Lighting Blog and Ceiling Fan Brand Review - How to Buy or Install

Minka-Aire and Minka Lavery Combine with Elegance

2008-01-23T17:28:00-05:00

The Minka Group was founded in 1982 by Bill and Marian Tang. Then a tiny company that made glass shades for ceiling fans and lighting fixtures, it has grown into a lighting industry giant which includes the brand names Minka-Aire, Minka Lavery, Ambiance, The Great Outdoors, Metropolitan, and George Kovacs as well as many nationally recognized private label brands.

Minka products are sold in over 2,000 showrooms nationwide. Products are made from a variety of high quality materials such as wrought iron, wood, resin, cast aluminum, and solid brass. Minka products are distributed from service centers on both the East and the West coasts. This spread of distribution centers helps the Minka Group lower costs and keep delivery times low as well.

The Minka Group produces every kind of indoor and outdoor lighting for residential homes from simple fixtures that cost only $19, to elaborate chandeliers that are fit for a mansion’s foyer that cost $10,000. The vast collection of lighting and ceiling fans that are offered by the Minka Group represent the most diverse and cutting edge styles.

President of the Minka Group, Kurt Schulzman, attributes the success of the company to its continued entrepreneurial abilities.

He says “I have the freedom to make decisions quick enough to keep pace with fast-changing trends in home décor.”

It is the freedom to change rapidly with the changing trends that make Minka Group the leader in the lighting industry.

Spotlight on Minka Lavery Lighting

The Minka Lavery lighting lines are both affordable and stylish while maintaining great quality. Minka Lavery lighting features urban lights, traditional lights, transitional lights, contemporary lighting, and everything in between. Fixtures include chandeliers, wall sconces, pendants, table lamps, vanity lights, floor lamps as well as a variety of other fixtures that are sure to make a wonderful accent to any lifestyle.

Spotlight on Minka Aire Ceiling Fans

Minka Aire continues to define the ceiling fan industry. All Minka Aire ceiling fans combine form, function, and design to offer the best in quality and workmanship that a ceiling fan has to offer. Minka Aire fans come in both traditional and contemporary styles, many of which are Energy Star Approved. There is a Minka Aire fan that is sure to compliment any décor.

Minka Lavery and Minka Aire Share Design Features

Today, in keeping up with the latest and greatest, Minka Lavery offers lighting fixtures that share design qualities with Minka Aire ceiling fans. The two sister companies now offer lighting and ceiling fan lines that share finishes and glass types so that matching products may be used throughout the home.

Coordinating Lighting and Fan lines include:

The Treville lighting and ceiling fan collections features the warmth and beauty of the European countryside with a Tuscan Patina finish that is hand applied to each piece by old world artisans.

The Treville Collection features antiqued glass and embroidered shades that are sure to enhance the fixtures.

The Salon Grand collection from the Jessica McClintock Home line features beautifully hand sculpted leaf designs throughout an array of coordinating lighting fixtures, portable lighting, accent pieces and ceiling fans. All Salon Grand light fixtures and ceiling fans share a rich Florence Patina finish. Many feature Salon Scavo Glass.

The Lineage collection features architectural inspired elements as well as simplicity inspired by Mission artisans. The Lineage collection has an iron oxide finish and also features Venetian Scavo Glass. This extensive collection includes chandeliers, island lighting, floor lamps, vanity lighting, table lamps, ceiling fans, wall sconces and pendants.

The Belcaro lighting collection features southern Tuscany inspirations with the craftsmanship of Old World materials. Crafted with master carvings and inspirations from the 17th Century Farmhouse Style, the Belcaro collection features details that replicate the work of the Old Masters. This collection features a walnut finish on its ceiling fans and lighting fixtures. Hearst Castle collection fans by Minka Aire also feature the Belcaro Walnut finish.

Other Ceiling Fans with coordinating features include:

The Adare ceiling fan (model number F706-DRB) from Minka-Aire features a Faux pen shell glass housing and shades.

Minka Lavery, Ambiance, and Metropolitan also offer lighting fixtures that feature the pen shell glass.

The Jessica McClintock Home Romantic Breeze fans by Minka Aire also coordinate with many lighting fixtures that are available through Minka Lavery, as well as Ambiance.

The Arles Gold finish is the most popular.

The Minka Group has brought quality, elegant lighting and fan products to the home for the past 25 years. The addition of lighting and ceiling fan collections that have finishes that correlate with one another make a home come together. With trendy innovation such as this, it is no wonder why the Minka Group is said to be the leader in the industry.

Minka Lavery Adds to the Popular Jessica McClintock Collection

2007-10-15T15:01:00-05:00

Minka Lavery Lighting, the decorative lighting line from the well known Minka Group has introduced many new lighting fixtures to the Jessica McClintock lighting collection.

Jessica McClintock, a world renowned fashion designer, entrepreneur and business woman has combined her style of romance and excitement to the lighting world. Jessica McClintock is a self-made woman who has owned and operated her world famous design house in San Francisco for more than thirty years. All of Jessica McClintock's designs have been inspired by the special romantic moments in the lives of people. Jessica's designs have won numerous awards over the years.

The New 2008 Salon Grand Romance Collection

The beautifully hand sculpted, leaf details are the main inspiration behind the Salon Grand family of lighting fixtures. The first is the oversized 55" High x 42.5" Wide Florence Patina chandelier shown here

This delecatly crafted fixture marries a romantic traditional style that compliments many homes across our continent.

For the Home with an oversized foyer looking for a dramatic lantern style pendant the model 1564-477 of the Jessica McClintock Salon Grand Collection will fill the need. This foyer pendant is 48.5" High x 25.5" Wide also in the Florence Patina finish. Many homes are begining to apply lager and more dramatic lighting designs. These designs add lighting function and dramatic design to any space where lighting is needed.

The new additions to the Minka-Lavery Salon Grand collection also include other necessary lighting fixture types like wall sconce lighting, Flush mount lighting and semi-flush mount lighting.

The full Jessica McClintock Salon Grand lighting collection can be used for the whole home from the kitchen to the master bedroom.

What Light Fixtures to use High End Showcase Home

2007-05-04T18:08:00-05:00

Beautiful lighting fixtures are becoming more of a priority in the high end custom home industry. Olsen Custom Homes hired our lighting design team to help select and place all of their lighting fixtures and ceiling fans in their premier showcase home. These custom built showcase homes are what high end custom builders use to show off their best work. We have taken pictures of every room in this home so we can share it with you. The pictures are compliments of the talented graphic designer Dale Roberts

Use Many Types of Kitchen Lighting Fixtures to Create the Perfect Light

This is another picture of the Kitchen Lighting showing all of the different types of light sources we used. We used recessed lighting to create an easy to control general lighting. The decorative island pendant is part of a pen shell series by Metropolitan with matching bar pendants to match. The xenon under cabinet lights are used to off set the shadowing from the light above when performing tasks on the counter top.

Family Room Lighting done Right

In the showcase family room we used four different types of light sources to complete the well lit atmosphere. The Adare ceiling fan by Minka Aire Fans has the same pen shell glass used on the decorative light fixtures in the kitchen lighting. This ceiling fan comes with dimmable up lighting and down lighting to help create different moods. We used recessed fixtures in the elaborate tray ceiling and in the inset walls by the fire place. This combination of all dimmable lighting will give you complete control of the mood in this room.

What Type of Lighting for the Theater?

The wall mounted sconces are of the same pen shell series that were used in the kitchen and family room. The sconces create the perfect home theater mood when dimmed while watching a good movie. We used recessed lighting as the main dimmable ambient lighting source. Step lighting was used so that you can have floor lighting during the movie with out obstructing the integrity of the movie.

Wine Cellar Lighting

Most wine cellars tend to be in smaller darker rooms that are climate controlled. We used a Metropolitan pen shell series pendant with a matching wall sconce. Both the pendant lighting and the wall sconce lighting are dimmable so you can create the intimate wine cellar mood.

How to Complete Your Master Bathroom Lighting

Bathroom lighting is one of the most important rooms to light right in your home to assure that women look beautiful and men shave all the hairs necessary. We used a mini chandelier over the tub from the Minka-Lavery Jessica McClintock lighting series and the matching vanity lights on the mirrors. The Vanity lights use four 100watt bulbs creating enough light to perform any type of grooming. We also used recessed lighting and a table lamp for general ambient light.

Master Bedroom Lighting

In the master bedroom we added the Salon Grand ceiling fan with medallion that matched the master bathroom mini chandelier and vanity lights. Again the recessed lighting was used for general ambient light. The bedside table lamps are great for reading controllable from either side of the bed.

How to Light the Dining Area without Glare?

The main problem with dining room lighting is to much glare from a single chandelier. To solve this problem we use recessed fixtures in the side mantel and wall sconces in the same pen shell series that we used for the chandelier. All of these light sources would be dimmable to create an intimate dining mood.

Why Dark Sky Products Help Find Killer Asteroids

2007-05-02T09:10:00-05:00

We all should know that asteroids are continually traveling through space usually at a rate of twice the speed of a bullet with no certain destination. In the recent past small asteriods have had direct impact with the earth and larger astriods have had near misses. These asteriods are from the size of a pebble to the size of 18 miles in diameter or larger. These asteriods also have different types of density some are hard (identified with their fast rotation speed) and some are porous (identified by their slow rotation speed).

Being able to see and identify these astriods is imperative to understanding how to destroy them if the Earth is in their direct path. Mainly because a direct hit by a large asteriod could devastate our planet as we know it. This is where the International Dark-Sky Association efforts have a great impact on future asteriod threats to our society.

Why Reduce Light Pollution?

This is only one of the reasons why reducing our Light Pollution is so important. Light Pollution makes it more difficult to for NASA scientists to view these asteriods with their powerful telescopes. A sky clear not needed lighting would allow NASA to view the density of these asteriods.

Tests have proven that hard asteriods can be destroyed by a direct hit with the appropriate missile but the more porous asteriods would absorb the blow and continue its path possibly the Earth. Light Pollution affects us more than we know.

How Can You Help Reduce Your Light Pollution?

Lighting manufactures are continually making Dark-Sky rated lighting products to reduce Light Pollution. One of the most Dark-Sky and Energy Star conscious lighting manufactures is the Minka Group Lighting Family. Minka Outdoor Lighting has three Dark Sky compliant families of lighting.

These lighting fixtures can easily replace existing exterior fixtures in minutes to help reduce the over abundance of light pollution. Every little bit we can do to help ensures a better world for our children and our children's children.

Cristina Saralegui signs with Minka Group

2007-02-22T09:12:00-05:00

Agreement with Minka Group for lighting line

Hispanic celebrity Cristina Saralegui signed a licensing agreement to launch the Casa Cristina Lighting Collection with the Minka Group. "The Minka Group is delighted to welcome Cristina to our family," said Minka Group president Kurt Schulzman.

"We currently have a Hearst Castle Collection and a Jessica McClintock Home Collection. We are thrilled to now include Casa Cristina as Cristina is one of the most influential women in our country. We understand the value of her brand and the millions of loyal consumers it represents."

The line is inspired by Cristina's personal style and home decorating tastes. The collection is estimated to contain about 80 different items, including Minka Aire Fans, wall mirrors, decorative chandeliers, table and floor lamps, and bath and wall lighting. The Casa Cristina Lighting Collection debuted in April 2006 at the High Point market, the June 2006 Dallas Lighting Show, and the July 2006 Las Vegas Market. Retailers started to sell the Casa Cristina Lighting Collection in June.

The Minka Group joins other Casa Cristina licensees Pulaski, CBK, Jaunty, Lady Americana and JR United. Cristina Saralegui has been a journalist for thirty years. She was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 2005, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She made her TV debut as executive producer and host of The Cristina Show on Univision. The show has received 12 Emmys and taped over 4,000 shows.

Cristina Saralegui also dedicates time to a variety of social causes. She and her husband Marcos Avila founded the Arriba la Vida/Up with Life Foundation in 1996, a private foundation dedicated to AIDS awareness and education among Hispanics, as well as other AIDS related causes that touch the lives of Hispanics everywhere. In September 2005, she received the Valor Award from GLAAD. She resides in Miami.

Original article