Kitchen Lighting Design

Time and money spent remodeling your kitchen causes one to want to do it "right." Your kitchen cabinets and decor is not only complimented but is completed with a proper lighting plan. Many lighting supply stores have folks on staff who are trained to help you design just such a plan.

Lighting for your kitchen should create different dimensions to your kitchen. To achieve that you should incorporate at least 3 of the following types of lighting. Each way will have not only a different feel but will provide a unique function. And by adding dimmer switches to any of the following you can create even more dimensions to your kitchen.

Recessed Lighting

There are a couple of ways that you can use recessed lighting. The first is to use it as a wash of light over the fronts of your cabinets as well as your work areas. A spot would give you a narrower beam of light that could create shadows either wanted or not wanted. A flood light would give you more of a wash of light.

The second function of recessed lighting in a kitchen is to illuminate the whole room. If you have a large kitchen you might decide to use some additional recessed lighting around an eating cove or along walk way areas that might appear dark otherwise.

Track Lighting

Track lighting can be used for the same functions of the recessed lighting. It can either provide light above counters and cabinets so that you can see in the cabinets. Or it can light up dead spaces. Track lighting generally comes down a little from the ceiling. The amount of distance is dependent on how high your ceiling is.

There are basically two styles of track lighting. One that is a straight bar that can either be installed flush with your ceiling or lowered a bit. The second is more of a funky artsy style that is often curvy. They can take LED light bulbs or more often Halogen light bulbs.

Some use track lighting for the design element. Others might use track lighting for the mere fact that you don't have any space above your kitchen to put a recessed can. There are remodel cans that can be installed from below if you can not get to the crawl space above your kitchen. But when you don't have that space is the time someone might opt for track lighting.

Under Counter

Under counter lighting is really more important than most think. The main function is to light up your work area on your counters. It also lights up the area under your counter where recessed or track lighting will not reach.

When under counter lighting is installed it should be installed under all of your cabinets. They either come in the form of low voltage puck lights or string of fixtures that hold a long tube style light bulb.

Pendant Lights

Often you will see pendant lights in groups of three. Always try and install an odd number. Occasionally, two will suffice but one or three is much better. Today pendants enhance the décor or feel of your room. Manufacturers offer many different styles of pendant lights. Those styles enhance your décor whether you are decorating your home in a modern style, traditional style or any other fancy you have.

Pendants are used above kitchen islands or bars. Here, you will want to hang your pendant at 72" from the floor. This will allow anyone standing on either side of the island or bar to have a conversation without having the pendant in the middle of their eye sight line. And it won't be so high that you are blinded by the light bulb if you happen to look up.

Over Table Lighting

Larger pendants and chandeliers are common place in a kitchen over an eating area. These provide an anchor above your table and complete the space whether it is portioned off by a wall or is a part of another room.

You will want to hang a chandelier or pendent in the center of where your table will be. Now, if you live in an older home like mine the electricity doesn't always come out of the ceiling in the right place. What we've done is to place a hook above the center of our table. We insured the cord of the chandelier was long enough to drape from the power to our hook and fall to right length.

Over an eating table you will want to hang your fixture at 60" from the floor. For the same reasons I've noted above with pendant lights, you will want to be able to converse with someone across the table but not be blinded by the light bulbs when you look up into the fixture.

Accent Lighting

Kitchens today are built much larger than they use to be. As a result you have a lot more space to play with. Accent Lighting is not only decorative but can provide function as well. We use ours in the event someone needs to visit the refrigerator or get a glass of water in the middle of the night but doesn't want to completely wake up in the process.

Small portable lamps can be placed on counters where there are no upper cabinets. You might also be able to find one small enough to go under the upper cabinets. These will most always have a clip on shade. Meaning, it's a shade that fastens to your light bulb and isn't connected to the body of the lamp.

Islands are great places for table or buffet lamps. On the corner of an eating bar or an out of the way place can add some style and whimsy to your kitchen. And if you don't happen to have pendants above your island, a portable lamp can provide some height to the area.

Some kitchens are built with seating areas connected. Here you will most definitely want to either use floor lamps or table lamps if you have enough space for a side table next to your reading chair.

Modern Outdoor Lighting - Design Ideas For the Use of Contemporary Outdoor Fixtures

There are many different types of modern outdoor lighting available on the market today, but when you select a lighting fixture for your exterior lighting needs, it is important that you select one that is not only high quality, but specialized for your personal needs. This is because a fixture that might work in one situation will simply not work in another. To get the most attractive lighting possible, you need to not only consider the style and type of light, but also the appearance of the fixture you choose. What follows should give you some ideas as to how to choose the best outdoor lighting fixture available.

In order to get the best contemporary exterior lighting setup possible, you will need to think about every single one of the different options. Though they are numerous, thinking through them will allow you to make the best choice. For one thing, you will need a ceiling or wall fixture that matches your existing decorations. This involves matching style and material, in addition to color as well. Having a designer outdoor fixture that stands out excessively is a problem. However, there is no reason that you should not consider your lighting fixtures as decorations as well as functional devices.

In addition to the decoration aspect, there is also the functional aspect of outdoor fixtures. Outdoor fixtures are mainly designed to actually illuminate the outdoors. Additionally, they must do so in a way that is useful to you. A light that is too dim will be problematic and even potentially dangerous in an area that is easy to trip or have an accident in. However, a light that is too bright will be distracting and annoying to anyone forced to put up with it. As always, it is important to find a balance, consider the size of the area that needs to be lit, and possibly even try out several options before making a final decision.

As you can see, choosing a lighting fixture for your outdoor area is quite complex. There are many mistakes that it is possible to make in this situation. However, if you find the right light fixture, it will be very rewarding, as your exterior area will be easy to deal with and pleasant to look at. Because of this, you must do the best job possible when selecting a light fixture. Though it might seem like a lot of work now, it will all be worth it in the end.

Home Lighting Design Tips

Home lighting design tips are important for homeowners who are not very aware of the best systems and trends. Home lighting isn't as straightforward as it might seem, because different areas inside the home have drastically different needs. The living room is completely different from the kitchen and the dining room needs lighting that is unrelated to the bedroom. It is therefore important to know which kinds of lighting are suited for which areas in the home.

By using the right elements, you can get a greatly aesthetic home that looks and feels just right. In addition, lighting greatly improves the value of a home, both for the homeowner and the resale value, so it is a wise investment for both the short and long term.

The living room is one of the most important rooms from a visitors' point of view, so you want the lighting to be just right. The best kind of lighting for the living room involves complete lighting of the area. There can also be task lighting to highlight some important elements in the living room, like medals, certificates, antiques, etc. Living room lighting should also preferably be flexible to accommodate different needs and times of the day. For this, having central lighting is not good enough; you should preferably have some recessed lights in the corner as well to complete the lighting needs.

The bedroom should really have the perfect lighting for you so that it can be changed from a bright lively room to a cozy romantic one within no time. Thus there should be minimal ambient light and on top of that, you should have elements that allow you to focus light as and when you need. The ambient light needs to be soft and romantic. Usually, a central bright light is used for general work inside the bedroom and side lights for reading. However, it is best to have dimmers so you can adjust according to your mood. Soft lights are also essential to ensure a good night's sleep.

The kitchen needs to be brightly lit, as you need adequate light to carry out cooking. Lighting is important in a kitchen to avoid any accidents as well, so they are needed from a safety point of view as well. There are areas in the kitchen that need more focused lighting, like a stove or a platform for chopping and slicing activities.

A bathroom also needs the right kind of lighting to give a good and relaxing experience. Areas like the shower and sink need additional lighting apart from ambient background light. Most lights inside the bathroom should be about relaxing and thus soft instead of harsh and bright. LED's work especially well for the bathroom.

Garden lighting is another important aspect that is often neglected by homeowners. You should have adequate lights in your garden to make it look aesthetic and beautiful. It is important to have dim and minimal lighting only, since you are only interested in highlighting specific plants and other garden elements. Step lighting into the garden is becoming fashionable and you can consider this for your garden too.