Virtual Design Time

If you’re like me, every moment of the day has been spent worrying or wondering about the state of our world, economy and health. Pretty heavy stuff. For me it’s helped to have a focus that can pull me away from the worry even for a moment.

To those looking for a shift in focus and for some projects that can help distract us, I’m here. I’d love to help provide inspiration for your home and together come up with creative solutions and ideas that can transform where you live.

Here’s how it will happen. We will have a scheduled 20 min video chat on a mobile device so that you can move around and show me what you want to address. I’ll throw out some ideas and follow up with an email if need be. If you need to purchase anything, I’ve partnered with some of my vendors to fast track info on availability and shipping options.

To schedule your chat email heather@heathergolde.com and I’ll get back to your with your appointment time. Spaces will have to be limited as I’ve got work and kiddos like most of you to balance through this as well.

Hang in there. XOXO,

HG

The $10 and :30 interior makeover!

Every wonder why some familiar places are starting to look or feel a little different that you remember and you can’t put your finger on it?

It might just be the lightbulbs. YES, something as simple and utilitarian as the lightbulb can be responsible for not only changing the entire design of a space but the way we interact and feel within it.

With the switch from incandescent bulbs to LED I see this happening almost everywhere. So much thought goes into the design of spaces and then someone runs out because they forgot bulbs, pops in whatever they find and wham…everything changes. As a designer with a history in photography I feel uniquely positioned to give the following lesson on the phenomenon (yes I called it that) of the wrong lightbulb in the wrong place.

The brightness of light is measured by, Lumens (L). The following has NOTHING to do with that. Buy the brightest bulb you want, I don’t care. Although, I can do a whole rant on my love of dimmers if you like. This post is all about the Kelvins (K).

This box of bulbs has a Lumens (L) of 450 and a Kelvin (K) rating of 2700.

The higher the number of Kelvin (K) the cooler or Bluer (not a word I know) the light it produces will appear. Conversely, the lower the number of Kelvin (K) the warmer or yellower (also not a word) it will appear. As far as I have seen the lowest number of Kelvin I have been able to locate is 2700K and the highest being 5000K. The disparity between even 2700 K bulbs and the next step 3000 K is dramatic. I will not allow anything over 2700 K anywhere in my house…this is a known fact of anyone living under my roof!

All boxes should have this visual scale on the back or side.

If this is so easy why are so many people putting the wrong lightbulbs in their homes? The answer is easy. Many retailers only stock LED bulbs with higher Kelvin. In order to purchase the lower Kelvin rating you will need to pay a visit to your local hardware store instead of stocking up at the grocery store or Target.

I cannot begin to tell you the dramatic difference changing this one small step will be. It’s one of the first things I change when working with a client. Unless you enjoy the feeling of sitting in an exam room, this is one simple and affordable change that will make a big difference.

As you can see the difference in the color of the light is dramatic.