Need help with recessed lights for our dining table
I need to figure out fixtures for our dining table--electricians start in a week!. The plan is to install three recessed cans over the table. The middle can will be switched separately, and will be replaced with a pendant fixture sometime after the remodel. Goal is to use a 21" to 24" round pendant but still get good lighting across the width of the table.
I'd like to go with 2" or 3" lights. My thinking is smaller lights will be less visually obtrusive, so we don't see a wall of holes in the ceiling, and the eventual pendant is the highlight of the area. Most options in this size are integrated LED bulbs. Can anyone recommend a good 2" LED can? Looking for warm dim and high CRI. Is there a good integrated LED option, or should I go up to a 4" can that can take PAR30 bulbs?
Diagram below showing the dining room side of the room. The larger yellow circles are existing 6" cans--there are 6 total spread across the room. The ceiling height is 92". The room is 14' wide, the table is normally kept at 84" long.
Comments (8)
mcarroll16
last yearRelated Discussions
Combining pendant and recessed lights to light a dining table
Comments (5)My objection to cans is that they provide zero indirect light. All the light is directed downward, regardless of the beamspread. Working under cans is much like working in direct sunlight - the combination of bright light and strong shadow stresses the eyes. Working under well-done indirect light is like working in bright shade or under a partly cloudy sky. The even lighting is much easier on the eyes. Lighting designers knew that 70 years ago. Some of the original installations in the homes of that era are still in use by old-house fans. They're easier on the eyes than modern cans, even though the total luminous flux may be lower. Most modern lighting designers seem to work around this limitation of recessed lights by installing very large numbers of cans. However, that fix results in much higher installation costs, more energy use for lighting, and greater heat loss through the perforated ceiling. Cans are fashionable and some people like them because the source of light isn't visible. They also excel at highlighting room features. However, they are not a very practical system for task lighting and general illumination. An older friend of mine had her new house built with cans. Within months after moving in, she complained that she couldn't see well enough when working in the kitchen. She eventually had the electrician come back out and install a surface mount fluorescent fixture over her work area. Now she's happy. :)...See MoreRecessed LED lighting help. Need to find lights that will work.
Comments (3)Thanks David for the suggestion. The light looks like it will fit, but we haven't been able to find housing that will fit our dimensions. Do you have any suggestions on this? Thanks so much on this....See MoreI need help lighting kitchen with recessed lights please.
Comments (2)Your contractor's layout is preferable, though moving the lights closer to the counter tops would be fine - between 24" - 30". If you use lights like the Cree CR4 or CR6, there will be sufficient spillover to augment the light from the pendants over the island in the center of the room. If the pendants provide insufficient light, they can be swapped out/ higher output led lamps may be used. Rationale The counter tops will be better lit with UCL than cans. Even if you do have the ability to put can lights over the counter tops, the distance to the counter top reduces the amount of incident light. There should be sufficient distance from the crown molding around the upper cabinets to the cans so that the trim can be fit and look properly spaced. A more regular pattern is preferable as it isn't like a random pattern of holes in cheese. Eyeball cans are more troublesome in the long run. The final location of the cans will be determined by the layout of the ceiling joists as well as obstructions above the ceiling board. There has been ample discussion on the DIY led recessed lighting guide for kitchens thread on this topic...See MoreNeed help with a chandelier for our 12’ dining table in vaulted room
Comments (1)Make sure you know, what the length of the cord needs to be with the volume of the fixture depth added in. most fixture come with 8-12 feet of cord so that will be important. also if you want a rod look you will have to order additional rods. beige might be to close to the table color. shades of light artcraft restoration hardware...See Moremcarroll16
last year
PROBeverlyFLADeziner
last yearlast modified: last yearmcarroll16
last year
PRORL Relocation LLC
last year2 lights over the table, just put a junction box in the center with a blank until you decide.
add a can over buffet and to other side of table. with less than a 8 ft ceiling, put everything on dimmers and dont over kill.
mcarroll16 thanked RL Relocation LLCmcarroll16
last yearlast modified: last yearThanks! 2 cans plus a blank is a perfect solution. And I love the buffet can. I was going to put art lights above the paintings over the buffet. But a can is simpler, and lets me change up the art from time to time.
One more question about the cans on the other end of the table. My first diagram was sloppy--living in a demo site and losing track of details. Here's an older diagram of the whole room, measured more accurately. The existing cans are 6" off from the table's center. I think the optimal thing would be to remove those lights and put in a new set of four cans at the table corners. But if my coowner objects, is it reasonably good enough to just leave those there and add the over-table and buffet light?
JAN MOYER