Category Archives: Uncategorized

Our Allston Showroom Is Moving to Waltham—And It’s a Good Thing!

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We Have Big News!

We’re moving to our Waltham showroom on June 30th, 2018.

The Allston lighting consultants you’ve grown to love will be transitioning with us to Waltham. You can still expect the same great service and wide variety of products that you’ve come to count on from us over the years.

In fact, this move will provide you with even more benefits:

  • Increased access to lighting consultants both in store and on location.
  • Increased resources with updated lighting labs and new automated shades display.
  • Increased delivery options/capabilities available to you. (more…)

Wolfers Lighting’s Susan Arnold wins Gold Award for Best Sales Associate at 2016 Prism Awards!

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Image courtesey of Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Boston

Waltham Showroom Lighting Consultant Susan Arnold was honored at the BRAGB 2016 Annual PRISM Awards Gala with a Gold Award for Best Sales Associate Thursday, October 6. Wolfers is proud to see her daily excellence recognized in this manner.

Susan has been an employee of Wolfers Lighting for 22 years, and is primarily based out of the Waltham Showroom.  As a project-based lighting designer, Susan contributes to the design portion of the project, as well as providing years of industry knowledge that facilitates collaboration between electrician, general contractor, homeowner and many more. (more…)


Strategies in Lighting for the Aging Eye: Think Holtkötter

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As we age, changes in our corneas, pupils, and lenses make translating visual stimuli into images more difficult (as anyone over the age of 40 who’s encountered the “my arms aren’t long enough” phenomenon can attest!).  

While many lighting manufacturers keep this in mind as they design products, one manufacturer stands out, thanks to its excellent research: Holtkötter Lighting.

As its website explains, “Holtkötter has initiated and supported research at the University of Colorado at Boulder to study and develop the scientific basis of lighting for the aging eye and to research how good lighting can mitigate the effects of the natural physical changes that we all are subjected to as time passes.”

As Holtkötter has learned, “good lighting” happens in the details. Think full range dimming controls, moveable reflectors, and infinite arm positions in task lamps. The best part? Holtkötter doesn’t skimp on style…the company has found a way to design gorgeous pieces while keeping the aging eye in mind.

Here are two of our favorite Holtkötter Lighting products available at Wolfers. (more…)


Exterior Lighting Fixtures that Wow! Just Ask Wyndham Boston…

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We recently completed a project with The Wyndham Boston Hotel, where they changed up the exterior lighting fixtures on its façade. See the before-and-after photos below for comparison.

Before and After Installing LED Wall Washers at the Wyndham Boston

The new LED replacements (as seen on the right) throw much more light and add more visual interest to the building in general. Below, you’ll find details regarding the lighting product Wyndham chose. (more…)


Caséta Wireless from Lutron: Lighting Control & More!

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We’re so excited about Caséta Wireless, the latest lighting control system from Lutron, and we’re pretty sure you will be as well.

After all, who wouldn’t love . . .

  • Turning on the lights in a dark home from the comfort and safety of your car as you pull in the driveway
  • Creating a lighting “scene” for a particular room—one that you can save and call up when the mood strikes
  • Closing hard-to-reach shades with the tap of an app
  • Controlling the lights from anywhere in the room
  • Adding a light switch without any tools
  • Adjusting the thermostat from your phone (whether you’re home or not)
  • Scheduling lights on and off
  • Being able to check on lights remotely (yes, even from the beach)

Lutron’s Caséta Wireless dimmers and the Lutron Smart Bridge and app deliver all of this. The Caséta wireless system gives you control over third-party devices, such as Pico® wireless remote controls, Serena™ remote-controlled shades, and select Honeywell Wi-Fi thermostats.

You can easily integrate Caséta’s wireless into your home without extensive remodeling or running wires. If fact, you can make it as simple or complex as you like—set it up to control all of the items above or just a few. The choice is yours (more…)


New Arrivals – Indoor Lighting

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With new seasons come new fixtures to our showrooms! 

You may remember our Feburary blog post about some of our favorites from the Dallas Market in January. We’ve been seeing some of our favorites of the year trickle in, and these are even more dazzling in person! Here’s twelve of our favorites below.

 David Trubridge
Coral Collection

1-Light Pendant featuring geometric polyhedra design in Natural Bamboo.

Allston Showroom Only

 David Trubridge
Kina Collection
1-Light Pendant featuring geometric polyhedra design in Natural Bamboo.

Allston Showroom Only

 Quoizel Lighting
Ribbons Collection

5-Light Pendant in Millenia Satin Copper Finish.

Waltham and Allston Showrooms

(more…)

Waltham Store Under Construction – Save on Specially Tagged Items

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Savings Zone!

We are renovating our Waltham showroom to add new displays and products, so we need to reduce our current inventory. Look for specially tagged display items throughout the Waltham and Allston stores and save up to 50%.

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Tax Free Lighting – Save 6.25% August 16th and 17th

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taxfree

Plan Your Tax-Free Savings Now

Each year, the Massachusetts State Legislature allows retailers to forego paying sales tax for one weekend (Just Announced! Tax-Free weekend will be August 16 and 17). The savings amount of 6.25% is a great incentive to purchase the lights for your new home or renovation project.

Plan your lighting order to take advantage of these tax savings. Visit our Waltham and Allston showrooms and select from a wide variety of styles. Wolfers has taken the tax-free concept* one step further. Prior to the weekend, come in and talk to our lighting experts. We will help you plan your lighting layout and specify the lighting you require that is perfect for your project. We will process your transaction on the designated tax-free weekend. (more…)


The Magic of Outdoor and Landscape Lighting

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lighting-experts1

Now You See It; Now You Don’t

{{cta(‘de25ac59-154d-4d40-bf6c-2201a2664806′,’justifyright’)}} You’ve seen some fabulous lighting applications in home design magazines and now you’d like to create that same magic around the exterior of your own home. With a little technical knowledge and some experimentation, you can create an inviting outdoor environment that will increase safety and security, provide easy driveway access, and enhance the beauty of your home both from the inside looking out and from the outside looking in. Wolfers lighting designer Susan Arnold took some time out to talk about the magic of outdoor and landscape lighting.

How do these designer homes achieve such great lighting effects?

The first thing to understand is the difference between “outdoor lanterns” and “landscape lighting.” Outdoor lanterns are highly decorative visual elements designed to coordinate with the architectural style of your home. They are made to be seen. As a result, outdoor lantern designs run the gamut from traditional wrought-iron to highly polished contemporary styles. Outdoor lanterns can be hung from porch ceilings, installed on posts or columns, and are most often installed near entryways and garage doors. Outdoor lanterns are the jewelry that provides a first impression about your home.

On the other hand, landscape lighting is designed to disappear. These fixtures are hung in trees, camouflaged as rocks, submerged in water or installed close to the ground to minimize them from view – leaving lighting designers free to create magical lighting effects that illuminate driveways and walking paths, accent architectural features, and highlight landscape. When properly specified and installed, outdoor and landscape lighting should work together to create a spectacular effect on the outside of your home.

What wattage bulbs should I use for Outdoor Lanterns? 
It’s best to use low wattage (15 watt) bulbs in outdoor lanterns so you do not blind visitors arriving at your home. A light that is too bright is harsh and blinding at entranceways – it’s not a pretty sight.

Are LED bulbs useful for Outdoor and Landscape Lighting?
LED is perfect for Outdoor and Landscape Lighting applications. Incandescent bulbs tend to have a shortened life when exposed to rigorous weather and they are time consuming to replace. LED bulbs now come in just about any configuration and once you install them, chances are you will never have to replace them. If you already have landscape lighting installed, it is possible you can change out most incandescent bulbs with LED replacement bulbs.

How many Landscape Fixtures will I need?
That depends on the areas that need to be addressed and the lighting effects you want to create. I like to hang fixtures in trees to create the feeling of mo
You’ve seen some fabulous lighting applications in home design magazines and now you’d like to create that same magic around the exterior of your own home. With a little technical knowledge and some experimentation, you can create an inviting outdoor environment that will increase safety and security, provide easy driveway access, and enhance the beauty of your home both from the inside looking out and from the outside looking in. Wolfers lighting designer Susan Arnold took some time out to talk about the magic of outdoor and landscape lighting.

  (more…)


Warm, Kitchen Lighting Design: Switch to LED?

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lighting experts

PROJECT: Kitchen Lighting

 

photo-4The kitchen is the primary living space in the home. When designing lighting for the kitchen, it’s important to take into account many different activities. Bright overall light is necessary for food preparation; intense light is best for specialized task areas, while ambient light is pleasurable for entertaining. We also address any needs for lighting controls and whether or not a decorative light fixture is required to carry through a design theme.

A client of mine came to me with a typical LED challenge. She had pendants over her sink, recessed lights in the ceiling, under cabinet lights and a chandelier over her table. When she had all of these fixtures on at the same time, she noticed that the quality of light varied from each fixture. She noticed that when she dimmed the recessed lights, there was no shift in color, while the new LED lamp (bulb) did n

ot provide the warm glow she was used to.

I explained to her that not all LED lamps (bulbs) have the same characteristics. The bulbs may

 have had the same Kelvin temperature on the box, but Kelvin temperature can vary a +/- from one manufacturer to another. There is also the factor of the Color Rendering Index (CRI), which is so very important and often is overlooked by the consumer.

As for the issues my client experienced with dimming, I recommended a Warm Dim LED bulb, which actually has built-in technology so that, when you dim it, the color shifts to a more amber spectrum, creating the warm fuzzy feeling that we know and expect when the lights are dimmed.

LED technology is changing every day so beware! Not all LED bulbs perform in the same way. They do not all dim in the traditional way we expect. They are not suitable for enclosed fixtures and damp locations. You can buy any LED bulb and think it

 will be perfect – but will discover otherwise.

Wolfers is offering a FREE ONE HOUR LIGHTING
CONSULTION to answer all your questions – and
help you to make informed lighting decisions.

Please click here to schedule your appointment today!

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