What is Melissa Foley's Favourite Design Trend for 2011?

 LED Lighting

"One of the growing trends in kitchen design today is LED lighting," says Monarch designer Melissa Foley. "LED lights are about 10 times as energy efficient as incandescent bulbs with the same light output. This means high efficiency, low energy use and less maintenance for the homeowner.

Photo courtesy of Richelieu Hardware

"LED lights also last approximately 100 times longer than incandescent bulbs and 10 times longer than a fluorescent tube.

"In the past, the downside to LED lighting was that the colour temperature was more similar to a fluorescent light, and they did not give off the warm lighting tones of an incandescent," Melissa explains. "However, as technology advances, more and more suppliers are catering to the design world and finding ways to create LEDs with a warmer colour temperature.

"At Monarch, we have installed LED lighting in many of our clients' homes and they couldn't be happier! We have a variety of lighting options available and can help you decide which works best for you and your space."