Critique/comment on my lighting plan for an awkwardly long sitting ro
All pictures are at the end of the post:
This is a long room with a tall 25 ft high ceiling and currently is mostly unfurnished and badly needs lighting/existing fixtures replaced. I have begun to order furniture and made this plan in hopes of ordering the lighting immediately and getting it installed before all the furniture will arrive (some stuff takes weeks) so we can at least have lighting asap.
I read that you should have multiple lighting sources, so I have sourced ceiling pendants + wall scones + table/floor lamps as my 3 sources. I will use led + dimmers on everything possible. Is this enough lighting? Does all the lighting I picked complement each other? I'm leaning towards lighting that does not sit on the floor just keep things looking clean and uncluttered.
I'm having some trouble figuring out the front door lighting situation as described below - should the light go above or next to door?
(Any critiques of my furniture layout also appreciated. I found that many long rooms use sitting zones to help divide up the area. If you have any ideas that should replace mine, please let me know.... are there too many chairs? This room is difficult to plan)
Lighting colored coded in next image
Yellow - Ceiling pendants, 2 large in room, and 1 small over staircase
Red - Wall articulating scones over bookcase and by front door (either next to door or above it)
Blue - table lamps
Green - floor lamp
Not pictured: Both sofas will have large scale paintings above them and I am still looking for extra long art lighting (those horizontal bar looking things) to light up the art.
Below are the lights that I have found and liked so far to use. I have purchased ceiling lights but still have to order the rest.
Yellow Large Ceiling Pendant - 50" by 70" on dimmer. Smaller version of this above stairs :
Red - Wall articulating scones - 3 over bookcase and 1 by front door (either next to door or above it) :
Should the front door light be next to the front door or above it? Below is a photo of the front door area:
Green + Blue: The lights in this collection all come in the same brass + linen shade as the wall articulating lights. I wanted to use the 2 variants of the table lamps for Green and the floor lamp for the Blue :
More pictures of the room:
Comments (18)
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Comments (13)Gamebird, You've had lots of helpful comments today, and I am sure more are yet to come. My answer on beds being oriented north-south or east-west is going to make me sound wishy-washy, but I think either one could work equally well. Most of my neighbors that have veggie gardens run their beds from north to south, but a fellow gardener who lives a couple of miles from me runs his east-west. I have some beds, about 65% of them, that run north-south, and the remaining 35% run east-west. Our veggie garden is on a serious slope, so the contouring of the garden beds was a very deliberate decision to slow down the runoff of water and also to minimize erosion. The classic recommendation in most parts of the country is that you should run your beds from north to south. I think the intent is that your rows get a more equal distribution of light that way. What is more important than the orientation of the beds, though, is the selection of where to plant your veggies. The general rule is to put taller crops in the northernmost rows of the garden so they won't shade your other crops. Here in Oklahoma, where the summers are very long and insanely hot, I deliberately use okra, corn, amaranth and other tall plantings (like pole beans and other trellised crops) to shade crops that benefit from a little shade, like sweet and hot peppers. I like your idea of improving the soil first, then building the beds, and lining the pathways....I was gently trying to lead you in that direction, without sounding like your bossy sister! LOL Torrential rainfall IS a huge problem here when it occurs. Just today we had 3" of rain in less than 4 hours, and you should see the erosion that has gone on today as the water rushes downhill to the creeks that will carry it to the Red River. (It is not at all one of our heaviest rainfalls....two years ago we had 9.25" in one day, and almost 8" of that fell in 4 hours.) 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When we say that, it is because we know from experience that summer's heat here can be VERY cruel and very hard on plants. In your part of the state, you also have to plan for the recurring sleet and ice storms that can cruelly destroy gorgeous trees in a matter of hours. (So, stay away from weeping trees, weak-wooded trees and delicate trees that can't hold a huge load of ice.) Understand, too, that Oklahoma's climate is one of wild swings and unpredictable changes. It can, literally, be 60 or 70 or 80 degrees, sunny and clear in the morning and then an Artic cold front can come out of Canada in a matter of hours, dropping the temperatures 30 degrees or more, and bringing cold rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow or a mix of them. In the summer, rain can be scarce and temperatures brutal. Plants have to be TOUGH to survive here, so decide in advance how much (or how little) pampering you're prepared to give your plants, and plan accordingly. It is so much fun reading your plans and imagining how it all will work out. I hope you'll keep us all posted on your progress. Dawn...See Moreplease critique my plan
Comments (19)We had a similar med cabinet-54" wide, 3 mirror doors,lights all the way across the top. It might have been taller than the one you are looking at. As with everything there are pluses and minuses. My wife and I like it a lot. It held a huge amount of stuff, the mirrors were great. When my daughter inherited the bathroom she also liked the huge amount of stuff it held. But she didn't like 5-6"" it came out over the counter top. She was always bugging me to recess the cabinet a few inches but it was not practical. She didn't like having to reach under it to operate the faucet or use the electrical plugs/switches.I replaced it in a bathroom remodel. It may not look that good with those hickory cabinets and is not mission/shaker style. Centering was no problem....See MoreHelp me critique my plan! (long)
Comments (10)I'm not sure what you mean by "design efficiency" but, as has already been pointed out, this plan has loads of bump-outs that will make it more expensive to build than a house that is more rectangular in shape. On the other hand, all those bump-outs allow for those lovely bay windows (which I happen to adore) and make for a much more interesting design than one fitted into a rectangular box would probably be. So, if you can afford to build it, go for it. One thing I notice tho is that all the bedrooms are on the second floor. You're still young so you're probably not thinking about how creaky knees and bad backs can make staircases hard to manage. And anyone at anytime can wind up in a wheelchair or on crutches at least temporarily. Thus, most people building a two-story home to "grow old" in want at least one bedroom and a full bath on the entry level. Alternatively, if like me, you really perfer having all your bedrooms on the second level, you might want to look into incorporating a home elevator or at least designing a place where one can be put in at a later date if/when it becomes necessary. You might also want to try and figure out a way to get that laundry room moved upstairs. At least 95% of laundry is generated in the bedrooms and bathrooms - and that is where the clean laundry must be returned once it is washed. Consider the tons of laundry you are going to deal with every week once you have a baby or two! I lived in a two story house with all the bedrooms upstairs and the laundry room downstairs for twenty five years. Carrying laundry up and down stairs was a major hassle that got harder and harder the older I got! My new home has the laundry upstairs and I absolutely LOVE it. Plus, if you can find room upstairs for your laundry, you can use the freed up space in the mud room for mud-room cubbies which will also make your life much easier once you have kids. Overall I think the downstairs if fairly well designed tho there are some tweaks I would try to make. For example, the dining room is a bit long and bit narrow to actually fit a typical dining table. Unless you plan on using that space as more of a family room with, maybe, a small round dining table in front of the bay windows, I would try to make the room a bit shorter and deeper, especially since you plan to have a patio door opening off one side. In the kitchen, I can see where the sink and fridge go but it isn't clear where you plan to have your range. IMHO, it is better to position a range so that it is OUT of the the flow of traffic through the kitchen... especially when you have small children. So, you would not want to put it on the cabinets that are against the staircase wall. 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Am I understanding correctly that the loft floor is actually about 5 or 6 feet HIGHER than the second floor level and that the loft can ONLY be accessed via a sort of closet off the master bedroom? If so, how do you envision using the loft area? If I'm reading the plan correctly, it appears that the loft is designed merely as a very private walkway overlooking the great hall below. Is that correct? If so, for multiple reasons, I have grave doubts that you'll ever use it. How tall is the ceiling of the Great Hall? Since the loft is raised ABOVE the second floor level by at least 5 feet and it appears to be open to the Great Hall, I'm guessing that the Great Hall ceiling soars to around 25 feet. Architects often use soaring ceilings to create a "wow" factor but before you let "wow" overrule common sense, remember that warm air rises. In a cold climate like New England, you will waste a LOT of heating energy heating the air above your great room. 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Of course now I'm proposing a complete redesign of the entire second floor so I'll sign off. LOL!...See MoreIntro and please critique my plan
Comments (13)Thanks for the input so far! Here's a little insight into how we live and a couple answers: I am planning on a 90 degree turn in the staircase. I didn't know there would need to be special considerations for this. We are doing SIPs walls and are meeting with them tonight. They'll also be doing our stairway so I'm sure they'll tell me all I need to know about it. I'll be sure to mention it. Stairs sure are a pain! If you've been reading here you know what I am going to say! LOL There's no powder room near a family entry to the house and no closets for all the 'stuff' that accumulates in what I call a 'back hall'. Picture your children trekking through the house with muddy feet to get to the toilet. The extra space you see in the laundry room will be where we hang coats and take our shoes off/throw bookbags, etc. We just won't be doing lockers (at least right away). I am planning on doing a drain in the garage with hot and cold spout near for muddy feet/dog/etc. The closet in the hall was my "stuff" closet along with storage in the basement. The one bedroom that has its only small window on the screened in porch is going to be sad. This made me laugh. :) How I picture this room being used: nursery for 2nd baby, then kids can share a room and this will become the play/toy room upstairs. At some point another kid can move back in if they want or move downstairs, etc. Could you build a house with more space on one level and a smaller (or no) basement? With two acres, I'd prefer to 'spread out'. What appeals to you about having a lower level? I like one level living for the majority of my time. Basements are the norm around here - we live in tornado alley. 1. Is there really a need for back to back entry doors? Could you eliminate the interior entry door and just make that a wide cased opening? How about moving your coat closet up to left side of that entry area and changing the door swing on the outermost door to a RH swing? The entry is this way because my DH's two desires when planning this house: That people don't see the kitchen from the front door and that randoms that do come to our front door can't see into the house. I do plan to have coat hooks there inside the entry for when guests come. Our guests are very casual. Your porch is too shallow for a table and chairs; need 12 foot depth. Good to know. Thank you. 2. Your first floor baths both have windows by the shower/baths. I'd keep windows away from baths if possible for privacy purposes and to keep water away from the interior side of windows (and therefore, the inside of the walls). Can things be adjusted so vanities are closer to the windows? I've nixed the one in the secondary bath. I think I might like a glass block one in the master shower though. This may be backwards and sound dumb but we currently have one in our shower and we just hang a clear shower curtain along the back wall. Light in and no water on the window :) I'm open to suggestions on that room though. The closet in the basement for the bedroom....maybe I can jut a closet into my craft room/office. I think that is what I'll do :) I didn't figure I'd get as much room under there as what is drawn. The kitchen is actually decent sized in my mind. There are cupboards along the south wall in there if you didn't see those. They can hold all the sometimes used stuff. There are more in there than at most of my family/friends houses and my current house. Our current dining table is a 4 seater and when we need to get a bigger one I'm actually thinking I'll be a bench along that dining wall so the table can sit closer to it. The living room could be a little bigger but hey, such is life when you are sticking to a budget I guess. My current living room is 12x11. There isn't a pathway through it though so that will make a difference. If we need to spread out we'll go to the basement. I live in 1000 sq ft now. I'm good at organization and stacking things to the ceiling of closets, etc. 3000 is a mansion to me. :) Thanks again! Oh and I'm attaching the plan that I tweaked to make mine if you feel like taking a peek. Here is a link that might be useful: Original house plan...See More
bonitapplebum
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agodecoenthusiaste We expanded our kitchen and in the process added an adjoining dining room. So the "dining room" you see here does not need to be used as one. After living here for 3 years we found that we have no use for a "formal dining room". I also live in California, so most of our dinner parties happen outside on our patio.
I'm using these 96" high bookcases and I just assumed I should put a sconce above each one, but I can reduce those 2 if that works better.
Could you explain what you mean by double vs single? The sconce I was thinking of using has just 1 shade.
All lights in this room will go on a dimmer. I have ordered furniture that would work best with ivory/cream/off whites and not stark whites. I do understand that furniture first would be best, but this room is a large part of the house and we badly need lighting here
The upstairs stair light and the entry light as well that shiny brass light that looks like the dining room light - none of them work and can't be fixed. We need replace all of them. All 3 of the ceiling lights are marked in yellow. I am thinking of using a smaller version of the large ceiling lights over the stairs because all of that space is visible from many vantage points. So I was hoping to nail down the ceiling/wall light plan and getting those installed. I am marking out all furniture and rugs with blue tape + cardboard placemats before finalizing light placement.
You mentioned all this might be too much of a good thing? Could you explain what you mean and how I can fix?
decoenthusiaste
6 years agobonitapplebum
6 years agodecoenthusiaste Ohh that makes sense. Thank you!
I see what you're saying about too many of the same lights. I just assumed that all ceilings should be the same because they'll be visible together. What if I were to make the staircase light different and keep the 2 living room lights the same? For example, if I used this pendant from the same line as the wall scones plus the 2 original lights? Like so:
1 of these in staircase:
2 of these in living room:
Side question: Can I mix aged brass with satin brass or is that a no no? The drum pendant is aged brass and the glass globe light is satin brass.
bonitapplebum
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agosuezbell Thanks for your post!
We don't have a large family but do have plenty of guests, but you're right: 3 seating zones is odd. I just couldn't figure out what else to do. The home office idea is another great idea, but then we wondered if that meant we'd have to keep the desk tidy all the time. We have a small bedroom that currently serves as our office and keeps our paper clutter out of sight. I supposed we could have a desk that served more as decoration and so was kept clean, but then it also seems like a waste of space. Still, if we were to go with a desk, could you give me an idea of desk style that would go with everything else? I've never seen a curved desk like the one you linked. The center window of the bay window is 7 feet with side windows at 4 feet.
I had broke down the seating zones like so:
1. library with sofa at bay window
2. sitting room space at center for conversation - have not found pair of chairs yet
3. sofa and TV amongst a gallery wall at other side window
I also considered putting in 2 chaise lounges angled side by side at the bay window to give it more of a library feel. I do think a desk would just look better there because it would a different kind of furniture rather than more sofas and chairs.
bonitapplebum
6 years ago
Bette P
6 years ago
Pacific Heights Transformations · More Info
I like the four chairs with an ottoman you can put your feet up or place a tray to have drinks or coffee. Also a great place to read at your library end. The high and lower back chairs are interesting, as the article mentions, the lower backs do not exclude the next grouping.bonitapplebum
6 years agobonitapplebum
6 years agoBette P
6 years agobonitapplebum
6 years ago
decoenthusiaste