Style Illuminated

It may look like a scene from the classic video game Space Invaders, but it's really a mini laser star projector.

What appears in the photo to be the little aliens from the arcade game is really a matrix of more than five hundred red and green star dots. The projector also does single red or green twinkling stars.

Laser star projector units like this used to run into the hundreds of dollars, but this guy sells for a mere $99. 

It's a great accent for restaurants, theatrical events and party settings. Rave on!

Take a look for yourself: the Holographic Laser Star Projector.

Post update 9-7-11: This little guy is out of stock and all sold out! However, you can check our selection of party lights for other LED light projectors.

A recent Traditional Home magazine feature has a slideshow from their Hampton home designer showcase. Check out the feature, it has some wonderful room designs in it.

A hallway in the home features a vintage console table with reproduction Italian design table lamps on either end.

It's a sculptural, gracious look, rich in textures and forms. The lamps, with their undulating line and black metal surfaces, add a beautiful touch.

This Jamie Young table lamp design has the same luxe look, but for less than half the price!

It has an artisan cast metal base in black and a very similar profile. It's true that the Jamie Young lamp has a different color shade, but I think it's a pretty close match. What do you think? Take a look close up: Jamie Young Mulholland Black Cast Table Lamp.

Want more Jamie Young designs? Browse all Jamie Young table lamps and lighting.

Image thanks to Traditional Home Magazine. 

Something we hear all the time: "My new mini pendant lighting doesn't look right...help!"

There are two common mistakes behind this cry for assistance.

For starters, mini pendants should be mounted so that the bottom of the glass or shade is approximately 66-65 inches above the floor. This height allows you to look across a room below the pendants, but still have the pendants be a dramatic focal point.

The second mistake is that a lot of folks don't use enough pendant lights to fill a space. A good rule of thumb is to use one mini pendant for every two feet of counter space. You can always use more if the mini pendant is super slim or narrow.

And no matter whether you have contemporary mini pendant lights or more traditional mini pendants, an odd number usually creates a more pleasing and balanced visual look.

If you're shopping for pendants, give these tips a try and you won't go wrong!

A'Homestead Shoppe are renowned for their handcrafted lamp shade designs.

Located in the tiny burg of LaPaz, Indiana, 40 miles south of South Bend, they've been creating beautiful shades for over 35 years. We've just added a bunch of their new clip-on and spider shades. Here are some of our favorites, or click to view them all!

Above is an eye-catching red toile clip-on shade. The clip shades are sold in sets of 6 and are perfect for giving a chandelier a new look.

Another colorful look is this cotton fabric multicolor floral shade.

How about a little (maybe a lot!) of paisley? Tide Pool Paisley Shade.

Or maybe plaid? Burgundy Tan Plaid Lamp Shade.

Finally, here's a drum shade with a charming Parisian scene. Paris Scenery Drum Lamp Shade.

For other styles, browse our complete lamp shade collection.

As a special treat for the Labor Day weekend, we're running a sale offer on our Set of 4 Solar LED Landscape Lights.

Get 'em now for a mere $24.95, half-off the regular price. There's no wiring needed or electricity used. Just install them in your garden or along walkways and let solar power do the rest.

Each light has an automatic dusk-to-dawn, on-off feature, and the LEDs will last for years to come without needing to be replaced.

Want another style? Browse our complete line of solar powered landscape lights for a look that's right for you.

Pricing ends Labor Day, Monday, September 6th, and availability is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Happy Labor Day!

OK, I suppose this isn't really a color so much as a design trend. However, you can use it like an accent color, and it's a fun look, so I think it's worth bending the rules a little bit! 

So...what is it? The French term "faux bois" literally means "false wood", and refers to the technique of imitating wood grain and tree branches in home decor items.

The shade shown above, from Lights Up! and called (appropriately enough) the Faux Bois lamp shade, is a great example of the technique.

This cast stone birdbath demonstrates how even stone can be formed and textured in the faux bois style to look like wood.

Another example is this magazine holder with faux bois veneer.

Faux bois is also used as an accent for lighting products, such as the Mission style table lamp with faux wood base see above. Mica Shade Mission Table Lamp.

Whether used in a lifelike way (like the birdbath) or highly stylized (i.e, the lamp shade), the faux bois wood look is a wonderful way to color your home decor!

College football is in swing, the NFL season just started, so football is back! And with football comes tailgating, of course. Here are a couple of cool LED lights that will come in handy as you fire up the grill and gather with friends and family at your next tailgate party.

Anything battery powered is a natural for tailgating. The battery operated Gooseneck BBQ Light above has bright LEDs and a built-in timer. Click the link for more B.B.Q. Lights.

Same goes for portable lanterns. This one from GE has bright LEDs and can be powered three different ways: with an AC adapter, with a DC adapter, or with a built-in hand crank. Dynabeam LED Lantern.  

Another battery-powered LED light design, this mini task light clips into position and can light up food and drink tables. Silver 4-LED Clip-On Task Light.  

And finally, if you're packing an umbrella, this LED umbrella light has a solar panel that charges the unit by day. It will run up to 8 hours on a full charge.

Read more posts about LED lighting.

A couple of weeks ago we showcased antlers and horns in our Three for Thursday feature. 

Here's another call of the wild for you: lighting and decor with zebra stripes! The zebra stripe was wildly fashiopnable in the early 1960s, and has been a popular pattern for furniture and fashion for decades.

From the National Geographic lighting collection, the African Zebra Table Lamp shows off a wonderful zebra-striped base. A natural-fiber-looking shade sits on top.

Zebra pillows offer a classic accent for chairs and sofas. Zebra Stripes Set of 2 Pillows.

Pull it all together with this set of three Zebra Striped Vases. These look great together in a group or used throughout a space as a room accent. 

The October 2010 issue of Better Homes & Gardens currently on the newstands has a tips page abount drum shade pendant chandeliers. The featured product is one of our customizable white swag chandeliers (see above).

The article has a couple of good tips. Look for the issue on newstands now.

You can view the swag and the pattern in our LAMPS PLUS Design Your Own Custom Lighting tool.

And, if you like the green custom color Better Homes & Gardens came up with, I recreated it in the DYO tool (see above). I think I got pretty close, what do you think?

Magazine images thanks to Better Homes & Gardens.

Spotted on Oprah.com, this contemporary house in New Jersey is home to a family of four. I love how clean and sparse it is, but I think I have too much stuff to live like this!

Highlights include the the wood slab dining room table under a contemporary crystal fixture (up top) and the bath space with a frameless vanity mirror (see below). 

Take the tour here. Photos thanks to Oprah.com.