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Task lighting with no uppers?

11 years ago

Our kitchen will have few or no upper cabinets. I'm wondering what good ideas you've used or seen for task lighting when there are no upper cabinets to mount lighting. Overhead lighting will be schoolhouse pendants, but of course your body will block that light somewhat when you're working at a counter. At my age, it seems like there is never enough light!

The stove will have lighting built in to the hood, and the clean-up sink will be in front of a big window. It will be easy to put lighting there. But what about other areas? I'm going to have a prep sink, and a dedicated prep area with a maple surface and open underneath for working while seated (why do we all stand up while prepping food?). I'm wondering how to light those areas. The house will be antique/country/cottage decor.

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Comments (10)

muskokascp
11 years ago
We have a 20' long row of lowers with no uppers at all. There are two 8' windows and the cooktop with hood in the middle. We put in three 4" cans over each 8 foot section of counter. All are on dimmers and the light produced has been great. Since there are no uppers there is also not the shadow produced by them. I find the cans to provide lots of light, and I am one that likes to have a lot of light to see what I am doing.
flgargoyle
Original Author
11 years ago
That sounds like it would work well. I'm not a big fan of cans, but I might have to make an exception for the kitchen. I can't picture any kind of wall-mounted light that wouldn't look weird in a kitchen.
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Glare is a potential issue here because the counter is polished and behaves like a mirror - the "glare" you fear would happen any time you could see a light source reflected in the counter surface. So, imagine that you had a mirror lying flat on the counter. If you were standing in front of that counter and looking at the mirror lying there, you wouldn't see the ceiling at all. Instead, you'd see a reflection of the backsplash, the underside of the upper cabs and the doors of the upper cabinets -- for this reason, undercabinet lights are a much more significant source of potential glare. To see the ceiling at all, you'd have to lean your head over the countertop. You will do this sometimes, of course, when cooking. It's unavoidable, but it's not a big deal. The closer the recessed lights are to the wall or upper cabinets, the less you'll have to lean over the counter to see them reflected in it. The further out they are, the less often you'll see glare but the more often you'll see shadows. My recessed lights are right over the counter edges, and my head can cast a shadow over my chopping hands when I lean over the counter, if I'm right under the light. If I'm a bit to the left or right of the light it's not an issue. I haven't installed UC lights yet, but I expect them to make the whole issue moot. This set of tradeoffs is inherent to recessed lighting; there's no perfect answer here. (I think this is central to Davidr's dislike of recessed lighting.) The only way to avoid glare altogether is to eliminate specular (mirror-like) surfaces and exposed light sources, opting instead for matte finishes and diffused, indirect light sources. Don't bother looking for the perfect answer; seek a compromise you can live with.
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If your ceiling are 8 foot most any can will reach the surface, its forced because the opening is smaller and the distance is not that far to the surface you are trying to light, I still think 4 inch is a good option, Juno, Halo either or.
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kaijutokusatsu
11 years ago
How about wall mounted swing arm lights? This is one of the choices that I am considering for task lighting with no uppers.

Here is a link that might be useful: swing arm light
cawaps
11 years ago
Recessed cans are definitely an option. I don't love them either, but this is an application I would tolerate them in: task lighting around the perimeter. But I don't think wall-mounted lights would look weird. Here are some photos from Houzz.com (I searched for "kitchen sconce")

[Eclectic Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2104)

[Traditional Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Burlington Architect Smith & Vansant Architects PC
lavender_lass
11 years ago
The first picture! That would look great, in your kitchen :)
rosie
11 years ago
Just like muskokascp. BTW, that wall-mounted lights looking weird idea sounds like inspiration to me. Just because everyone else doesn't do it? This should be yet another option, and it's a wonderful design opportunity. Do it right, and thousands of people will be clipping pix of your kitchen to their project boards. :)
Bunny
11 years ago
The only place I have no uppers is over the sink, so I depend on the can there to see what I'm doing. I have a 9-ft. ceiling and found that the 4-inch can wasn't bright enough. I tried every kind of bulb. Finally I replaced the whole unit with an LED kit. It was the only light that provided the brightness I needed.
2LittleFishies
11 years ago
I love cawaps photos! Especially the first one!
flgargoyle
Original Author
11 years ago
Great pictures, cawaps! I love the first one. The second one is very close to what our kitchen will look like, although on a smaller scale. Windows on either side of the stove, big windows over the sink, coffered ceiling, and pendant lighting.
motodetroit
11 years ago
Schoolhouse Electric has an 'exterior can' that I used in my kitchen and it goes well with my schoolhouse light. I also have sconces above my work tables with no uppers. Rejuvenation has a nice selection with different finishes.

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