Let There Be Light - A Kitchen That Works LLClighting. Incorporating lights into your landscaping can have multiple benefits, including increased safety, reduced thefts and burglaries,

TEXT BY MOLLY ERIN MCCABE, ADBD, CGP, CAPS

Light, be it natural or artificial, impactsproductivity, safety, moods, as well as thesense of aesthetics. You can design abeautiful home or landscaped yard but ifit is not properly illuminated, it may allbe for not. The following is an overviewof basic lighting design, types of fixturesand the different types of light bulbsavailable today.

Lighting DesignThere are three primary types of

lighting to include in most any room:general, task and accent. Generallighting allows a person to navigate a

space and perform general activitiessuch as putting away groceries. Fixturescommonly used for general lightinginclude semi-flush and flush-mountedceiling fixtures and wall sconces.Task lighting is typically high-

illumination lighting for performingspecific tasks such as meal preparation,shaving, desk work or cleaning. A varietyof fixtures can be used for task lighting,including under-cabinet lighting,recessed can lights (over countertops,assuming the ceiling is no more than 9feet high), pendants and chandeliers

(over tables and counters) or table andfloor lamps for reading.Accent lighting is used to highlight or

spotlight specific objects such as art,collectibles or architectural details. Avariety of fixtures can be used to achievethis, including track lights, rail lighting,recessed eye balls, ribbon and mono-point fixtures.Similar to your fall and spring

Northwest attire, lighting should bedesigned in layers so that roomsincorporate general, task and accentlighting (each switched separately). This

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Let There Be LightTHE BASICS OF LIGHTING AND LIGHTING DESIGN

The kitchen in this photograph combinesrecessed can lights, pendant lights and under-

cabinet lighting, providing layers of lighting thatcan be added or subtracted at a flip of a switch.

PHOTO COURTESY STONE LIGHTING DESIGN

allows the occupants to “put on” or “takeoff” light fixtures to suit both their moodsand their activities.Once you have decided on the

requisite types of lighting to incorporatein a room, it is time to select the types offixtures that will be installed. The basiccategories for fixtures are:• Ceiling mounted: Fixtures aremounted in the ceiling such as arecessed can light, flush to the ceilingor semi-flush mounted to the ceiling.Ceiling mounted fixtures typicallyprovide general lighting in a room.

• Wall mounted: Fixtures are mountedonto or close to a wall. Wall sconces,light bars and accent lights are allexamples. Wall sconces in a hallprovide general lighting while wallsconces in a bathroom typicallyprovide task lighting for shaving andapplying makeup. A bar light in abathroom can provide either generalor task lighting depending on thenumber of lights in the bar, thewattage rating of the fixture and theheight above the counter at which it ismounted. Accent wall lights aredesigned to spotlight a specific itemsuch as works of art or collectibles.

• Pendant and chandeliers: Pendantsand chandeliers are typically mounted

to a ceiling and hang down aspecified length over a dining table,countertop or coffee table and in afoyer. They are intended to providegeneral lighting but may also providetask lighting, such as for reading ormeal preparation, as long as thewattage for the fixture is sufficient. Thiscategory of lighting also lends itself tobeing highly decorative, creating adesign statement.

• Track or cable and rail lighting: Trackor cable and rail lighting may be usedfor general, task or accent lighting.Either may be mounted on a ceiling oron a wall. With track lighting,individual heads are mounted in a linevoltage track, which itself is mountedflush to a wall or ceiling with a singleelectrical junction box. The heads maycome in a variety of styles but typicallyhave a somewhat “commercial”appearance. Low-voltage cable andrail lighting is hung by cables from aceiling or mounted with stand-offs.Rails are powered by either surface-mounted transformers or wired toremote transformers, as opposed to astandard junction box. Cable and railleans toward contemporary in styleand is very flexible in that you canattach a wide variety of heads, along

with a wide variety of pendants (manyof which are interchangeable betweenmultiple manufacturers) anywhere youwant along the rail. Rails can also beconfigured in a variety of shapes andlengths, adding to their flexibility. Theonly limitation is the allowable wattageof the transformer.

• Floor or table lamps: Floor and tablelamps provide general and targeted tasklighting, such as reading light for �

Neptune semi-flush ceiling mount

Kilo chandeliers

Milano wall sconce Wall rail with standoffs

PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE COURTESY STONE LIGHTING DESIGN


a chair. Floor and table lamps canaugment a room’s décor with regardsto both style and finish. Considerswitching table and floor lamps from aswitch on the wall to make lightingmore accessible.

• Accent lighting: The purpose of accentlighting is to illuminate specific objectssuch as art or collectibles. Accentlighting comes in a variety ofconfigurations such as recessed can“eyeballs,” tracks and rails, as well asindividual line and low-voltagefixtures. Under-cabinet, in-cabinet,soffit and toe-kick lighting is sometimesconsidered to be accent lighting dueto its ability to illuminate specificfeatures of a room, such as a tilebacksplash in a kitchen or the stairtreads in a living room.

• Wet-rated lighting: Wet- or damp-ratedlighting can be found both inside andoutside a home. It is important to selectfixtures for over a bathtub or in ashower that are wet-rated to ensure along, safe life for the fixture. (Note:Chandeliers over bathtubs are verypopular these days; however, there arevery specific electrical codes thataddress the ability to install thesefixtures over a bathtub — check with alicensed electrician before purchasingand installing).This principle alsoapplies to exterior lighting. Whetherunder cover or not, light fixtures that

are to be installed out of doors need tobe rated for a wet environment tominimize corrosion of contacts and thefixture’s housing. The category of wet-rated lighting also includes landscapelighting. Incorporating lights into yourlandscaping can have multiplebenefits, including increased safety,reduced thefts and burglaries, as wellas enhanced enjoyment of youroutdoor environments, whether youare inside or out.When selecting any type of fixture, it is

important to consider the size of thefixture (width, height, number of bulbs);

the type of light bulb (referred to as alamp by professionals) and all its relatedcharacteristics such as lamp base,watts/lumens, Kelvin and CRI; therecommended wattage for the fixture;the available finishes for the fixture andwhether the fixture has a “family” (acollection of complementary fixtures).According to Debbie Page of CSW

Electric & HVAC, “the most commonoversight homeowners make, whenselecting lighting, is the size of a fixturerelative to the size of the room and theactual light output compared to thedesired light output.” One solution is to

Track lighting PHOTO COURESTY A KITCHEN THAT WORKS, LLC

Ceiling mounted rail with standoffs Rail with surface mounted transformerPHOTO COURTESY STONE LIGHTING DESIGNPHOTO COURTESY STONE LIGHTING DESIGN


mock up the general dimensions of aperspective fixture and “hang” it in thegeneral location under consideration todetermine if the size is in scale with thespace it is intended for.There are basically three types of

bulbs: incandescent, fluorescent andLED (light emitting diodes), withvariations within each category. All ofthese bulbs possess commoncharacteristics such as the lamp base —some are referred to as Edison or screw-in bases while others have pin bases. Pinbases allow for smaller, shallowerhousing and tend to be found in more“architectural” lighting. All bulbs arelabeled for their watts, a measure ofenergy conversion into light and, morerecently, their lumens, a measure ofbrightness.It is no longer true that the higher the

wattage, the greater the brightness. Forexample, a 5-watt LED bulb and a 40-watt incandescent bulb have roughly anequal number of lumens (brightness), or450, but use a considerably different

amount of energy (watts) to produce thesame amount of brightness. If you wantthe brightness of a 100-wattincandescent bulb but the low energy(wattage) consumption of an LED orfluorescent, then look for a bulb that

provides approximately 1,600 lumens.Another commonly measured

characteristic of bulbs is Kelvin. Kelvin isa measure of a light’s temperature inthousands. A high Kelvin such as 4,000-plus is typical for industrial-grade �

Table lamps can double as task lightingand decor.

Mono-pointPHOTO COURESTY A KITCHEN THAT WORKS, LLC


fluorescent bulbs and the LED bulbs ofyesteryear. The higher the Kelvinnumber, the more “blue” the lightappears, similar to sunlight.Most people prefer a Kelvin between

2,500-3,500 for the fixture bulbs in theirhomes. This temperature range givesgood color rendering while beingneither sterile (like the high Kelvinfluorescent bulbs) nor too orange, aswith a low Kelvin period Edison bulb.CRI, or color rendering index, is

another bulb characteristic that measuresa bulb’s ability to accurately read thecolor of an illuminated object. Thismeasure has somewhat fallen out ofvogue and is no longer regularlyincluded on bulb packaging. If thisinformation is available, a good CRIrange is between 80 and 100.Incandescent bulbs, such as the

common A-bulb, come in a 40, 60, 75,100 and 150 (three way) watt variety.Incandescent bulbs can be either linevoltage or low voltage, such as halogen,and are dimmable. Regardless of thevoltage, they have the shortest life spanand lowest cost, and are the leastenergy-efficient type of bulb available,which is why they are being phased outof production by federal mandate.Fluorescent bulbs come in two basic

flavors — pin-based tubes and screw-based compacts. The fluorescent bulbs(and, more accurately, the fixtures)historically were of low quality, had adelayed start and often times flickered,causing eye strain or headaches forsome people. Fluorescents run coolerand use less energy than incandescentbulbs but contain mercury, which is aharmful substance if not disposed ofproperly.The big difference between

fluorescent and LED bulbs is cost. LEDbulbs are relatively new to the market buthave come a long way in a short amountof time with regards to quality, color,Kelvin and cost. LEDs are low voltage butsome bulbs have the driver (themechanism that drops the voltage fromline to low) built into the base of the bulbwhile others, such as LED under-cabinetlights, have an accessory driver that

drops the voltage. LED bulbs havebecome popular, in part, due to the factthat they have most of the attributes offluorescent bulbs with fewer drawbacks.It is important to consider the

manufacturer’s maximum recommendedwattage for a fixture before purchasingto ensure the fixture will provide thenecessary light output for its intendeduse. Never install bulbs that are a higherwattage than that recommend by the

fixture’s manufacturer. This could lead tooverheating and a potential house fire.Additionally, consider not only if the

style of the fixture is compatible with theroom it is intended for but that the finishis too. Many fixtures are offered inmultiple finishes. It pays to inquire whatfinishes are available so you can renderjust the right look. Depending on how �

LED stair accent lighting The fixtures featured in this shower weredesigned for the outdoors. The car deckingon the ceiling necessitated wall mounting

the fixtures in the shower.

Sempria under-cabinet lighting PHOTO COURTESY TASK LIGHTING

PHOTO COURTESY STONE LIGHTING DESIGN

PHOTO COURTESY A KITCHEN THAT WORKS, LLC


Oceano from Stone Lighting featuresan internally ice etchedglass diffuser, polishedbrass housing guard,brass hex screws andwatertight gasketing.

Incandescent, compactfluorescent and LED lamp

options are available.

Bistro — Brazilian Cherrybollard with glassdesigned in collaborationwith Mesollini GlassStudio of BainbridgeIsland; very weather-resistant with night skyfriendly LED lampingprovides up to a 60-footlight spread.

PHOTO COURTESY STONE LIGHTINGPHOTO COURTESY BOB LUND DESIGNER ASHA KENT


extensive your lighting project is, youmight want to consider a variety offixtures in the same style and finish,referred to as a family. You can findfamilies consisting of chandeliers,pendants, wall sconces and more.Manufacturers such as Kichler, Progress,Seagull, Murray Feis, Hubbarton Forgeand others are known for their lightingfamilies.Lastly, make the most of your lighting

by including a variety of lightingcontrols. The controls can improve yoursafety and reduce your energy bills whenused to dim your lights, turn on yourlights when you are not home, turn offyour lights (motion sensors) when youforget to, as well as phase down lights sothat you can exit a room in comfort andsafety. Preset lighting “scenes” can becreated with lighting controls so that lightlevels in any given room can beprogrammed for specific tasks. Forexample, in a kitchen, you can programone scene for cleanup or prep thatutilizes all the lights in the room andanother scene that may only utilize theunder-cabinet lighting for a low-lightdining scene. (Note: Lighting controlsneed to be selected based on theircompatibility with the types of bulbsbeing used. Conversely, make sure thatthe bulbs you choose are, in fact,dimmable, because many are not.)

In the Pacific Northwest, where winterdays can be short and natural light levelslow, it is good to know that you canchase away the gloom with a simplelighting plan and a few strategicallyselected light fixtures. Now if you couldonly control the rain that easily, lifewould really be good! �

LED light bulb

Incandescent light bulb

PHOTO COURTESY BOB LUNDDESIGNER ASHA KENT

Fluorescent tube light bulb

Sea Stack — Brazilian Cherry post and hand-patinated steelroof: very weather-resistant and weed-eater-proof. This 30-inch-tall path light does not tip or lean and it provides night skyfriendly light from a hidden LED with up to an 80-foot lightspread.


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Let There Be Light - A Kitchen That Works LLClighting. Incorporating lights into your landscaping can have multiple benefits, including increased safety, reduced thefts and burglaries,