Everything You Ever Wanted to
Know about Lighting Your Home
By Carol Carr
P
roper lighting is essential to the
ambience and livability of your
home. Effective high-quality
lighting completes a room even more
than any accessory. It provides utility and
comfort while enhancing the mood and
creating a sense of drama in our living
spaces.
When choosing lighting solutions,
consider these factors: the size of your
room, how you’ll use the room, and the
look you want for that space. If the room
has dark walls and floors, much of the
light will be absorbed. Therefore it will
require more light to achieve the same
level of illumination that you’d have if
the room had light walls and floors that
reflected the light. Another consideration
is whether the room’s lighting needs to
serve different functions. For example, a
bedroom that needs overall illumination
as well as a lamp to light a writing table
or a reading nook.
There are three basic
types of lighting:
• General lighting provides overall
illumination. This can be achieved with
chandeliers as well as other ceiling, wall-
mounted or recessed fixtures.
• Task lighting provides more
concentrated light suited to activities
such as reading, cooking and games.
This lighting can be provided by floor
lamps, track and recessed lights, pendant
lighting and tabletop lamps.
• Accent lighting adds drama to your
space, such as lighting a painting, sculp-
ture or highlighting a design element in
the room such as the wall texture or a
coffered ceiling. Recessed lights are one
of the best ways to accent objects. Accent
lighting typically casts more light on the
object or area being accented (at least
as much as three times more) than the
general lighting in the surrounding area.
LIGHTING A LIVING ROOM
OR FAMILY ROOM
Reading
If achieved with pendants or
portable lamps, the shade should be
at eye level when a person is seated,
approximately 40” to 42” above the
floor.
TV, Video Games AND Computers
In-home electronics require low-
level general lighting that won’t
‘wash out’ screen displays or reflect
light into the viewer’s eyes.
Bar
Recessed lights or other surface-
mounted lights work well over a bar.
If you have cabinets above the bar,
you can use under-mount lighting.
LIGHTING A
DINING ROOM
A chandelier hanging over the middle
of the dining table is a delightful choice.
The bottom of the chandelier should be
30 inches above the table, no lower. If
you choose recessed lighting to light the
surface of a square dining table, position
four lights aligned with the perimeter of
the table, basically one light at each cor-
ner. If you have a long rectangular table,
center four lights above the length of each
side of the table to get full coverage.
LIGHTING A KITCHEN
Under-cabinet lighting is a good choice
when the goal is to light countertop
surfaces. In this case, they should be
mounted close to the front of the cabinets.
Recessed ceiling lights are a good choice
for food preparation and cooking tasks.
Above a sink, place two recessed lights
18 inches apart, or one light in the center
if the area is small. A lighting option
popular in today’s kitchens is to hang
small pendants above an island or other
appropriate area of the kitchen. Use no
more than three pendants, no reason
except that it’s good design. For a ceiling
pendant lamp hung over a dinette table,
use a pendant that’s 12 inches narrower
than the table diameter.
LIGHTING A BEDROOM
A ceiling fixture can provide general
lighting. As for task lighting, you can
have a portable lamp on either side of
the bed (use the same height formula
as for lamps next to chairs). Another
option is to mount wall lamps above
the bed (and headboard), each with its
own controls. Choose lamps that swivel
or have a two-way arm so they can be
moved out of the way. You can also
use recessed lights above the bed with
separate dimmer switches so that if you
want to read and your partner wants to
sleep, all is well.
LIGHTING A BATHROOM
If possible, install a light in your shower
as well as general overhead lighting.
Consider adding a heat lamp if you
live in an area with cold winters, and a
fan to vent moisture out of the room.
Regarding lights around the mirror above
your vanity, overhead lights tend to cast
shadows on one’s face. Try a framed
mirror with a wall sconce on each side
of the mirror. For a touch of decadence,
consider hanging a chandelier over your
bathtub, especially if it’s the show piece
of your bathroom.
Since 1981, Carol Carr has specialized in making your home comfortable, an extension of your personality and lifestyle. Her design philosophy is
“Every room should be usable and comfortable — a balance between visual response and physical comfort. Carol can be reached at 408.779.4189.
98
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016
gmhtoday.com