Lighting Makes the Difference
Being in a room with poor lighting is uncomfortable. Too low of a light level makes working in the space difficult. Reading is a challenge. Additionally having to intensely focus your eyes to get work done is stressful. Contrary to work you might need a low light level impacts your energy level, giving your body signals to relax and maybe even get sleepy.
But at the other end of the spectrum too much light is not good either. Too bright a light level makes your eyes want to squint. When bright light bounces off surfaces it can even cause you to close your eyes. Reading computer screens becomes almost impossible. Nobody wants to wear sunglasses indoors.
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Balancing Your Light For Comfort
Getting the right amount of light into your room is easier than you think if you know what to look for. For example, in the evening you’ll need more light throughout the space. But during the day time you’ll be supplementing the sunshine from outside. In a kitchen, there may be work areas in the corner of the counter that are dark no matter what time of day it is. There are difference light sources for these various problems.
Three Kinds of Lighting
There are three kinds of lighting that you can employ to make your room as comfortable as possible. The first is general lighting which is a light source that broadcasts light over a larger area. It raises the light level in the entire room. The second form of lighting is task lights. These lights work to increase the amount of light in work areas. Your third type of light source is accent lighting. It does exactly what it sounds like, it adds interest by accenting certain areas of the space or items.
You’ll be creating layered lighting which will allow you to control the amount of light to suit your needs. From very bright to subtle accents your home will be a comfortable place to work and relax.
General Lighting
Let’s look at lighting in a kitchen. Your general lighting will be recessed ceiling lights dispersed throughout the room. There are two schools of thought with the placement of this type of lighting. One method is to evenly position the lights in the kitchen ceiling. For example, adding nine recessed lights in the kitchen the pattern could be 3 rows of three. It has been the accepted way of lighting the ceiling for a while, mainly because it is easy when new homes are built.
However, I believe there is a flaw to this method. By positioning the lights more toward the middle of the room it will no doubt light up the center of the room and walkways but when you stand at the counter to work it will create shadows on the counter top in your work area. This happens because the lighting is behind you. The room will appear well it, but working at the counter will be sometimes uncomfortable. You may not put your finger on this issue right away, but dim lighting is the most common item people want to fix in their kitchen.
Recessed Lights – Preferred Placement
My preferred method for general lighting placement in the kitchen is to locate the recessed lights directly over the edge of the counter top. That way the light is directed over the work area keeping it in front of you so as not to create shadows where you are working. As a result the cone effect of light disbursement ensures you’ll have plenty of light in the walkways. It takes a little more thought for this lighting placement, but it works well.
No matter the placement pattern always put your recessed lights on a dimmer switch. Also, hands down I recommend LED recessed lights for both new construction and remodel installations.
Technical Tip: If your kitchen (or any room) has a ceiling fan be sure to to locate the recessed lights beyond the reach of the fan blades. Placing recessed lights above the blades cause a strobe light effect when both are on.
Task Lighting
Add task lighting where you’ll be working most, along the counter top. And for this light source I recommend LED strip lights installed underneath your upper cabinets. So these LED lights splash light directly to the counter top surface. Since they are located below all the upper cabinets you’ll have evenly disbursed light when needed. This works especially well to brighten up those dark corners in the kitchen.
Additionally, since the under cabinet LED lights will be on a dimmer switch these same lights will be part of your accent lighting. They can be dimmed down to a subtle glow during the evening.
Design Tip: By installing the LED strips lights at the bottom of the cabinets toward the front, about 2″ to 3″ back from the front edge, you’ll have the most light hitting the countertop. But, the lights will still be able to reach the back splash to highlight your decorative tile.
Accent Lighting Makes a Big Difference
The third type of light source is your accent lighting. If you have a peninsula or island then you might be considering pendant lights. These are accent lights. Other forms of accent lighting that I have used in addition to the under cabinet strip lights discussed above is wall sconces. Put your new pendants or wall sconces on a dimmer switch you’ll use them more often.
Good design is about layering. In this case you are layering different types of fixtures to optimize lighting in your kitchen. Use this approach for every room in your home. But just keep in mind, each layer has a different use and effect. Following good lighting principals will make your home the envy of the neighborhood.
Disclosure. This post may contain links to products or companies that pay a commission to DIYRemodelGuy.com, at no cost to you, if you decide to make a purchase through these links. Compensation or commissions help fund our work in bringing DIY remodeling ideas and tips to you.
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