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.

Energy Savings with Outdoor Lighting

2007-05-31T10:22:00-05:00

Most residential homes have some sort of outdoor lighting fixtures around the exterior of their home. Whether you are using decorative outdoor fixtures or industrial light fixtures for security you can still save energy by using Energy Star rated fixtures. The main problem that consumers have with the Energy Star rated light fixtures are their inability to dim the light and the bluish glary light out put. These myths have really become a thing of the past.

Compact Fluorescent Lamps or CFLs are now being offered with dimmable ballasts and the CFLs of today are offered with warmer lumen output tones. Either way when you are thinking about outdoor lighting dimming is usually not an issue nor is a bluish tone. When choosing outdoor lighting Energy Star fixtures should be a must.

What Lighting Brands Make Outdoor Lighting Fixtures?

There are more and more lighting manufactures jumping on the Energy Star rated lighting band wagon. They are producing whole outdoor lighting series with wall mount fixtures, post mounts and chain hung all in the same family and finish. Lithonia lighting has won the American Lighting Association Lighting for Tomorrow award on all three of their outdoor lighting fixture families. Minka Lavery Outdoor lighting has twenty-three Energy Star rated outdoor lighting families that correlate with similar families that are in their indoor lighting line.

How Much Money Can I Save with Energy Star Outdoor Lighting?

Energy Star rated outdoor fixtures help reduce energy consumption which helps reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions that are readily destroying our Earth's Ozone layer. The depletion of our Ozone layer has created a warming trend that will continue to melt polar ice caps that will raise ocean waters and eliminate beach side living. As well as the ecological concerns you can save a good amount on your energy costs and on having to buy and re-lamp light bulbs.

Below is an example of how much you can save with Energy Star rated outdoor lighting fixtures. For this example we will imagine two separate homes that are the same size. One home will use the 9 non-Energy Star rated incandescent outdoor fixtures from the Minka-Outdoor Ardmore family and one home will use 9 Energy-Star rated CFL outdoor fixtures from the Minka Outdoor Ardmore lighting family.

Minka Outdoor Non-Energy Star Rated lighting package

(1) Outdoor Lighting Chain Hung Pendant (5x60watts) 8994-61
(2) Large Main Entry Wall-Mount (5x60watts) 8993-61
(2) Large Post Mount (3x60watts) 8996-61
(3) Medium Wall Mount Garage (1x100watts) 8990-61
(1) Small Wall Mount Side Entry (1x100watts) 8997-61

Total fixture package cost = $ 2,806.80 with free shipping

Total lumen output = 1660 watts

Average annual usage utilizing timers and photo cells = 1500 hours

Average Energy cost calculated at $.08 per kilowatt hour $ 199.20

Incandescent Lamp Life = 1500 hrs, total lamps = 25 & lamp cost = $ 1.50

Lamp Replacement cost = $ 37.50 per year

7 year energy cost, re-lamp cost = $ 1,656.90 (does not included labor to change lamps or gas used to drive to the store to buy lamps)

Total cost after 7 years = 4,436.70

Minka Outdoor Energy Star Rated lighting package

(1) Outdoor Lighing Chain Hung Pendant (26watts) 8994-61-PL
(2) Large Main Entry Wall-Mount (26watts) 8993-61-PL
(2) Large Post Mount (26watts) 8996-61-PL
(3) Medium Wall Mount Garage (13watts) 8990-61-PL
(1) Small Wall Mount Side Entry (13watts) 8997-61

Total fixture package cost = $ 3,143.30 with free shipping

Total lumen output = 182 watts

Average annual usage utilizing timers and photo cells = 1500 hours

Average Energy cost calculated at $.08 per kilowatt-hour $ 21.84

Compact Fluorescent Lamp Life = 10000 hrs

Lamp Replacement cost = $ 0.00 per year

7 year energy cost, re-lamp cost = $ 152.88 (does included labor to change lamps or gas used to drive to the store to buy lamps)

Total cost after 7 years = 3,296.18

Total Cost savings when using Energy Star rated outdoor lighting package after 7 years

Total Savings = $ 1,140.52 and you get to sleep better knowing that you are helping to save our ever so precious Earth

Read more articles about Energy Star Rated Lighting