The chandelier used to mark your arrival. Clad in crystal, it met you in the foyer of a well-appointed home, then dazzled you from a power position over the dining room table.

Rarely did you find a chandelier in a starter home. To see them illuminating any room other than one used for entry or dining, more unusual still.

My, how times have changed!

Today chandeliers rate as a brilliant idea just about anywhere — from modest homes to magnificent mansions, contemporary digs to traditional houses. They dangle decorously in almost every room of the house.

Credit our bigger-is-better building boom. Taller ceilings and increased volume in today’s homes means chandeliers are less likely to crowd a room.

“Nine-and-10-foot ceilings almost demand something hanging to fill the space,” says Joe Rey-Barreau, educational consultant for the American Lighting Association (ALA) and assistant professor of interior design at the University of Kentucky. The ALA is a non-profit organization of leading manufacturers, retail lighting showrooms and sales representatives in the U.S. and Canada dedicated to expanding public knowledge about lighting.

Colorful chandeliers create drama in the kitchen. Mini ones provide elegance to powder rooms. Even walk-in closets go upscale when lit with a small chandelier.

“Beyond laundry rooms and garages, any room is an open target for hanging a chandelier,” adds Rey-Barreau. “More commonly, kitchens and bathrooms have become the popular locations for chandeliers.”

Chandeliers add twinkle to a boudier. “People are treating their bedroom suites as more luxurious personal spaces with elaborate bathroom areas, so it is not unreasonable to consider chandeliers there, either,” says Dan Blitzer, Director of Education for the ALA..

A large amount of the calls we go out on are for lighting fixture replacement/changes.  A lot of the customers say “I usually do this myself,” but I don’t have time to take care of this right now.  Another common quote we hear is “We have been working on this all weekend, and can’t get it to work.”  Last but not least, a favorite quote of mine that I hear is “I am so tired of this outdated looking lighting that exists in my home.  Can you please bring it up to date?”  Usually this is where I chuckle and say “Twitter, Google Plus.

A flood can happen at anytime in your house. It doesn’t always have to come from a river or creek that has burst over it’s bed and turned your neighborhood into a watery community. Heavy rains can be an issue, but if you live near a water source, you are prepared for such eventualities. What you can’t always prepare for are things like burst pipes and water heaters that have failed. If you are not home when either scenario happens, you could walk into a huge disaster. Your first call may be to a water damage specialist and your insurance company, but you also need to call an electrician in Beverly Hills. We all know water and electricity don’t mix! You can rely on the team at The Electric Connection to help you get your home back in order so you can get on with life after a flood, whether it is minor or a big one.

If your home has experienced any kind of water damage, it is crucial to your safety and the overall safety of the home that you have the electrical wiring inspected by an electrician. Beverly Hills homeowners can have water damage happen for a variety of reasons. If your home has been flooded with more than a foot of water and the water has been allowed to soak for more than a few hours, you are probably looking at replacing the wiring in the house. If it was a minor flood with the water only rising a few inches, you will still want to have an electrical inspection to ensure all of the wiring is still in good shape.

When you hear you need to replace wiring, it can be a jaw-dropper. However, keep in mind, the walls will likely need to be torn down and new sheetrock put in due to the water damage. This makes it much easier for your Beverly Hills electrician to complete a rewire and it will be much faster. It is far too risky to assume the wiring was untouched after a flood. Call The Electric Connection today if you need an electrical inspection.

This is the final post in our four-part series, "The Secret Guide for Super Moms” — tips, tricks and hacks for busy moms who need to know everything that’s happening in their house.

If you believe Pinterest, every home repair or improvement project can be a do-it-yourself job. Apparently, if every blog is to be believed, moms and dads around the country are remodeling bathrooms, rebuilding old houses and refurbishing vintage furniture -- and they do it all the time! And they look great doing it! And they have plenty of time to take lots of photos!

Maybe some people really are able to do it all (and write about it, too). Most of us are too busy and simply don’t have the training to do more than the basics around the house. When it comes to potentially dangerous repairs, a super mom knows that she needs a professional. When the time comes to fix, rewire or repair her home’s electrical needs, she knows she needs an electrician.

Electrical wiring is complicated and can be dangerous -- and it's tough to spot signs you need an electrician. An amateur electrical job may cause poor wire connections, overloaded circuits or faulty grounding. These situations are hazardous to you, your family and your property. While it may be tempting to try saving money by doing it yourself, or trusting your spouse or a friend to help, you're better off spending the money to have the job done right.

Let's take a fairly common scenario: your fuses keep blowing, or your circuit breakers keep tripping. Yes, you can keep replacing the fuses, but do you know whether they're the right type? Screwing in a 20- or 30-amp fuse as a replacement for a 15 is tempting—no electricians needed, right?—but now you've created a fire hazard by overloading your wiring. The smarter move: call a professional, certified electrician to wire a new circuit.

Like fuses, circuit breakers are meant to prevent circuit overload and the risk of fire, but we use much more electricity than people of our parents' or grandparents' generation. As you upgrade and add appliances and gadgets, you may need to upgrade your circuit breaker panels to adequately supply your home with power. Hire an electrician to do the job, not your brother-in-law who swears he did the same kind of work in the navy. The work is extremely complicated and should not be attempted by an amateur.