Residential lamp (bulb) properties
Incandescent
Halogen
Fluorescent
LED (light emitting diodes)
Compact fluorescent lamps with corrected color, used in recessed cans for general lighting combined with halogen lamps for task and accent lighting are the best combination of aesthetic effect and economy.
Let There Be Light
Kitchen Lighting Basics
By William Martin
Kitchen lighting for early humans was simple: the light of the campfire. If you needed more light you threw another log on the fire. Through the years we have evolved a little beyond that.
Many thick books with small print have been written about lighting design. Most were authored by electrical engineers and require an engineer's education to comprehend them. Residential lighting doesn't have to be complicated or intimidating to understand. Here are some basic concepts to help you better understand effective kitchen lighting.
The kitchen area should be bright, warm and inviting. Lighting in the kitchen is as important as the cabinets and appliances. The kitchen is a work place first and must have effective lighting to function well.
If designed well, general lighting will illuminate the room evenly with comfortable light for traffic areas and overall use. Too dark and, obviously, you can't see what you're doing; too bright and your eyes will tire. When I cook, the flames from the burning food provide plenty of light; when the smoke alarm goes off, my wife knows dinner is served.
Creating a lighting design
Recently I visited Light Works, Steamboat's local lighting specialist. Owner and lighting expert Nancy Schwanke guided me through the inspiring showroom displays where she exhibits a great selection of traditional mountain rustic, contemporary and fun, eclectic styles occupying every available space. In addition to the showroom, a nearly infinite catalog of lighting choices may be viewed and ordered from Light Works' web site: www.lightworksofsteamboat.com.
We settled at Nancy's desk where she shared the latest in lighting technology, current design trends, energy efficient products and her lighting design theories. When creating a lighting plan for a client Nancy prefers to meet with the client in their home first, to get a feel for the client's taste in style, colors and textures.
To better understand how Nancy and other lighting designers create a specific lighting design for a room here are a few elements to consider.
First determine the amount of general lighting desired in a room. General room light intensity can be low, medium or bright. For example a living room might be considered low, kitchens medium and a laundry room bright.
Lighting designers use formulas to determine the amount of light needed for general lighting in a specific room. All lighting requirement calculations are based on the intensity of the room's general lighting.
A fixture and lamp (bulb) are combined to produce light. Today a lamp's intensity is not measured in watts but in lumens and candlepower, usually marked on the box; the higher the number, the brighter the light. Watts refer only to how much energy the lamp uses and won't indicate how much light is produced or the efficiency of the lamp.
Before selecting specific fixtures and lamps to illuminate a room there are a few additional factors that can modify the amount of light required. Some room finishes reflect light, others absorb light. Countertops can have a dramatic effect on light. What is the ceiling height? What is the age of the users?
The color and reflective qualities of the walls in a room including built-ins like kitchen cabinets must be considered. White gloss walls absorb only about four percent of the light cast on them. Darker colors and flatter finishes on the walls and ceiling will absorb more light. A brighter lamp will compensate for the light absorbed.
Dark countertops or countertops with bold or wild patterns require more light to easily see the objects placed on them. Glossy finishes reflect light; conversely the duller the finish of the countertop, the more light it will absorb.
The distance from the lamp to the object being lit is important. For example If you install two identical lamps over a work surface, one in an eight foot high ceiling and one in a ten foot high ceiling, the light from lamp in the ten foot ceiling would be noticeably dimmer on the work surface than the light from the lamp in the eight foot ceiling. Simply put, you would need a brighter lamp in the ten foot high ceiling to achieve an equal light intensity on the work surface as the lamp in the eight foot ceiling.
As we age our eyes become more sensitive to light and light contrast. As a rule users over the age of fifty-five will appreciate a higher illumination level.
Not directly related, but a functional consideration, is the interior of your kitchen cabinets. I recommend white melamine. It is easy to see what is inside with the general light, and they're very durable and economical and easy to clean.
I design kitchen lighting using a design concept called layered lighting. Light for different uses overlaps at different intensity levels. These lighting layers are referred to as general, task and art or accent.
Lighting control pads combine and program lighting layers to illuminate ambient, task and art lighting in a room with a single switch. Multiple programming options allow a selection of lighting levels depending on mood and room use.
General lighting distributes light evenly throughout the room without shadows or distracting fixtures. Light for kitchens should be at a medium level. I generally prefer to err on the side of over-lighting a room with more fixtures than the minimum requirement and then installing dimmers on most light circuits to control the desired amount of light. Dimmers, however, change the color of the lamp to a warmer color just as a flashlight lamp with weak batteries has a warm, orange appearance. Place light switches for general lighting at all entrances to the room.
For general kitchen lighting, ceiling cans are hard to beat. When spaced properly they provide even coverage while remaining inconspicuous. Can components consist of a fixture, trim, baffle and lamp (bulb). They are available in a myriad of sizes, shapes, trim colors and baffle options. Baffles and trim have decorative properties while some baffles can also save energy.
Black step baffles are the most common. Don't use them; they absorb so much light that you have to upsize the intensity of the lamp. In addition they create a distracting black highlight in a light colored ceiling. The most efficient and energy saving baffles are clear Alzack. Clear baffles take on the ceiling color and disappear. Alzack baffles also have the best reflective properties. Silver and gold Alzack baffles are a good alternative but they may change the color of the reflected light. White baffles are a popular choice and will not be a visual distraction as most ceilings are a shade of white.
Locating ceiling cans too close to wall cabinets in an attempt to light the countertop will create scalloping on the cabinets, hot spots with a bright arch of light outlined by dark shadows. In addition the wall cabinets will cast shadows on the countertops. Locate cans out from the front of the wall cabinets far enough so the light cones just reach to the base cabinet toe space. The spill light from the cones will subtly and softly light the cabinet faces.
Wall sconces and ceiling mount fixtures may also contribute to the general purpose lighting requirements in a room while offering a decorative opportunity.
Task lighting illuminates work areas which require brighter light than general lighting. Task lighting should be approximately two and one half times brighter than the general lighting level. All wall cabinets located above a countertop should have under cabinet task lighting.
Avoid task lights spaced too far apart. Lighting should be even, without hot spots or shadows which have a tendency to rapidly tire the eyes. For under wall-cabinet task lighting I prefer festoon halogen lamps spaced about two inches apart. If the heat output of halogen is a concern, as in a wine cabinet, Nancy suggests using Xenon lamps; they produce a similar quality light to halogen with less heat output. Mount under-cabinet lighting at the front inside edge of the light rail. It will project light evenly on the workspace and backsplash.
For lighting work spaces with no wall cabinets above such as islands, peninsulas, countertops with windows above, or tables, there are several options.
Pendants offer a wide variety of lighting choices with a decorative flair. Group and hang them at the same height or at different heights to create interest. If a single pendant is suspended above a work space or table, the general rule is that it should be approximately twenty inches in diameter or twelve inches less in diameter than the work space or table. The best position for pendants is at a height of twenty-five to thirty inches above the work surface.
Grouping smaller diameter ceiling cans more closely together and focused on the work space is good trick. Large ceiling cans produce large round light beams. By using several smaller cans you may create different illumination shapes on a work surface. As an example, three smaller cans closely grouped in a row will project a more rectangular shaped light beam for illuminating an island or peninsula countertop without excess and distracting spill light hitting the floor.
Track lighting is another option for special circumstances. Generally I'm not a fan of track lights in the kitchen as they create a visual distraction, are grease and dust magnets and disrupt the ceiling lines. A building with a vaulted cold roof ceiling that does not allow installing ceiling cans is a situation where track lights for work areas may be a good alternative.
Cable lighting is a decorative variation of track lighting. Components consist of two parallel tracks supplied with low voltage and multiple lampholders. The cables are exposed and suspended form the ceiling. Lampholders may be positioned at any point along the cables. MR halogen lamps are used with a selection of intensities available.
Cables and lampholders are available in an amazing array of styles, shapes and colors and offer a wide palette of decorating opportunities. Lampholders may be attached directly to the tracks or suspended for a pendent effect.
It never hurts to use dimmers on task lighting circuits. It's a small upfront cost for the convenience of being able to adjust light to your desired level.
Rail lighting combines the best qualities of track and cable fixtures. Rail lighting uses only one track which is suspended from the ceiling and has a decorative appearance. Fixtures may use ether 12 or 24 low voltage halogen MR lamps for smaller lamp holders. Low voltage fixtures require either integrated or remote low voltage transformers. Rail fixtures are also available in standard 120 line voltage which does not require transformers. This offers economy and flexibility in lamp selection.
Similar to cable lighting, rail lighting offers a wide selection of lamp fixture styles, shapes, textures and colors. Unique to rail lighting is the advantage of lamp fixtures attached horizontally to the rails. This feature creates a totally different look and lighting opportunity.
Art or accent lighting is intended to focus attention on the art work and provide a highlight or accent. If designed well you should not be aware of the lighting fixture; the art is the center of attention. Art lighting should be five times brighter than the general lighting in the room.
Track and cable lighting are frequently used for lighting art. They feature the advantage of individual lampholders that are easily moved, redirected or replaced when art displays change.
Complementary layered lighting areas are additional opportunities for expressive lighting. If your kitchen is part of a great room, in the evening after kitchen work is done and you're enjoying living areas with general lighting off or dimmed, base cabinet toe space or soffit lighting can softly light the kitchen with warm, low level, discrete illumination.
Base cabinet toe spaces are a great place for festoon or rope lighting to create a subtle night light effect for lighting walkways when other lights are off. I really like this effect for bathroom vanities.
Soffits and drop or coffered ceilings offer an opportunity for hidden indirect light that softly washes the ceiling.
Inside glass door or display cabinet lighting is a great way to display collectables but can be tricky. The challenge is concealing the lighting fixture while illuminating the displayed objects as evenly as possible. Do not place lights in the top of a cabinet with multiple glass shelves. The light will be too bright on the top shelf and will defuse through each subsequent shelf. The light striking the objects on the top shelf will cast shadows on the next shelf, getting progressively darker through each lower shelf toward the bottom of the cabinet.
I prefer to use a cabinet style with stiles (the vertical member of the cabinet frame) that extend past the inside edge of the cabinet box. This is a perfect location to hide festoon or rope lighting fixtures vertically from the top to the bottom of the cabinet. The light produced will be even throughout the cabinet without shadows. Halogen lamps will make crystal glassware come alive as cut facets sparkle with a rainbow of colors. You may add a dimmer for more effect and intensity options.
Lamps vary in efficiency, intensity, useful life, size and color. Residential lamp choices include incandescent, fluorescent or LED. A halogen lamp is a type of incandescent lamp that produces the most natural quality of light.
Light color is an elusive but important concept. Generally speaking lamps either highlight blues and greens (cool colors) or reds and yellows (warm colors). You can actually change the color of room just with the type of lamp used. Since natural skin colors tend to be “warm” (red, pink, yellow, brown) we naturally look and feel the best in warm colored light.
Fluorescent lamps produce cool color which tends to wash out the natural warm colors and highlight greens and blues instead. Incandescent lamps highlight warm colors and downplay blues and greens. Halogen lamps cast the most accurate and neutral light color.
For example, if you were to use fluorescent general lighting in your kitchen, your cherry wood cabinets would look rather brownish green and dull. Using halogen lamps will highlight the natural red and golden colors; the wood looks rich, deep and comes alive.
I have some good friends who own a clothing store. In their dressing rooms they used economical fluorescent lamps. Customers going into the dressing room with prospective purchases looked pale and sickly in the mirror. Sometimes the clothes selected from the racks actually appeared a different color in the dressing room. The store's main lighting is also fluorescent but is complimented with indirect natural light, softening and warming the store's interior light.
At the risk of being incorrigible, I insisted they install halogen lighting in the dressing rooms. These rooms are the most important area in the store where the decision whether to buy or not is made. Purchasing clothing is a very personal, visceral decision; if you don't feel or look right, you're not buying.
Do not mix lamps that cast different colors in the same room; it is very distracting. It is possible to find fluorescent lamps with warmer color that are compatible with incandescent and halogen lamps.
In most homes fixtures can be upgraded with the help of a qualified electrician. Start by simply experimenting with different lamps. Try replacing the incandescent lamps in your ceiling cans with halogen PAR lamps, compact fluorescent (CFL) or LEDs; you'll be amazed at the difference. You may also replace incandescent lamps in your wall sconces, pendants and table lamp fixtures.
A word of caution when installing CFLs: most won't work on a circuit with a standard incandescent dimmer. All standard fluorescent lamps require a special type of dimmer which must be installed by an electrician. Special CFLs are available with dimmers integrated in the lamp which will work in standard dimmer circuits.
Going Green
The Energy Impact Act of 2007 mandates energy conservation improvements throughout the lighting industry. CFL and LED lamps are the future of residential lighting. Europe recently banned all frosted incandescent lamps and the United States is considering similar legislation.
CFLs are the energy saving answer today. The applications are expanding rapidly. Screw in base, mini, and dimmable CFLs are available to replace lamps in most fixtures and applications. The Energy Impact Act has mandated guidelines for improved color rendition for all fluorescent lamps.
LED lighting is still in the developing stages but appears to be the future solution for quality light with very little energy used. Within a few years it may be the standard of the lighting industry. LEDs use less energy than CFLs and feature extremely long life while providing more light (lumens) with better color rendition and less heat generated (wasted energy).
Retail lighting showrooms are a terrific place to see lighting options and get ideas. Most have creative displays and knowledgeable sales staff eager to share information. Depending on the scope of your project consider hiring a qualified lighting designer to develop a lighting plan specifically for you.
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