Topic: Building new house

[ardy]

Hi All - we are in the process of building a new house and I want to incorporate displays of glass and ideas for using my lamps as lighting alternative.

I want to build cabinets that go through the walls for light to display and I have seen (in American movies) using the light switch to turn all the lamps in a room on (as opposed to turning each one on).

Anyone done this or have any ideas?

Mods this may have to move to general or something.

[langhaugh]

Hi Ardy,

It sounds like a very exciting project, much better than trying to retrofit for a glass display.

You're right about North America having outlets into which lamps are plugged being controlled by a wall switch. It should be a relatively easy thing to do, just have the outlet boxes in one room that will have lamps plugged into them on one circuit and controlled by a wall switch. In Canada, the outlets are have two plugins per wall receptacle. Standard procedure is for one to be on the lamp circuit and the other on a separate circuit. Reduces the chances of overloading the circuit, I presume.

The one problem with see through cabinets is that you don't see the in the display clearly, as you see through to the other room and what's in it. It also makes it a little more difficult to light the display as you have to go with either lighting from above or install track lighting. What appealed to me, and what's I'm planning to do, is to take out the wallboard behind a display and install slim fluorescent tubes behind sheets of opaque plastic.  You could build custom shelving for the glass or use an existing display case. Modernist glass in NZ show something like this for a home display and it's very effective.

Good luck. Sounds like great fun.

David

[ardy]

Thanks David - the wall display sounds a bit like the old slide boxes with flouro's under them. That would work well as long as I plan how to get to the lamps.

[langhaugh]

I've looked into what supplies i would need, and everything is available, either at a local building supply store (wiring, ballasts, tubes, framing wood) or plastic store ( the diffusing plastic covers). Fluorescent tubes now come in much slimmer sizes and produce light more like daylight. 

Whatever way you go, good luck, and I hope you post photos.

David

[Ivo]

I can recommend wireless switches, at least they are modular and plug into existing sockets so no need for dedicated wiring - they also don't cost anything.

[rosieposie]

I understand Ross (ahremck)  is building a house with a room dedicated to displaying his glass, so it might be worth you contacting him to see if he has got any ideas to incorporate as the building progresses.

http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,50809.msg287733.html#msg287733

[ardy]

I understand Ross (ahremck)  is building a house with a room dedicated to displaying his glass, so it might be worth you contacting him to see if he has got any ideas to incorporate as the building progresses.

http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,50809.msg287733.html#msg287733

Thanks Rosie I sent Ross a mail. Sounds interesting...