skip to main content

Design Dilemma Home Decorating living room

Lighting Designer? Electrician?my light situation is a mess!

Painted Peggies (zone 6a)

2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

We purchased this house a little over two years ago.

I’m not sure what sort of professional I would need to help with this.

This is the lighting situation in my front room, which is a living room ,dining room and our front entry. We also need lighting help going up the stairs.

The current lights are a mixture of track lighting, a bad chandelier, and some old ceiling fans. They are all awful and have to go.

Needs:

Better, brighter lighting. I’m open to keeping one fan for airflow. I want to get rid of the track lighting, as you can see one doesn’t even have any lights on it it’s just a track🤷🏻‍♀️

We desperately need a better light over the dining table but I don’t know where to start with that.

As it stands there is no lighting on the staircase, I think that’s what the empty track lighting strip was supposed to be for. This is definitely something that is needed.

I’d like the style to play nicely with the style of the house which is a 1990 contemporary.

The high ceilings are a bit of a challenge as far as accessing the light boxes.

I would truly appreciate any and all constructive opinions and advice, thank you all so much!!

Comments (5)

kandrewspa
2 years ago
That is definitely bizarre. I can't tell from the perspective of the pictures you attached exactly how high your ceiling is, but I had an electrician in my house recently who replaced a ceiling fan that was 18' off the floor. They have tall ladders. Any higher than that you would probably have to have scaffolding built. If you happen to also be planning to paint, the painters will need scaffolding and you could ask them to let the electrician piggyback on their installation. I don't know if they would even agree to that, but it would be worth asking.

The ceiling fans should be hanging lower in order to work better, and you can get a light added to the existing ones, or if they date from when the house was built they should just be replaced. I can't tell how big the room is and if you even need two fans. Ideally you would have recessed lighting in your ceiling, but that is usually done when the house is built. It's surprisingly difficult and expensive to do it after the fact.

In any case, your issues can be addressed by an electrician - not a handyman, a licensed electrician. You could also try going to a lighting store and see if they have someone competent to advise you. There is a place like this near me, but I don't know where you are.
Painted Peggies (zone 6a)
Original Author
2 years ago
Anyone willing to share style ideas for the chandelier?
I keep looking on Pinterest but I feel so stuck 🤔
Related Discussions
Please review my lighting plan. Meeting with electrician tomorro
Q
Comments (7)
In order to provide adequate light, can lights have to be spaced in a specific way. The spacing depends on the ceiling height and the 'circle of light' produced by the can light. I googled 'recessed lighting layout' and this site from Forte Electric has good information. The website is not very professional looking but has good advice. This is from Pegasus Lighting Blog but is more general than detailed: To determine how far apart to space your recessed lights, divide the height of the ceiling by two. If a room has an 8 foot ceiling, you should space your recessed lights approximately 4 feet apart. If the ceiling is 10 feet, youÃ¢ÂÂll want to put about 5 feet of space in between each fixture. For my tastes and eyesight (and age!) you may not have enough light in your kitchen. The UCL will be great but the pendants over the island may or may not provide a lot of light - it depends on the bulb wattage of the fixtures you choose. My current kitchen has only recessed lights and I sure could use more light. Plus, the cans are placed slightly beyond the the counter edges so I stand in my own shadow. I think there is a lot more to recessed lighting layout than simply placing (x) number of feet apart. Here is a link that might be useful: How to layout recessed lighting
...See More
simple Ceiling light boxes- wiring mess -Help-
Q
Comments (4)
It sounds like the electrician did everything correct. The "out" wire is going to the second box. If you could see through the ceiling, you would see the "out" wire from the first box run straight over to the second box as the "in". What you need to do is to attach the light properly. In the box with just 1 set of wires, all you need to do is connect the light fixture - black to black, white to white, ground to ground. Each nut will have 2 wires under it. In the box with 2 sets of wires, you need to connect 2 existing blacks to the black from the fixture all together, connect all the whites together, and connect all the grounds together. In the box with 2 sets of wires, each wire nut will have 3 wires in it. If you are going to be doing this work yourself, I would highly recommend you hit the library or bookstore and pick up a basic wiring book. That will give you examples of the common wiring techniques you will likely find in your home. Also, it would be a good idea if you could find someone who has a little electrical experience help you with the first couple of connections. It isn't rocket science, but an hour working with someone who knows what they are doing is worth 10 hours spent on a website.
...See More
How to fix this light situation
Q
Comments (26)
Looks good! But I'm with the others that commented that the faux hardware is jarring. I guess it's trying to suggest that the big garage door is actually four doors that swing out with a post in the middle? If you're going to embrace the faux, then I think you need something down the center of the door.
...See More
How to fix lighting situation in formal dining room.
Q
Comments (2)
84” is the shortest the table goes. I have a leaf that extends it to 96”. In its current state it does not have a leaf in it. How are you aligning the light fixture? My current light fixture is 16” to the left of center on the table. (See picture) Aligning it with the buffet does not bother me. That is centered on the wall with the artwork.
...See More
Therese N
2 years ago
What style do you prefer for your decor? We can help with a chandelier easily enough. But in the meantime - as others have already hinted at - you may have a bigger job on your hands. All that electrical was no doubt done after the house was built and likely has code issues. I agree with previous comments, though even with recessed lighting, it’s so far away, I’m not sure it’ll help much. You still need lighting closer to the floor. I’m not even sure the fans are necessary. If you have lighting and fan done properly, you’ll probably need drywall and texture repair. Definitely get an electrician out for advice. An experienced one will tell you the status of your current circuit load, know what’s involved in improving it, and most likely be able to advise with function and design they are experiencing in the field. They can tell you what will or will not work.
Painted Peggies (zone 6a)
Original Author
2 years ago
I think the lighting was done when the house was built.
There was only one previous owner, and he had the house built in 1989.

However…we have lots of ‘questionable’ things going on that he did and we have to fix.
This is one of them🤣
PRO
Brilliant! Lighting & Design
2 years ago
The Dining chandelier is too small and at the wrong height. The fans are too small and in-effectual at the existing height. You might be able to add 1-2 wall sconces to help light the stairs themselves.
Tall spaces in a home want/need light at different levels - e.g. uplighting might be used to bounce light off the ceiling to prevent that from being a dark void and to create some ambient light, while lower fixtures will provide task light, and aome accent lights can be used to light art / architecture to create interest & contrast in the space.
To get ideas on actual fixtures you need to offer style clues so commenters can offer constructive targetted solutions for you to consider.
Ideally you want to consult an experienced design professional to help you reach the best outcome.

Sign Up to Comment

Related Stories

LIGHTING A Designer’s Top 10 Tips for Interior Lighting

By Affecting Spaces Design Studio

Consider these things when selecting the location, style and function of your home’s lighting

LIGHTING 3 Reasons to Hire a Lighting Designer

By David K Warfel at LightCanHelpYou.com

Learn why adding a lighting expert to your home remodeling team is a bright idea

GRAY Designers Share Their Favorite Light Gray Paints

By Becky Harris

These versatile neutrals can help create a range of moods in any room

BATHROOM DESIGN Light-Up Mirrors Offer Bright Design Solutions

By By Any Design Ltd.

If you're taking a dim view of a problem bathroom area, try the flash of design brilliance that is the electric mirror

ARCHITECTURE Design Workshop: How to Borrow Light

By Eric Reinholdt, Architect

You can save energy by using glass walls, windows and skylights to bring sunlight into dark areas of your home

BATHROOM DESIGN Universal Bath Design: Light Your Bathroom for All Ages and Abilities

By Sheridan Interiors, Kitchens and Baths

Learn about uplighting, downlighting, visual cueing and avoiding glare for a bathroom that's safe and works for all

LIGHTING Why You Might Want to Work With a Lighting Designer

By Alpenglow Lighting Design, Inc,

A lighting designer can bring technical know-how and a thoughtful approach to your project — and could save you money

BASEMENTS A Light, Bright Basement Inspired by Midcentury Design

By Becky Harris

Designers create an organic and airy feel in this underground space in Toronto

LIGHTING Expert Lighting Design Secrets

By Becky Harris

A professional designer turns us on to the 10 most important things to know when lighting rooms and art

LIGHTING 15 Great Design-Minded Uses for LED Lighting

By Toronto Interior Design Group

See how this energy-efficient light source can jazz up vanities, countertops, cabinets and more

Sponsored

More Discussions

small office space decor help!

1

Help choosing fabric

1

Board and batten paint color options

1

What style chandelier would be best here?

1

placement of calendar

7