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how do you know where to place recessed lights????

15 years ago

is there a rule of thumb about this? i plan on 3 pendents over the island, undercabinet lighting and recessed lights. where should they typically be placed????

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Comments (5)

pharaoh
15 years ago
We placed ours centered on the aisles. ie half way between the perimeter cabinets and island (the aisles are about 40"). Make sure you get the gimbal trim so that the lights can be pointed to where ever you want.
raehelen
15 years ago
The folks at the lighting forum have it down to a science, plus your local lighting store will be invaluable.

We are DIY, and placed the lights so that the centre of the bulb lines up with the edge of the counter. Where there is no counter, we placed them the same distance from the edge of the uppers (which were deeper)which was approximately 11-13".

We also thought about what we wanted to light up, ie interior of pantry, fridge, etc.
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Our can lights are Cooper. (See above) In the GW world, most use the Cree We went with cooper for 3 reasons 1. I made an error putting in 5 inch cans as I thought I would use bulbs which fit the 5 inch best - but decided I wanted the trim kits as the light is less harsh than bulbs- I hated our old bulbs as well 2. The Cree trim kit only fits the 4 and 6 inch cans- but the Cooper fits a 5 or 6 inch can. 3. I did not use a box store but a lighting store. They were very helpful and I could see different options in action. I felt their time was worth a few extra dollars. The carried the Cooper brand plus many bulb types. This was early in the renovation process and I was just discovering GW The cooper only came in the 3000k - but DH preferred the whiter light. They dim nicely- down to 5% but it does look brighter than 5% Maybe my eyes are getting older(I am sure this is not true) but love having lots of light options in the kitchen (also gave UCL and a lighted cabinet) I have most of the cans on one dimmer with the over sink on a second dimmer. I do have decorative lights in the center (on a dimmer also) which are standard incandescent bulbs for now. My former boss didn't like them the first time she saw them but by the second time - she thought they were great- I adjusted the dimming ahead of time so when I turned them on - it was not a full blast experience. Most will like them but some won't - see if you have a lighting center in the area. Just spend time making your decision. LEDs are expensive so you want to be happy with your choice. Let us know what you do :-) Cryptic and typos from iPhone
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I don't like recessed cans either and Enduring, I adore your fixture! I also love Greta's chandeliers. I would do the same if I didn't think my 8' ceilings are too low for a semi-flush and I didn't have part of a skylight shaft taking up the center of the ceiling. Uplight is definitely of the essence, no matter what, for aesthetics and for aging or sensitive eyes. I'd say where you put your chandelier will depend on the height, how wide an area it will light up and if it's just for ambient light or also for task lighting over your island - and how much light you think you need there. (I wonder if you can - safely! - temporarily hook a plug and an extension cord onto it and hold it up in the various positions?) I'm also working on (agonizing over)my plan right now - great advice from everybody! Trying to avoid shadows and glare. I'm thinking dimmable LED lighting under cabinets, something above the cabinets to wash the ceiling and some kind of down light over the sink and possibly over the end of the peninsula-to-be (eventually - right now it's a counter with a cutout). For me the burning questions are: LED or T4 fluorescent to wash the ceiling? Does it have to be dimmable? Fluorescent is cheaper, but not dimmable. Will I miss the overall diffused brightness of fluorescent (and the new color rendition is better) or is it worth paying extra for the gentleness of the LED and use the downlighting to fill in where it doesn't quite reach? I still don't want to do six cans, plus LED above and below...
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You will be happy with strong lighting for your work zones. 450 lumens at the surface is recommended. That amount from overhead can create a shadow. If you put the light vertical in front of the edge of your counter several inches the shadow of your hands will be in front of your work focus Put the lights on dimmers. It looks like those lights are 660 lumens at the ceiling in 2700k color(warm) and 675 lumens in 3000k. That measurement is over 80* of spread. About 200 lumens over 30*. I wouldn't consider them strong enough for work zones unless you used a bunch. They could be a supplement to under cabinet lighting. . . . .Another consideration is the way they highlight the doors of your upper cabinets. https://www.acuitybrands.com/products/detail/655442/aculux/ax2-dr-remodel-housing/aculux-led-2in-round-remodel-housing These 2" leds can supply 1500 lumens and the spread is something you can choose the optics for. This is more expensive.
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OMG, I remember Chico, BBSTX! I think they add a nice soft ambience to rooms when entertaining. Totally agree. If the right color and dimmed, and coupled with other forms of light, they can highlight things like dishes and crystal in a way that reminds me of the displays at Cartier on 5th avenue! (my office was a block away for a time). It was (is) in a very old building and had such a calm, elegant hushed feeling, partly due to the relatively low light. What type of ceiling will you have in the sunroom? It will not be vaulted, because we want to have a deck on top, since it will get nice ocean views and breezes. Your room is lovely, but I am not sure I want wood on the ceiling and on the floor (doing painted wood), esp w cedar shingles on the only solid wall. Sort of too many lines? So right now I'm thinking ordinary dry wall you should have 3 light level—- those that shine up those that shine down and those in the middle Agreed Jilly, your secret's safe with me I tend to not notice the recessed lighting anywhere near as much as I notice the light they cast. I get that The one I like the most is over the FP with all other lights turned off. I know what you mean, love that look Lascatx, do you know the model of the new ones you like? have several in my dining room, two of which are behind a wood beam that provides nice ambience in addition to the chandelier. Sounds really pretty, Tishtosh I cannot stand the feel of a room lit only by ceiling lights. I would have ceiling lights, wall sconces, and probably 2 table lamps. Maybe a floor lamp, IDK. No chandelier I don't think; it will be a normal height ceiling
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abejadulce_z9b
15 years ago
we placed ours 25" from the wall so that they light the countertop and don't cause shadows on the counter when you are working. We haven't installed the undercounter lighting yet.

The eyeball trim we selected for the can lights created a challenge for us. We had planned to install the cabinets flush to the ceiling. If we had done that, The larger cabinet doors would have hit the trim when opened. An 18" wide cabinet door has a big swing!

Good luck!
redroze
15 years ago
We did similar to Pharoah...centred on the aisle of the l-shaped area...then two above the chair in the desk area, then four square over our future circular kitchen table, then two pendants over the island. Make sure you have some lighting above the sink area especially.
julie7549
15 years ago
Our electrician placed them,like the poster above, where they directed the light onto the countertop but with no shadows. Our architectural plans had them centered over the aisle. Why would we want the aisle lit? I want to be able to see what I'm working on at the counter!!

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