with outdoor spaces became the rage overnight last year as it allowed home dwellers to take in the views and soak in the weather outside. If you love to have al fresco dinners or chill over a glass of wine, a good book in your outdoor space, the lighting in your balcony / patio is essential even if it is simply for ambience. This space is where you can be more creative, for example you can model it after your favourite hangout cafe, bistro or decorate into a lush garden.
Image Credit: Qanvast
Our recommendations for this space are the BRIVAAR Ceiling Light and the FIKNA Funnel Wall Light for their modern yet classic black and gold combination which work well for most decor themes.
3. Task Lighting
This is definitely one important aspect when most of us work or study from home more during this pandemic. Suffice to say there has to be adequate lighting when it comes to poring over documents and textbooks. If your focal lighting point is not bright enough to illuminate your work space, you can enhance it with table lamps or floor lamps. But if you limited work space, consider using track lighting which is versatile enough to target and illuminate areas in your room.
If you use a pendant light like the above ARCLINEA Glass Pendant Lamp, do ensure the glass covers are not tinted and select LED bulbs with higher lumens to ensure maximum brightness.
Add on cob lighting to enhance the brightness if needed as the cob lights can be easily adjusted to shine on your work space.
]]>How do I replace the spoilt LED light?
Firstly, we have to determine the type of LED lighting that is used. For example, if it is a light bulb, you have to replace in its entirety. If it is a LED downlight, it depends on whether the LED light source and driver are integrated.
Image: LED Downlight with External Driver
You can try to replace the external driver if the light source for the downlight can't be turned on. If the downlight is dim or flickering, it is due to the degradation of the LED itself and in this case, you have to replace the main downlight.
Image: LED Downlight with Integrated Driver
Image: LED Light Bulb
For a LED downlight with integrated driver or a LED light bulb, the driver is integrated in the bulb and downlight and you would need to replace the fixture in its entirety.
]]>One important element to infuse the Japanese concept is to add wood or bamboo into your interior design. The living space is relatively free of large furniture and the lightings are mainly inconspicuous. Now let's take a look at some home decor and lighting inspirations you can use for your home.
Image credit to respective owner
This Japanese home exudes zen by combining the traditional rice paper shade pendant lights with modern furniture. It just has all the right components - wood, the right lightings and plants, of course a bonsai plant would be perfect.
Lighting Idea - LAVIEN Scandinavian Hanging Light Set
If you prefer to go all modern, this hanging light fixture will complement your home without any fuss. It has the white and wood tones that the basic Japanese home concept requires.
Image credit to respective owner
This modern Japanese home in mainly white and wooden tones uses simple recessed lights and a small white shade table lamp. It's all about keep the space free of clutter with ample room to access the space.
Lighting Idea - TANUKI Ultra Slim Ceiling Light
Not many of us like to do a boxed-up false ceiling specially for downlights as it can make the area look smaller and impose unnecessary height restrictions. Hence a good way to balance this is to use the TANUKI Ultra Slim Ceiling Light. The light fixture is made up of a wooden exterior and a white frosted shade cover which complements the modern Japanese home.
]]>With more people working from home and this may be still be the case even after a vaccine is discovered as companies realise they can save on expensive office rents while protecting their employees.
If your company makes it mandatory to work from home, you would need to create a work space that is comfortable for you to work in. This is why we saw long queues to IKEA as many were scrambling to buy suitable furniture before the stay at home measures took effect.
We will not make your life difficult by introducing the entire range of lights for working from home. You are most likely to have recessed lighting, pendant light or a ceiling light in your study / office space. Even with the smaller bedrooms these days, a ceiling light is not sufficient if you need to do serious reading or work.
Hence our recommendation is to use track lights, which are bright, can be directed on a specific area, easily adjustable for brightness levels and easy to replace. Track lights have evolved from just the black and white to fancy rose gold and gold colours making it easy to complement a variety of decors. More importantly, you can also decide whether a daylight white or warm white light setting is better for you.
]]>Photo: A simple pendant light design - ANDENON Cement Pendant Light
Photo: An intricate pendant light design - ASCENT Futuristic Pendant Light
Photo: SOUTHPORT Pendant Lights in Pastel Colours used with a Rectangular Panel
A chandelier on the other hand is typically a large ornate centrepiece used in a mansion, a hotel lobby or an event ballroom. Originating from the medieval age, the light source used back then was candles and later progressed to gas lights to the current electric light bulbs. Often made out of glass, it can be adorned with crystals to exude luxury and elegance.
Photo: An intricate Chandelier
]]>The lovely Southport Pendant Lights in Pastel Colours are installed in a trio over the dining area. It gives your home a pop of scandinavian country home feeling.
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Our FICCAS Modern Pendant Light is used to accentuate this minimalist bay window space in a condominium. Chosen for its gold frame and unique rippled glass shade, this piece adds a subtle touch of class to your space.
]]>These days, stylish lightings are as important as the tens of thousands in renovation works. The perfect lightings accentuate the decor and they can be the centrepieces of your home. Take a look at how our satisfied clients use our lamps to light up their homes. A retail lighting shop in Singapore is more commonly found in areas like Balestier, Jalan Besar and Geylang. Such brick-and-mortar shops can only display limited designs due to the space constraints and have higher costs from rent and staff.
Lights&Co. is an online lighting shop in Singapore that focusses on offering the latest and widest range of lightings available to you while keeping prices affordable and transparent. We also do our best to check every lighting fixture for visible defects and allow our customers to conduct the same at delivery.
Types of Lightings
Pendant Lamps - Those crystal chandeliers are not in vogue now as they are replaced by pendant lightings that come in different styles to fit your decor. Pendant lamps can be in a single light source or you can have a statement piece with multiple light sources for a large space.
Wall Lights - Seldom used in the past, wall lamps are now trending in the modern home thanks to new classy pieces especially those with gold frames. It is nifty and doesn't take up floor space. Many interior designers are recommending wall lights as decorative pieces to liven up an empty walkway, bay window areas, bedside areas or staircases. Don't limit your imagination and keep your ideas flowing.
Table / Bedside Lamps - Many think of table lamps as those used for intense studying and for work use. Its definitely essential as you require optimal light for reading. With the lower costs in LED lighting, you can now have your stylish table lamp and pair it with an energy efficient LED light source. Now you can have your cake and eat it!
Floor Lamps - Standing floor lamps can be used to fill up a void area in your space especially for larger homes. They are more often used for ambient and decorative lighting.
Track Lights - We would say that track lighting is versatile as it offers you the flexibility to switch to task lighting if you require the room to be brighter simply by adding on more track lights or switching to higher wattage LED track lights. Conversely, you can adjust the track lights to refocus on another area or remove them if you want the space a little dimmer.
Ceiling Lights - The most common form of lighting used 10 to 20 years ago and it still is popular today. It could be the most affordable option as a surface LED panel provides sufficient light for a bedroom. However, there are many variations of ceiling lights for children to the modern pieces in different shapes and sizes. Most importantly, get the one that is able to light up your space sufficiently.
We hope you have a better appreciation of how the many variations of lighting fixtures can complement the decor theme of your space. Have fun while you are at it too!
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Designer lighting is mainly focussed on modern and contemporary designs - lightings for the urban life. Lighting is also what gives us life in the night and it has that magical power to alter one's moods and the aesthetic interior of your house! Think of it, even nightspots are very much dependant on lightings to captivate the crowd's attention and create the mood.
With the thousands of lighting designs in Singapore, expand your horizons with those brass gold chandeliers with mouth-blown glass globes or a smaller pendant light that invigorates your senses. Don't simply get ceiling fans with light or use downlights entirely for the whole house, which your guests will simply label as boring or typical.
]]>Lets check out some of the popular ideas where these gold lightings fit right at home!
The pop of colours in the foyer of this house adds vibrancy but you will also notice the simple yet chic hanging light with its brass rod. You can also kick it up a notch or two with some of the latest designs that Lights&Co. carries.
::: The COVET Deluxe Modern Lamp features a spherical shape lamp that is bold and classy at the same time. The tinted glass lamp provides a warm ambience for your home.
These 3 brass gold lights provide good illumination over the dining table. It will also be sufficient if you hang just one light over a small circular table otherwise do space out the 3 lights if you have a longer rectangular table.
::: Now we can look forward to a more stylish design, the STENNER Dual Tone Modern Pendant Light The contrast of gold and matte black with its unique design lends a modern touch to the lamp and it comes with in-built LED panel. In our opinion, this design will look great over a marble table or ceramic table. You can also go with neutral colour tone tables or even darker colour tones complemented with the touch of matte black on the pendant light.
A nice long kitchen island counter top to host those dinner gatherings at home. Wow your guests with impeccably stylish lights that don't cost a bomb. Without a doubt, the lights will be best positioned along the length of the counter top. Now with all that masterchef cooking going on, we would certainly recommend a fuss-free and easy to maintain light for you.
::: The OMBUS Classic Pendant Light is nifty and gives a modern touch to your home. With a choice of 3 different bulb holder colours, you can mix and match or stay true to a single colour tone for consistency. Don't limit yourself to these recommendations though as there are many designs to cater to your needs. If you are in doubt, just feel free to pm us on Facebook or drop us a message via our contact form.
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As the name says it all, the STROBE High Low Pendant Light features two bulb holders in a high-low position. This creative light is best fitted in large spaces such as your living rooms. Works well if you have a high ceiling. Available in 2 select colours, gold and black.
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The light fixture features a seashell shade on glass against a vintage gold bulb holder and a twisted cord.
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Whether you are a new home owner or renovating your home to refresh the decor, your interior designer would probably have thrown in some lighting ideas in your 3D renderings to complement the theme. As we all know Singapore's space limitations, a prime shopfront rental especially for lighting shops along Balestier, Jalan Besar and Geylang will probably cost a cool five figure sum in rental alone. For a physical lighting shop showroom, they would have to display as many lights as possible, maintain inventory and staff.
So back to the topic of searching for the same exact lightings in your 3D renderings and you would have scoured all the Singapore lighting shops but you still couldn't find a close match or even cheap lightings to fit your budget. That's what we are here for! At Lights&Co, we frequently refresh our lightings and can help you to find your ideal lightings even if its not available on our site yet. Just provide us your 3Ds and details. We have assisted thousands of home owners, business owners and interior designers to outfit their homes, offices, restaurants and commercial spaces. Simply drop us a message via our contact form our through our Facebook Page and we will be in touch with you!
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A warm and beautifully lit up showroom with SELENE Glass Lamps and 7W LED Track Lights.
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Our 8 bulb NEVILLE Chandelier Pendant Light is used as the main lighting in the dining area and accompanied with track lights on both sides. The DILLIA Minimalist Wall Lamp shines elegantly above a bedside table and it can also be placed beside the mirror in your powder room.
Photo: NEVILLE Chandelier Pendant Light
Photo: DILLIA Minimalist Wall Lamp
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