LIGHTING

QUESTION: Lighting for our new house is impossible for me to plan.  Are their some suggestions you can give to me?

ANSWER: Lighting has long been the most neglected aspect of home design as lighting can be very technical and scientific; yet lighting is also deeply psychological and should enhance a home’s function while at the same time setting a mood and ambience

The best lighting for a home is when the lighting makes people feel comfortable and look their best with flattering light that enhances color and the surrounding areas.  At the same time, the lighting needs to be functional and illuminate work areas, artwork and the surrounding ceilings, walls, flooring which define spaces, color, and texture.

Interior lighting decisions for a new home can be confusing.  Homeowners can obtain assistance from a range of professionals – certified lighting designers, interior designers, architects, contractors and electricians.  Quite often, the best plan is for the client to combine the team of professionals for one planning meeting.

UNDERSTANDING LIGHTING

In a good lighting plan, levels of lighting should be calculated and achieved.  The lumen method, which is a procedure in lighting design, can be used to determine the number and types of lamps or luminaries required to provide a desired average level of illumination on a work place.  This takes into account both direct and reflected light flux.

In conjunction with these requirements, lighting becomes very personal for each individual client.  A client’s lighting needs can vary as much as their preference for a certain style of furniture or color palette.  Some clients will have a preference for using a multitude of recessed cans while another client may have a dislike for recessed cans and want to obtain lighting sources from surface mounted fixtures and indirect soffet lighting.

Obviously, a well-lit house can have a combination of light sources.

Once this initial conversation has been established, the interior spaces of the home should be assessed.  High ceilings, heavy truss timbers, coffered ceilings, heavy interior finishes will all influence a lighting plan differently than a space with lower ceilings, light walls and light textures.  Also keep in mind that lighting requirements change as exterior lighting levels change; therefore, the lighting should be flexible.

LIGHTING NEEDS TO WORK WITH THE FURNITURE AND SPACE PLAN

The next step, I always recommend as a designer, is to have your designer produce an actual ¼” scale Furniture Floor Plan for your use.  This will show the client, architect, builder and electrician exactly how the rooms will be arranged and how they will function.  This is an invaluable piece of information we provide prior to any lighting decisions being developed.  Once the floor plan has been developed, the lighting plan can be imposed over the floor plan.  This is a sure method, and we provide this plan to the client, and other team members.  This method saves costly mistakes, time, and is a working guide for all involved.

ADD A SAMPLE FLOOR PLAN WITH LIGHTING SCHEME

NUMEROUS LIGHTING POSSIBILITIES

There are numerous lighting ideas that can be integrated into a plan.  Knowing what activities will take place in each room and where work areas need to be will help determine your selection for a light source and fixture.  Several examples follow:

BREAKFAST AREA/KITCHEN

A breakfast area with dining table and fireplace will need several flexible light sources.  A more intense light source is needed over the table and softer, indirect lighting can be used in the sitting area for a more relaxed feel.  A secondary source of light (floor lamp) can be used for additional lighting for reading.

POWDER ROOM

 A powder room’s main duty is to be welcoming to a guest when in use.  It needs to look good so a lower lighting level can be used to help create a more romantic and adventurous feel.  Quite often we will hang a decorative chandelier in place of a recessed can or ceiling mount fixture for a more intimate feel.

Lighting options are more numerous than space allows.  Next week we will discuss additional types.  For now, know your budget, understand your needs, develop a working ¼” scale floor plan, then develop your lighting plan.  Keep lighting flexible so the mood of the room can be altered with a touch of a switch.  Then explore the world of switching options and fixture selections.

QUESTION:  As you suggested, I have developed our house plans and furniture placement and feel I have a fairly good idea of my lighting needs.  I am confused as to what type of fixture to use and what type of spacing the fixtures should have.

ANSWER: There are many types of fixtures to select from, and there is a broad range in pricing. Again, it is important to consider look, performance and budget when making these final selections.  There is also a broad range of varying recommendations from the experts for fixture placement and hanging heights, so I will give some basic guidelines to follow.   The final decisions will also be influenced by elements in the room such as volume, color, texture, materials, window sizes, and personal preference.

RECESSED CANS

Recessed cans are fixtures that fit within the ceiling and have a trim ring that is visible.  Recessed lighting provides general and circulation lighting as well as task lighting.  There are many variations that come with this fixture such as down lights, sloped ceiling lights, eyeball lights that rotate and can accent art walls, wall washers that accent specific areas on a wall, waterproof fixtures, and mini, low voltage halogens that project accent lighting on a specific item or niche with a controlled light beam.  Placement of the cans will depend on the purpose of the lighting.

ART WALLS WITH RECESSED CANS

When placing recessed cans in the ceiling, be sure to consider the height of the ceiling and the area on the wall where you want the beam of light to be the most intense.  The higher the ceiling, the further from the wall the fixture will be located.  With an 8 foot high ceiling, I like to place the fixture approximately 24 inches from the wall.  For a 12 foot ceiling, the fixture can be located approximately 36 inches from the wall.  Be careful not to place the fixture so far from the wall that the light will glare when walking into the room from the opposite direction. Cans are typically spaced between 4 feet and 6 feet apart depending upon the needs and location of the artwork.  The recessed cans can also be set very close (12 inches) to the wall, which will create “hot spots” and shadows to add interest on a wall.  (See photo). 

KITCHEN WORK AREAS WITH RECESSED CANS

There are two lighting concepts for the kitchen.  One is to create a lighting pattern in the center of the floor between the cabinets.  I do not recommend this concept as I feel the lights will create shadows on the work areas.  The second lighting concept, which I recommend, is to place the recessed fixtures directly over the front edge of the countertops (be aware of the depth of your upper cabinets).  This method will provide direct light on the work area and will not create shadows.  At the same time, these lights will help to light the walkways.

The rule of thumb is to space these fixtures 3 feet to 4 feet apart.  Remember to relate this pattern to the actual floor plan, and keep the recessed lights in the ceiling in a consistent pattern where the fixtures stay in straight lines with equal spacing.  The one variation would be to center one can directly over the sink.

RECESSED CANS IN BATHROOM AREAS

Exceptional illumination is needed in a bathroom.  In bathrooms, I like to use a combination of lighting sources.  When placing recessed cans for down light over the vanity area, I also recommend the use of wall sconces, which will give a side light to the face and help eliminate shadows.   Mounting the sconces on the mirrors also adds additional light reflection.  This supplemental decorative lighting provides vertical and horizontal light.  Using only recessed cans above can add shadowing.  As always, if bathrooms are large enough, a ceiling decorative fixture will add additional ambience and character to the room.

DINING ROOM CHANDELIERS

There are conflicting opinions as to the height of a chandelier over a dining table.  The rule of thumb is to have the bottom of the fixture 36 inches above the tabletop.  With this guideline in mind, I like to stand back and consider the height and volume of a room as well as the scale and weight of the chandelier.  The more volume in a room and the larger the scale of the fixture, the higher I like to hang the light.

ROPE LIGHTING

Rope lighting is a continuous line of small lights that can be placed in tight places such as a ledge tray defining a coffered ceiling, inlayed on the top of beam timbers, and hidden under steps for soft stair lighting.  Rope lighting can also be placed on top of cabinets and bookcases to provide soft, ambient up light.  This system can assist in accenting the room’s architectural features.

There are so many options and variations in lighting.  Lighting can be bold or subtle, dramatic or subdued.  In addition to planning and selecting the many options in fixtures, there are also numerous switching and control options, which can further enhance your lighting plan.