When you’re looking for the right lighting color for your space, whether it’s a soft yellow or a daylight white, it’s important to remember that there are no absolute colors per se. Instead, color is perceived by viewers based on the energy of the light source and other factors such as the position of the light. Scientifically, there is only a small window within the electromagnetic spectrum where humans can perceive visible light. Depending on how quickly a light source emits electromagnetic waves within this range, you can see different colors of the rainbow, with white light being all the wavelengths of the rainbow mixed as one. Moreover, the color you ultimately see is simply a reflection of wavelengths that are not absorbed by matter. For example, a leaf looks green because it absorbs all wavelengths except green, and by reflecting this wavelength back it looks green to you. So what does this all mean for commercial lighting? Rather than just looking for a specific light color such as white or yellow, it’s important to consider how the color of different objects will appear under your light source. Fortunately, the Color Rendering Index (CRI) provides a useful reference. The higher the CRI, the closer colors look as they would when under daylight, whereas a light with a low CRI may alter your perception of the colors of the objects in your space. As you can see, lighting color is not so straightforward, but there are ways to get a good sense of what colors you’ll perceive, such as by looking at CRI. Ideoli’s team is here to help if you’re unsure how to choose a light that will display colors the way you want.
Singapore is not only an impressive city-state full of amazing architecture and food; it’s also a strategic market for Ideoli as we look to expand our presence throughout the world. Recently, our LED lighting products became certified and compliant in Singapore, which will allow us to add our products to commercial spaces throughout the market. As both a commercial hub in Southeast Asia and a global financial powerhouse, getting our products in spaces in Singapore will help us expand throughout Southeast Asia, Australia and beyond. We’re very excited about the potential that Singapore holds, both by increasing our presence throughout the city-state and by serving as an entry point into the broader region. Stay tuned for more details on our expansion in Singapore, along with neighboring markets such as Thailand, Vietnam, and more!
As a global company, our team gets to travel to countries all over the world and experience unique cultures, which often includes sampling local cuisines. Recently, that included traveling to India on business, where we fell in love with all the amazing fragrances and flavors of Indian food. Not only are the tastes unbelievable, but the dishes look amazing too, with so many vibrant colors. From Biryani to Tandoori, and Samosas to Dosa, the list of unique, tasty offerings is huge. To say Indian food is mouthwatering is an understatement. Getting to experience this cuisine in India was an amazing experience, and we look forward to indulging in it more both back home and when we return to India. Next time you get the chance to try Indian cuisine, we highly recommend you dive in and sample multiple dishes so you can get a deeper experience of how incredible this food can be!
Singapore is not only one of the world’s most powerful markets, it’s also one of the most beautiful and inspiring! This vibrant city-state has so much to see and do, with so many iconic buildings and monuments. The Tanjong Pagar Centre is the tallest building in Singapore at 290 meters tall, and there are over 8,500 high-rises in the city-state, mostly located in the downtown core. All of these architectural marvels motivate us to design and create beautiful products and spaces for our clients, and, put simply, sightseeing in Singapore is a lot of fun! If you haven’t been yet, be sure to put Singapore on your must-visit list, and take time to appreciate all the sights around you when you go.
When we decided to host our first reveal show to display our products, we were blown away by the amazing support received from all of our clients, partners and friends that came by to experience the event. We decided to host the reveal show in the city where it all began for ideoli —New York. It’s an awesome city full of energy and creativity, which make it such a great environment to start an innovative company like ideoli. It was also a great environment to unveil some of our new, innovative products, such as our backlit mirrors and adjustable desks, and we got great reactions from a wonderful mix of people who came by to see our offerings. We really appreciate everyone who came out to show their support, it means a lot to us! Missed us this time? Don’t worry, we will be coming to a city near you for more reveal shows. Stay tuned!
To help invigorate more spaces, Ideoli partners with distribution companies who help match our products with clients that benefit from what we have to offer. One of those partners is Susie Hammer, based in sunny San Diego, California. Susie’s company has been a leader in the design and distribution of lighting products for more than a decade, and Susie’s role on the outside sales team is to educate clients and help them find the best materials for their projects. She is passionate about working with clients to design their ideal spaces, starting from the beginning stages of a project’s design. She then bridges the gap between what her clients need and which lighting suppliers can help them achieve that, working with partners like Ideoli along the way. “When dealing with custom lighting suppliers typically what we look for is what materials they are best at working with,” she says. “If our client is looking for a wood fixture or metal fixture, [for example], there’s different manufacturers that specialize in making those.” Ideoli is fortunate to partner with Susie and support her on key lighting projects for her clients. “I’ve really enjoyed seeing [Ideoli’s] passion for the business,” she says. “There hasn’t been a project we’ve brought to them that they really haven’t attacked and have gone the full length to make it happen. They don’t cut corners, they really do it the right way the first time.” In addition to having a keen design eye, Susie and her company know how to balance work and fun, just like Ideoli. “We really have a great team and collaborate together, from the warehouse to accounting. We have a lot of balance,” she says. “We have yoga every week in our office and also enjoy drinking some fine beers in San Diego.” Cheers! We look forward to working on more projects with Susie to help clients get the lighting products they need to make their spaces shine.
We love to take in the local culture whenever possible on our business trips, and recently we got to explore the Yu Garden (Yuyuan) in Shanghai. Located in the Old City, this area includes a beautiful garden and a massive, stimulating bazaar. It’s an absolute must when visiting Shanghai, and we want to share nine recommendations for what to do when you visit: 1. Read About the History: Yu Garden was built in 1559 during the Ming Dynasty. 2. Skip the American Franchises: Do yourself a favor and don’t visit the US franchises. They’re on every corner here, but there are more unique places to try. 3. Eat Soup Dumplings: Such a delicious treat —drink it, then eat it! 4. Buy Souvenirs: Everywhere you look, you’ll see all sorts of interesting souvenirs to purchase. 5. Walk the Pond Bridge: It’s crowded, but it’s a cool experience! 6. Visit the City of God Temple: Whether you’re religious or not, this temple is very interesting. Swing by, show respect and take in the sights. 7. See the Black Market: While we value originality, it’s still interesting to see all the fake products for sale here. 8. Drink Tea: There’s so much great tea for sale here, and it’s good for you too! 9. Try All the Food Stand Stands: Tucked between the franchises like McDonald’s and Burger King are the tastiest food stands. Yu Garden can be a stimulus overload, but with this handy guide, you’ll be able to enjoy this exciting area!
If you know us, you know we love to indulge in local cuisine when traveling for work, and one of the best places to do that is in Singapore. This bustling Southeast Asian city-state has fabulous hawker centers, which are essentially food courts or street markets full of food and drink that incorporate flavors from all over Southeast Asia and India. Our CEO and Co-Founder George Stroumboulis recently had a couple hours to kill after a meeting in Singapore before heading back to the airport, so he checked out the Market Street Hawker Centre, a staple in the center of Singapore’s business district. With over 300 vendors to choose from and so many tasty dishes at affordable prices, you can’t go wrong. George tried a little bit from several vendors to try to get a full sampling of the cuisine, and it was all delicious! Singapore has incredible food markets that display the vibrancy of the country’s cuisine, and we highly recommend you check one out if you find yourself in Singapore.
The amazing city-state of Singapore is not only a financial hub and an important market for ideoli’s business; it’s also a foodie’s paradise! This Southeast Asian island may be small in square footage, but it has some of the best food and drink in the world that invigorate us when we travel there for work. With its history as a trading port and British colony and its many cultural influences such as Chinese, Malay and Indian, Singapore has a unique food scene, and you can get amazing meals at its famous hawker markets where small vendors churn out big flavors. Five of our favorite dishes or drinks to indulge in include: 1. Chili Crab:Calling all seafood lovers! You must try Singaporean chili crab, one of the most famous dishes in the country. This dish usually uses mud crabs stir-fried in a sweet, savory and slightly spicy tomato and chili sauce. 2. Hainanese Chicken Rice: Another one of Singapore’s most famous dishes is Hainanese chicken rice, which comes from immigrants from the Hainan province in China. This dish centers around chicken and rice, where the rice is cooked using some of the stock the chicken was poached in, giving it a delicious flavor. The chicken and rice are then served together with a chili and garlic dipping sauce, as well as usually soy sauce and fresh ginger. 3. Bak Kut Teh: If you’re looking for a hearty meal, dive into a bowl of Bak Kut Teh, which translates to meat bone tea. Although there’s no tea in this dish, you’ll enjoy pork ribs cooked in a complex, herb-infused broth. 4. Kopi O: In addition to food, Singapore has many famous drinks, with Kopi O being one of our favorites. It’s a simple drink—just coffee with sugar—but it’s invigorating, and Singapore has a great coffee culture that you don’t want to miss out on. 5. Bandung: As a company that focuses on design, we appreciate beautiful products, and bandung is one of the prettiest drinks you’ll find in Singapore. This beverage, which is also popular in neighboring countries, consists of either evaporated or condensed milk with rose cordial syrup, giving it a beautiful pink color that’s totally Instagram-worthy. Next time you’re in Singapore, try one of these amazing dishes or drinks, and let us know what you think!
We often take for granted the ease of navigating around major cities using apps like Google Maps, but a recent trip to Shanghai reminded us how much we rely on GPS, and the trip gave us a new appreciation for how well these apps tend to work. In China, however, we recommend avoiding Google Maps and using Apple Maps or Baidu Maps instead. Google Maps has only recently been allowed to operate in China, and we encountered a lot of difficulties trying to get around Shanghai using it. Oftentimes the GPS within Google Maps was completely off, which caused us to be late to some meetings in Shanghai. Luckily our clients were understanding. We hate to keep clients waiting though, so this tardiness is definitely something that we don’t want to repeat in Shanghai or anywhere else. Next time, we’re in China, we definitely plan on using Apple Maps or Baidu Maps from the get go. If you find yourself there, we suggest you do the same!
Normally when we travel, we like to get a taste of the local culture. But when Ideoli’s CEO and Co-Founder George Stroumboulis came across China’s first Tim Horton’s coffee shop, he couldn’t resist trying it. As a Canadian citizen himself, George has a soft spot for Tims; if you have ever been to Canada and know anything about coffee and donuts, you’ll know that Tim Horton’s is an institution in the Great North. With more than 4,800 locations in Canada and around the globe, Tim Horton’s is makingits mark on the world, and by the looks of it, that now includes China! Their first store in China, located in Shanghai, is a beautifully designed space meant to elevate the experience of visiting Canada’s favorite coffee shop. The store’s entrance includes a hockey-stick shaped door handle in homage to Canada’s culture, and the interior includes a space that highlights red plaid maple leaf artwork. Next time you are in Shanghai, you have toexperience this transported slice of Canada for yourself!
The beautiful country of Mexico has been an important manufacturing market for Ideoli, and we’re thrilled to now expand our footprint in the country and broader region on the client side. Recently, our team traveled to Mexico to meet with key developers there in retail and commercial spaces, where we’re planning to invigorate spaces with some of our high-tech LED lighting fixtures. In addition to putting our products in more spaces in Mexico, we see a strong opportunity to expand our distribution throughout Latin America. “Mexico is the gateway” to Latin America, says George Stroumboulis, Ideoli’s CEO and Co-Founder. Growing our presence in Mexico, he says, will help us get our foot in the door in the region so we can expand even more. Ideoli is motivated to take its business to the next level and establish a larger footprint throughout Latin America.