CENTERLIGHT BLOG

Centerlight' [FTC Series](https://centerlight.com/linear/ftc-series) provides an economical option to the RTS Series. Our Linear Line consists of the RTS linear light, XTR linear light, and the Quattro linear light, and now starting in 2022, the FTC Series. FTC comes with the same mounting options as the RTS and XTR; suspended, recessed, or surface mounted. Suspended options as well for and T grid or T bar Ceilings. This is a price friendly comparison to the RTS Series, but still has the same high CRI of 91+. Comes with a lumen output of 3000 lumens per fixture. This energy-efficient LED ceiling light fixture comes in a length of 48 inches, aluminum framing, and the option of a black or white finish. This high quality LED lighting is a most excellent and cost effective alternative in both commercial and residential spaces. The FTC can connect on a 120-277 VAC, which is great for running a linear path in modern dining halls, conference rooms, and workspaces. With color temperature options of 3000k, 3500k, 4000k, the FTC Series keeps more money in your pocket while providing a very high quality lighting. Just like all of Centerlight's Linear Fixture lineup, the FTC comes with an optional 0-10v dimming.

The [LIT Design Awards](https://www.instagram.com/litdesignawards/) is an international competition for lighting and industrial lighting designers. This year, three of Centerlight’s project’s won the LIT Lighting Design Awards: MAGfinity Track Lighting, Zen Garden Lighting, and Creative Office Lighting. With products like our magnetic track lighting MAGfinity, we seek out modern technologies and combine them with a sleek appearance. Giving an upscale impression for any residential and commerical environment. Our high-end custom linear lighting projects are designed to meet any clients needs. Going above and beyond what is possible to provide the absolute best. LIT is quoted as saying "We believe that lighting is both an art and a science, and it is one of the most important elements of design. The LIT Awards was envisioned to celebrate creativity and innovation in the fields of lighting products and applications." Centerlight puts these words into action with fancy lighting in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles. We have been committed to our principles for top-notch designs. Unmatched quality. Numerous wins at the most prestigious international awards across the U.S. & Europe. In-house production, best prices, all products are in stock.

Centerlight continues its streak at the Muse Design Awards with ['Creative Office Space' rewarded the silver](https://design.museaward.com/winner-info.php?id=4699) in the category of Retail & Commercial (Interior Lighting). This is a great accomplishment for Centerlight and the high-end custom projects that we provide. ‘Lighting matters, because it is one of the most important aspects in designer LED lights. Affecting the mood, emotion and feel, a single source of illumination can help enhance and elevate beautiful designs to a whole new level.’ - Muse Design Awards The custom project completed for dots SPACE in Beverly Hills, California required an approach that was as ingenious at the contemporary co-working space itself. Here, a combination of recessed, partly-recessed, and surface-mounted High-end LED linear lights came together in perfect harmony to create a fancy finished product that is bold enough to make a statement but subtle enough to never detract from the office’s collaborative atmosphere. To keep the look of the Beverly Hills upscale space fresh and cutting-edge, we gave each section its own individual premium LED lighting style. In the common room we placed partly-recessed high-end LED linear lights in a seemingly random pattern, which added premium visual impact to the open workspace. The individual offices, conference room, and kitchen area featured custom premium LED linear lights in a more uniform layout. But it’s the hallway’s surface mounted LED RGBW rectangles that add drama and elegance to this vibrant project.

A huge honor for Centerlight with it’s creation of the project ‘Ambient Lighting For Small Spaces.’ As the [Muse Design Awards](https://museaward.com/) nods approval with awarding Centerlight a Gold in the category of ‘Ambient Lighting.’ As well as a Silver in ‘Mood Lighting.’ The Muse Design Award goes on to say “They remain ahead of the curve, setting examples before norms are formed.” There’s nothing impressive or exciting about the pre-installed custom lighting that comes standard in new constructions. Bulky chandeliers or cheap can lighting can make your interiors look dated, no matter how stylish the décor is within your living spaces. To create the designer-inspired premium look you’ve been dreaming of, consider introducing custom high-end LED lighting fixtures into your favorite areas. In this small yet impactful space, our affluent client located in upscale Beverly Hills, wanted white premium LED lighting that could instantly transform into color RGB lighting at the touch of a button. To turn this idea into a colorful reality, we used chameleon platinum LED lighting strips. An ideal option for any fancy residential space in need of an upgrade, they offer high lumen/ft output, controllable RGB color options, and low power consumption. Striking and stylish, these custom LEDs will make even your smallest upscale spaces merely unforgettable.

Magfinity shined bright being showcased at the world’s best design competition at the [A’Design Awards](https://competition.adesignaward.com/)! Competing against the most prestigious lighting designs in the category ‘A’ Lighting Products and Projects Design Award 2021.’ Winning silver in such a premium design competition is an overwhelming victory for Magfinity. With the customization of the high-end LED magnetic track lighting, this award only adds to the upscale quality for it’s affluent clients. The A’Design Award and Competition is the worlds’ largest international design competition awarding best designs, design concepts and products. It is the most prestigious, high-end and influential design accolade, the highest achievement in design. It was only meant for Magfinity to take it’s high-end LED magnetic track lighting system to recognize and showcase against the best in the world. And it did not disappoint! MAGfinity’s designer LED track lights are all designed to perform and to impress. The fixtures within the LED track lighting can easily be detached and reattached with no tools needed, and their minimal design complements various décor themes. MAGfinity designer LED lights are available in various sizes and can be exchanged and repositioned quickly, without tools, with artistic results. MAGfinity’s magnetic track lighting provides multiple mounting options to suit any specific needs, making it possible to install designer LED lights in any space.

The Muse Design Awards grants Centerlight with another gold award with its ‘Seamless Outdoor LED Lighting.’ Located in Beverly Hills, the Seamless Outdoor LED Lighting uses the high-end custom LED base that is the perfect choice for recessed outdoor lighting. This is due to its premium capacity for upscale customization in outdoor recessed linear LED lighting and high LED output capability. Using customized LED lighting, Centerlight created a long, continuous run of pure and clean illumination, which was built by using 100 yards of LED linear fixtures. Centerlight’s transformative modern outdoor recessed linear LED lighting can change the illumination to eye-catching scenes to set the residential atmosphere for any night life the affluent client seeks. Capable of adding the ability to create any atmosphere through simple programming of the control system. Centerlight’s premium upscale lighting technology for this custom project is manufactured to be weatherproof. To withstand dirt, rain, or snow the outdoors has to offer. The type of customization done with this project in Beverly Hills has broadened the scope of what Centerlight can do for premium outdoor recessed linear LED lighting.

The Muse Design Awards has awarded Centerlight Inc the gold for 2021 with its custom LED linear lighting of ‘Ultramodern Linear Showroom’ for Inscape Corp. Which is the latest premium high-end custom LED project Centerlight produced, located in Chicago. "We want to see the best lighting implementers in the world, from a stylish set of lamps that can help to lighten the room, to the finest chandeliers that shimmers under the morning light. We believe that intuition, creative instincts and innovative designs are what makes lighting so powerful as a design." - Muse Design Awards in regards to this years awards! [View the award winning project at Muse Design Awards by clicking here! ](https://design.museaward.com/winner-info.php?id=4698) Centerlight used its custom NS.3535 linear fixtures to provide a premium bold linear lighting that would make the space within the upscale Chicago office stand apart. The project required a high-end linear layout to be suspended above the entirety of the showroom. Awarding Centerlight this prestigious Muse Design Award is a great honor. A lot of hard work and detail has gone into the high-end premium custom LED linear lighting. A lot of man hours and focus goes into the premium customization of creative projects like the one for our affluent clients at Inscape Corp. The team at centerlight considers it a privilege to achieve such a fancy award in such a competitive market. [View Ultramodern Linear Showroom Lighting by clicking here! ](https://centerlight.com/projects/ultramodern-linear-showroom-lighting)

Zen Garden takes home the gold at the Muse Lighting Design Awards. One of the most prestigious awards to be given out for a lighting design, has been given to one of the finer custom LED lighting designs, if not the finest custom project thus far completed by Centerlight. The Zen Garden featured distinct Asian influence and was adjacent to a poker room used for entertaining in a multi-million dollar residence in Beverly Hills. Ultimately, the goal was to add a creative custom LED lighting to the already breathtaking high-end architecture present within the exterior landscaping. This shows in the upscale and high-end work Centerlight does with multi-million dollar residences in the Beverly Hills. [View the award winning project at Muse Design Awards by clicking here! ](https://design.museaward.com/winner-info.php?id=4703) Although this upscale project required an immense amount of vision and effort, our team was able to complete it in a short amount of time and bring this affluent customer's incredible concept to life. This project required a relatively small but premium LED custom lighting, using RGB colors that would emit an appropriate amount of high-end light for moderately-sized interior/exterior areas. We also needed high-end designer LED lights that would complement the bold wooden structures that surrounded the garden’s breathtaking statue, located in Bevery Hills, CA. To illuminate this exterior living space, Centerlight developed a special high-end LED tape called DreamLED shell series. This premium LED tape is covered in a silicon casing so that it can withstand weather conditions. All of the premium LED fixtures used in the project consist of an array of RGB colors, that’s ultimately why we chose VS.6332 custom LED lighting base for this linear fixture. [View Zen Garden Lighting Project by clicking here! ](https://centerlight.com/projects/zen-garden-lighting-for-private-house)

Bringing home a platinum and two gold awards, MAGfinity has been nominated and now awarded the ‘[Lighting Design Of The Year’ for 2021](https://design.museaward.com/winner.php) for it’s high-class magnetic track lights. ‘Lighting matters, because it is one of the most important aspects in designer LED lights. Affecting the mood, emotion and feel, a single source of illumination can help enhance and elevate beautiful designs to a whole new level.’ - [Muse Design Awards](https://museaward.com/) MAGfinity put its magnetic track lighting on showcase, which competed and won in multiple lighting categories including: [LED Track Lighting](https://design.museaward.com/winner-info.php?id=4696) - Muse Platinum Award Winner [Designer / Custom LED Lighting](https://design.museaward.com/winner-info.php?id=4695) - Muse Gold Award Winner [Retail & Commercial (Interior Lighting)](https://design.museaward.com/winner-info.php?id=4697) - Muse Gold Award Winner MAGfinity’s designer LED track lights are all designed to perform and to impress. The fixtures within the LED track lighting can easily be detached and reattached with no tools needed, and their minimal design complements various décor themes. MAGfinity designer LED lights are available in various sizes and can be exchanged and repositioned quickly, without tools, with artistic results. MAGfinity’s magnetic track lighting provides multiple mounting options to suit any specific needs, making it possible to install designer LED lights in any space. MAGfinity is humbled, and grateful to the Muse Design Awards for such high-class awards given in an extremely competitive category. We strive for excellence in every aspect of our lighting, and nothing shows this more than our Magnetic LED Track Lighting - MAGfinity.

When browsing for new commercial lighting, you may stumble across expressions like Architectural lighting and Up and downlights, and you may ask yourself. ## What is uplight and downlight? These two terms are quite simple in their application. Both terms explain the direction that the majority of the light spread is cast. For instance, uplight is light cast from a fixture that goes up to the ceiling, and downlight is light that spreads downward to the floor. The fixture type will determine whether it creates more of one or the other or an equal amount of both. An example of a fixture that only gives downlight is the RTS linear light series and the Custom linear light series. An example of primarily uplight fixtures can be found in wall sconces where the fixture's bottom is enclosed to avoid letting light escape. Of course, many fixtures, such as certain wall sconces and most recessed troffer units, will give a little bit of both directional light flows. But great examples of up and downlight fixtures are the XTR linear light series and the Quattro linear light series. ## Why does it matter? The matter of downlight and uplight does matter in any space. It should also be noted that each type is better for different reasons. For instance, downlight is ideal for task lighting such as over a workspace, desk, or in the kitchen. Downlight is also great for lighting intended for safety and security purposes such as exterior lighting for doors and walkways. In contrast, uplight is ideal for accent lighting such as wall sconces in hallways or bathrooms, as well as to highlight specific areas of interest in the space. In regards to an architectural up and down pendant light such as the XTR linear light series, it not only highlights a beautiful ceiling, it opens up the space. A great way to use these two lighting aspects to your advantage is to create layered light. At Centerlight, we believe that every room should have a mix of both uplight and downlight to create a balanced effect throughout the space. Even commercial areas and rooms should have accent lighting (uplight or a mix of both), task lighting (downlight), and general lighting (usually downlight or a mix of both) to create a layered effect. This is because it makes the lighting easier on the eyes and creates a welcoming ambiance and a pleasing appearance. When understanding the meaning behind uplight and downlight, as well as when and how to use them, it is actually a simple concept. We hope that this helped inform your decision and help you create a beautiful, well-it area with ease and confidence!

As you know, Different types of LED linear fixtures that Centerlight offers have different installation process. And regardless of the installer’s experience, it is imperative to read instructions before the installation, especially when the installer work with Centerlight LED linear fixtures for the first time. We have been experiencing some technical difficulties with overconfident installers that completely ignore some, if not ALL, of the installation steps. Mainly in large projects. On one of the projects with Centerlight recessed lights, the installer completely ignored a simple installation step and did not clean the surface of the internal part of the liner fixture before the LED strip attachment. The internal surface part was covered with construction dust, and the adhesive side of the LED strip did not adhere sufficiently. Over a short period, it led to the detachment of the entire LED strip. Instead of contacting Centerlight for technical support, the installer decided to apply a random glue on the LED strip’s adhesive side to reattach it. The glue mixed with construction dust did not hold the strip as well. The installer then decided to purchase a new LED strip without discussing the issue with the Centerlight team. Again, without adequately cleaning leftovers of the dried glue and construction dust, the new LED did not hold and detached over a short period of time after their installer had finished construction. This understandably became an issue for our client, and only then were we informed. After inspecting the light, our installer determined what caused the problem. Centerlight’s installer fixed the problem; however, the client was already frustrated at this time. Centerlight wants to provide an excellent experience from beginning to end, so we encourage you to instruct your installer to follow all installation steps and contact our technical support for any questions. Conclusion: there is nothing complicated in the installation process, but merely reading instruction can save time and money for the client. All pre-installation steps mustn’t be ignored; otherwise, a straightforward missing step can lead to significant damage. If you are currently struggling with one of the installation processes, please do not hesitate and contact a Centerlight Inc. representative directly and clearly explain the situation.

If you are familiar with lighting, you know CRI. If you are shopping for lights for the first time, we recommend familiarizing yourself with it to purchase a product that suits your needs. Color Rendering Index is one of those things that once you learn about it, you can notice the difference right away, and you will notice it used everywhere to highlight, attract, and present, for example, merchandise, product, or art in an accurate light. What we mean by accurate is; that it can compare to sunlight in terms of showing the full spectrum of color. Researchers use daylight as the benchmark to which to compare the color rendering of electric lights. In 1948, daylight was described as the ideal source of illumination for good color rendering because it (daylight) displays (1) a great variety of colors, (2) makes it easy to distinguish slight shades of color, and (3) the colors of objects around us obviously look natural. CRI is the most useful measure of a light source’s color characteristics. Generally speaking, CRI measures a light source’s ability to show accurate and natural object colors compared to a familiar reference source, such as incandescent light or daylight. CRI is also used to manipulate and enhance, for example in a grocery store; the light used above the meat counter will make the meat look red and fresh. It will be a different light then the light over the produce, which will enhance the variety of colors, making the spinach look extra green and carrots extra orange. The maximum value of CRI is 100. Lower CRI values indicate that some colors may appear unnatural when illuminated by the light source. Keeping that in mind, Centerlight’s RTS linear light series, XTR linear light series, and the Quattro series all have a CRI above 95. Different types of day white fluorescent light fixtures have CRI ranged from 62 to 80. The LED light fixtures have CRI ranged from 80 to 97, and they are STILL more energy efficient. Most manufacturers prefer to use the basic type of LED, which is about 80 to 85 CRI. As most current LED fixtures are installed as a replacement for old fluorescent lighting, the only difference is efficiency. LED lighting consumes much less energy than fluorescent; however, the light quality stays the same. Centerlight Inc. cares about the customers and only offers advanced, high CRI LED linear fixtures such as the Quattro and the XTR up and down linear light and our Custom linear light series. High end and stylish extrusions with a powerful and impressive light output. Under the light of any Centerlight linear fixtures, any color appears realistically and naturally. Centerlight Inc. offers high CRI LED tape in linear fixtures and for ambient lighting. LED tape DREAMLED series such as Platinum, Platinum X2, and Chameleon Platinum are 94 CRI and Gold, Gold X2, Basic X2- 2700K, and Chameleon Gold are 97 CRI.