Hi All,
Wife and I just bought our first home last month. We are planning some new lighting for the dining room and living room and would like to bounce some ideas. The house was built in 1941 and is heavy on the Mediterranean architecture, which I want to stay reasonable true to.
The dining room: First off, many thanks to those of you that walked me though cleaning up the dining room table and china cabinet a few weeks back. I promised to attach some pictures when I was done, but had not the opportunity until now. This set had been in storage for almost 25 years and it has come up looking very nice. As for lighting this room, the room is 12′ x 14′ and in addition to the chandelier which is staying and is centered to the room, I was contemplating 4 recessed lights that would be set equal distances away between the chandelier and each of the four corners of the room. We were either thinking of 3″ low voltage lights or perhaps 4″ compact fluorescent that would be dimmable. I was thinking either a trim cover that has a clear glass that hangs a bit below the cover, or perhaps just a baffle. The question here is whether the idea of adding these four lights makes sense and then whether a 3″, 4″, and something else altogether would make sense.
The living room: The living room is 14′ x 16′ with an archway at the entrance to the room and the fireplace at the far wall, and windows at two of the LR corners. I was planning on two 3″ low voltage lights over the fireplace and eight 4″ recessed lights for general lighting in the room. I’ve been told from two separate sources that the eight lights in the ceiling would ruin the ceiling and its architectural details and that I consider sconces instead. That said, I’m really confused as to whether the eight lights are the right way to go. I’d appreciate any insights and/or pictures of alternative ideas. Hopefully the picture show the details of each room and their respective ceilings.
Thanks again,
Tark
Replies
my dining room is similar to yours. we're 12x12. we put in an 8 lights chandelier similar to yours. ours was rated at 60 wt bulbs, but they hurt the eyes so we use 40's. we also put in 3" cans, 4 of them. It's a great combination. don't need dimmers, either use orne or the other, or both.
Our living room are similar sized as well. Have 6 3"cans and it lights it very well. I would say it was not my prefered method of lighting in the begining, but now it doesn't bother me. the problem with the smaller cans is I haven't found a suitable cfl substitute to the incandescent. maybe someone else knows of one?
I'll get you pics tomorrow if you need or want them.
I'd like to see any pictures you have of your dining room lights. We're just trying to see what others have done.Thanks
Let this be a bump more than anything.
But, since I've been faced with a similar quandary here, I'll offer these tidbits.
3" and 4" remodel cans can be tough to source if you need ones approved for insulation contact. Don't know that you do there, but just in case.
Smaller = more expensive for housings, bulbs, etc.
As to whether the dining room lights will add anything, you might try turning on the chandelier to a desired setting. Then hold a flashlight or other light source from the ceiling corner to see if that's going to give you the result you're looking for. Better to find this out now, before you've opened the ceiling.
In the living room, there's nothing wrong with uplighting from the sconces and downlighting from the ceiling together.
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I could try that test for the DR, that said, the chandelier in the room just does not light up the room very well, and there is only one smallish window in the room, so we really think additional lighting (or a new chandelier) is in order. We have great access to both of the DR and LR from the attic, so we're looking at having IC and airtight cans installed.
i'm on dial up and don't have time to see all of those, but from the three I see, I confirm my general thinking that for mediteranean you do not want cieling cans. in some rooms wall washers would work, or maybe over the fireplace, but generally for your place, I would be looking at sconces.
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Hi Piffin,That would be three votes for sconces, although in addition to sconces we will perhaps put just two wall washers above the fireplace.As for locating the sconces, I was thinking of:- two above the fireplace, but was not sure if that would interfere with the wall washers shining down from above- two above the piano, (which is the wall opposite of the fireplace) We thought the sconces should be more centered between the edge of the wall and the window, rather then centered over the piano. - two on the far wall, between the two windows corners
If needed, I could get the pictures re-sized to make downloading them more easy. I'd really like to be able to bounce ideas as to where to locate the sconces.Thanks,Tark
i would hope you stay w/ sconces
two companies that have great product & good pictures to help you w/ location on walls are BrassLightGallery in Milwaukee ( have liked the double Glendale Wall Sconces in tandem w/ your chandelier CN-111-A1 ) and Rejuvenation in Portland, Oregonmuch to weigh
easy ceiling/attic access, difficult wall access - uh oh you might go cans
good sconces will be priced dearly
adding in trims, transformers etc gets cans up there too
I always check out local lighting & homecenters - they might have a design that grabs you
I'm remembering Pottery Barn has a nice sconce reasonably priced that deserves a look
all the best
I totally agree with John. Recessed lighting is poor for 'general' (ambient) lighting and much better for task lighting. That being said I have a number of the Halo 3" gimbeled MR16 fixtures for that purpose - the old work (remodel) cans are not so good but the full-housing versions are fine.
Rejuvenation - definitely!
Jeff
Pendant, sconces, track lighting, and recessed lights or wall washers (can lights with the "eyeball" for emphasis) are all good choices. Placement is just as important as selection. It will be hard to stick with period choices, I say just emphasise the features and elements of the design that you really like. I like sconces, and I install alot of them. But they are better suited as accent lighting for places like hallways where general lighting is less of a concern as just seeing where you need to go. That arched doorway would really standout with two sconces on either side of it. I got a really nice stainless steel track light for my kitchen. I'm able to aim each light at sections of the countertop where light is needed, like the stove and coffee pot. A pendant light will take the place of the flush-mount fixture over the kitchen sink. I soon will be adding four can lights to a soffit I built in the living room whose sole purpose is to hold four can lights. That area of the room is used mostly for reading or watching TV, so the lights will not be used most of the time. Just think about areas of the house that get used the most and for what, then the areas that one might just pass through, and buy the fixtures accordingly.
Energy usage should also be of concern. My track light runs off of a transformer that knocks the voltage down to 24V. We're talking slightly higher than an amp of current. Use CFLs when you can, but remember, if you can see the bulb through the fixture, a CFL is rather unattractive. You can buy LED bulbs at Wally World for about $40 with dramatic energy savings, but I have yet to see what the LED light actually looks like. It may not be the type of light that is appropriate for all activities. Put some thought into it, the bottom line is that it is your house, and you have to live with it, so make the choices for yourself. By all means, post pictures of the fixtures that you buy, and don't hesitate to ask us questions should you run into any issues.
Edit: Whoever told you can lights would ruin the features is a goob. It might be just what it needs!
Edited 10/29/2009 4:03 pm ET by excaliber32