Please provide thoughts on my light layout

11 years ago

I have been working with the electrician and a person at the supply store to come up with a light layout. Would appreciate any thoughts and suggestions you might have.

The layout is divided in several parts. All cans in the kitchen would be 5 inch ones. Living room, 6 inch.

In the kitchen, the walkway lights 1-5 would be all on one switch (3-way, one switch at the side entrance and one in the bottom left corner, which is a main entry to the kitchen from inside of the house)

The lighting around the island would be together as one unit. A pendant lighting (need to pick the style) would be above the sitting area, and either one can above the sink (No9) or two on each side of the sink. I am thinking two, but wife wants one above the sink where she will be spending a good bit of time. The switch for these would be by the slider and by the entry to the dining room.

This way from any entry point in the room there will be a way to turn some lights, either the perimeter or the island lights. The bad part is the fact that there will not be a single place where all lights would turn off. Should I do the island lights as a 4-way and have another switch by the side entry, that way I can turn everything off as I leave the house?

There will also be some working station cans, the two on each side of the stove would be switched jointly, probably from a switch by the entry to the dining room. Do you think these cans are necessary since there will be under cabinet lights and the main prep area will be around the sink. There will be good bit of lighting under the hood. If I eliminate these working lights (7&8), should then move can No.5 2 feet to the left and put a new can 2 feet to the right from where can 5 is located?

Do you think there is a need for can No6 if there will be cabinet lighting there and having can no1 in proximity since this will not be a main working area? If installed, it would have its own switch. There will be an individual can by the beverage center as well.

Any thoughts on the 5 can layout for the living room area?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

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Comments (5)

andalee
11 years ago
Hmmmm. This is a great start! Here are my thoughts:

I've done my own lighting before, including more complex layouts like this, and lived in numerous rentals with dead spots, too much lighting in one spot, and I'm always thinking (sometimes it's a curse) . . . so here's what I think. lol

1) I would definitely put two cans over the sink, one on each side. I've never liked the "single light over the sink" as it tends to glare on the sink, and it's just not pleasant to work under a single light coming right from above. There are funny shadows from my arms & hands, whatever I happen to be washing shades the sink, and it's just kind of annoying. I much prefer the indirect light from two directions. It's softer, gentler, and yet the combined wattage will give enough overall light to know you've really got things clean. ;o) So, two cans, please!

2) As for light control, what I've done in the past that I've liked is to have a "command central" spot where I can control most everything ambient; switches for task lighting right where the tasks will happen; and then 3- or 4-way switches for traffic pattern lights. (Which, really, is what you've done. Bravo, great minds, and all that. ;o) I like the idea of putting the island/traffic pattern lights on a 4-way switch, so no matter where you come in, or where you leave, you can control the ambient lighting. The rest are really task lights, and can be switched "on site", if you will.

3) I like the cans flanking the stove--I would leave them. (But I'm not all that familiar with undercab lighting, as I've never succeeded in living in a house yet that has it--our next build will, though, mark my words.) Maybe someone with more experience with undercab lighting will chime in. Fwiw, a friend's kitchen has the undercab lights, but while they're great for keeping shadows out of the back of the counter, she could really use additional light at the front. Thoughts?

4) I'm not sure what you mean about moving can #5 . . . the light over the table gives plenty of light there, and moving #5 towards the table would just mean whoever sits in those two seats would have horror-movie shadows under their eyes, nose & chin. ;o)

5) I don't think can #6 is really necessary. Eliminating light really goes against the grain of my moral fiber, but there you have it.

6) I like the can layout for the family room . . . but will you have a central fixture? Or sconce uplighting on the wall? Straight downlight is okay in a kitchen, but I really like uplighting on the walls for a gentler overal ambient light. The cans over the couch are great for reading, etc., but if you're going to light the room with cans (especially one that big), IMHO you shouldn't leave a dead spot in the middle. It's harder to play twister, ya know? Wait . . . bad example. Twister is better in the dark . . . I meant, um, Monopoly. Yeah. Gotta have good light to read all of those chance cards . . . ;o)

Hope this...
twix6
Original Author
11 years ago
andalee

Thank you for your thoughts and input. re your commment on no4) I made a mistake. I was debating whether can 3 should be split into two cans, if cans 7 and 8 are removed from the plan.

Reading on the forum is seems that folks like the EcoSmart LED lights, which only come in a size of 6 inches. So perhaps I should make all the kitchen cans 6 inches?

Thank you on your point for cans over the sink and will split that can into two on each side.

Should I perhaps include those two cans as part of the perimeter lights so that once there is light in the kitchen, all 7 cans will illuminate?

I like you, also want bright, bright lights, especially since there is no external windows in the kitchen for natural light.

On the family room point. Should I beef up the lights into perhaps 8 instead of 6?

Thanks!
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The aisles sound good. 42"-48" should be comfortable. MW by the fridge sounds good too, and you can use the end of the peninsula for a landing space. The pots across from the stove sound convenient, but do be careful about twisting when you lift them. Be nice to your back, and use turning steps rather than twisting through your torso while lifting :) Have you done any vertical drawings? That might help with things like knife placement, etc. Do you currently keep the small appliances in a cabinet? I always keep the KA mixer on the counter, but have a place under the cooktop (old kitchen) where the Cuisinart, crockpot and flip waffler, among others, supposedly live. I say supposedly because I hate lifting them in and out, and they stay on the counter until I can't stand them any more. If you don't like the looks of appliance garages, and don't want to keep the big heavy ones on the counters, do you have room to devote some lower cabinetry to appliance lifts? Where will you keep dishes? Pitchers? Coffee maker? Serving trays and bowls? (Perhaps also have vertical storage for platters and trays?) What about other baking supplies? Canisters? It really helps to go through all the cupboards and make a list organizing everything into stuff you use together. Like scrapers and wooden spoons. Pot stirrers and ladles. Etc. Plus, map out the steps for washing and putting things away. Some people like dishes near the sink/DW. Others prefer them next to the seating. Are there seasonings you use mostly at the stove? A spice pullout or rack? Are there cooking oils and wines that should be by the stove? Do you ever roll pastry or cookies? Will you do that on the peninsula? Will that affect the height?
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I prefer your plan #2 because you have limited counter space as it is and if you can get rid of one thing (ie the coffee station) to another spot it frees up counter space and one station. (I happen to be all about the counters, but I am messy in the kitchen and like to spread out so my comments come from that sensibility. I also like the lines that a counter can give to a room) Is there a specific reason you want an appliance garage? They are being put into fewer and fewer kitchens (not that that is a reason not to have one) and again take up counter space and can be "chunky" looking in a crowded space - that same comment goes for your down-to-the-counter glass cabinet, if that is still part of the plan. I, too, wondered about the placement of the living room and dining room. For me, reversing them seems to be more logical but...
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First it would be easier to read if you kept all your thoughts in one post. You can edit as you go if you need to. You wrote: I just don't understand the fridge to sink issue. Do people seriously go to fridge, get carrots, wash and prep them, go back get broccoli, wash and prep it, go back get tomatoes wash and prep them? I usually pull all those things out, take them over to sink and wash and prep all together. That seems much more efficient than constant trips. Yes it is more efficient, but are you telling us you never forget an item, or decide it needs something else? I know I also keep my soy sauce, lemon juice etc in the fridge and sometimes as I'm working I realize that if I just add a bit of this or that, it will be better. Am I missing something or failing to see something because I've lived with it for 3 yrs now? We can get used to anything if we need to. The kitchen in the apartment I'm renting until our house is ready is probably the most inefficient kitchen I've ever lived in but I'll make do and after a few weeks, I probably won't even think about it. And the oven issue is also having a landing spot for things away from island seating as well as crossing traffic. So here's how it would work the way beuhl laid it out. While it's a long walk to the sink from the fridge, it's still a fairly straight line or close to one:Now here is how it will be if you reverse the fridge and the oven. Notice now that every time you need to bring things from the fridge to the sink, you're maneuvering around the island? I have a hot pan that's going from cooktop to oven Is that a daily occurrence? Once a week? Once every other week? Truly how often do you actually move things from cooktop to oven? And if you do it that often, maybe what you need is a range with an oven underneath as someone suggested and then you can have a separate oven for when you need the extra oven. Where in island is best spot for prep sink? Ideal location and a back up? Across from the fridge
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andalee
11 years ago
Ahhhh . . . got it on #3. I don't think you'd need to add any more light on that side, as stove work is usually well-lit by a decent hood; and if your under cab lighting is good enough for the counters, the three cans will more than take care of the circulation space.

I, personally, would size the cans for whatever kinds of LED's work best. I'm behind the curve with led technology, so the last I heard was that they don't dim well . . . is that still true? If so, I would opt to not add the sink cans to the perimeter lights' switch. I wouldn't do that anyway, as sometimes it's nice to just have the one area I'm working in illuminated, instead of everywhere. (Mostly later at night, though, as I like light levels to drop slowly as the evening wears on.)

I would add more cans in the living room, especially if you're thinking of going with LED's. It seems like they illuminate a smaller area, or the light diffuses less than with an incandescent bulb. (Again, if I'm behind the curve here, please someone let me know!)

Anytime. :o) Now, will someone else please chime in? I don't want to be the only person weighing in on this one . . . lol
David
11 years ago
There is the eco4-575 or cr4 @ Hd. The spread of light from the cr6 is really good - much better than the traditional bulb in a can.
twix6
Original Author
11 years ago
Any last thoughts on the plan before the drilling starts on Monday?

Please provide thoughts on my light layout

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andalee

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Please provide thoughts on my light layout

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andalee

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andalee

David

twix6Original Author

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