So, you’ve been putting up with the tacky light fixtures that were installed when you moved in. Or worse yet, maybe you still have the bulb and string hanging from your bathroom ceiling. But more and more people often, the bathroom is used as a sanctuary, a place to relax after a long day. Steam showers, Jacuzzis, and more spacious rooms are partly the reason. Whats ofter overlooked is the lighting, which can make all the difference when it comes to aesthetics and utility. The secret to good bathroom lighting is layering the light. Layering, refers to using different sources of light. In the bathroom, it involves using both general lighting and task lighting.
The first Layer
The fist layer, as mentioned, starts with ambient or general lighting. The goal is to provide a warm glow to the room by providing a comfortable level of brightness without any glare. The most common sources of general light for the bathroom is a flush or semi-flush ceiling fixture. It is also becoming more common to use a mini-chandeliers in the bathroom. Ambient lights need to be placed in the center of the bathroom so that the light is spread out evenly.
How much general light do I need for my bathroom?
The rule of thumb for the first layer of lighting in the bathroom is as follows. Multiply the length and width of the bathroom- lets say 10ft. by 10ft. Take that number and multiply it by a factor of 1.5. So in the example above, you would need 150 Watts of general light as your fist layer.
The Second Layer
The second layer is task lighting. Portable lamps, tracks, and recessed lights are usually the sources of task lighting. However, these sources don’t work well at all in the bathroom. If you have a recessed light above the vanity mirror you’ve probably notices the shadow it casts on your face. It is not suitable at all.
Placement of bathroom sconces and bath-bars
Proper task lighting in your bathroom should surround you with light. The ideal source of task lighting would be two sconces on either side of the vanity and a bath-bar above the mirror. Sconces should be place about 6-8 inches above eye level or about 6 1/2 feet from the ground. They should also be separated by a distance of 28 inches or more. The bath-bar should be 30-32 inches in length, mounted above the mirror. FYI, many companies now offer “beauty wraps.” These fixtures wrap around your mirror, providing you with sufficient light.
How do I determine the amount of task lighting in my bathroom?
Calculating the amount of task lighting is similar to the example given above. The only difference is you multiple by a factor of 2.5. In the example given above, that would amount to 250 Watts of light.
Kevin Hatan
By: Kevin Hatan
Professional Lighting in Your Home
February 26th, 2010 by admin No comments »
In your home you may have a traditional chandelier and you may not even know it. Many people are sometimes confused as to what the term “chandelier” means. The idea of a vintage chandelier has changed into a new modern chandelier. When you think of a chandelier you may think of a very large crystal or glass figure hanging high from a ceiling but the truth is that not all chandeliers are like that. Many chandeliers are made simple for kitchens or living rooms or even bedrooms. Some chandeliers are not made to be elegant but they are simply made for lighting purposes only.
Kitchen chandeliers are a great example of practical light fixtures with an elegant flare. Kitchen lights are meant to light and warm the entire room and to create an inviting atmosphere. Kitchen chandeliers are usually not made of glass or elegant crystal but more so out of different copper or metal tones that coordinate with the other appliances within a kitchen. Newer chandeliers tend to match up with stainless steel appliances or even black appliances. The other important aspect of kitchen chandeliers is that the lights do not have a white tone. The lights usually have a more yellow light, and that is where the warm lighting comes from.
A living or sitting room chandelier is a little more elegant than a kitchen chandelier, but they still do not have to be an above and beyond light fixture in your home. A living room chandelier should have an elegant design, but should also have a warming and inviting light, like that of the kitchen area. A living room chandelier should be big enough to light the room and make a statement, but it should not be the main event of the room. The more modern styles of chandeliers tend to carry a little more flair in the art realm and so you can find light fixtures with a cool shape or design that is far beyond the traditional.
The bedroom is another important area where lighting is an important aspect of the feel of the room. The bedroom is an intimate place where colors are important as well as the general atmosphere of the room. The bedroom should never have bright white light because it can be incredibly overwhelming. In all three of these cases the lighting should be warming and inviting. The rooms in a home that have less light and a warmer feel tend to be the more popular rooms of the house.
The lighting within a home is very important depending on what you value in your home as far as appearance and the feel of the home. A chandelier in your home can be fancy, bright, and elegant, but it does not have to be. A light fixture is a light fixture no matter what kind it is and they all share the same purpose but some are better fit to a room in a house than others. Compare your traditional fixtures to a modern fixture and improve your interior design.
By: Connor R Sullivan
Lighting in a Child’s Room
February 25th, 2010 by admin No comments »
In considering the lighting needs in a child’s bedroom or playroom, safety is at the top of the list. Ceiling lights that provide enough light to fill the room are among the best bets to consider. This type of lighting is considered ambient lighting that provides enough illumination to fill the entire room. Ceiling lights are always a good bet regardless of the age of the child.
With small children and infants, ambient ceiling lighting provides the ultimate in safety because the child can’t reach it and the adults in the home have control via a wall switch or dimmer. Dimmer switches are worth considering as a way to not only provide just the right level of ambient lighting but also as a way of providing a low illumination night light for those children who need a little light to feel comfortable and secure as they fall asleep.
In addition to ceiling lights, recessed fixtures and track lighting can also be a good source of ambient lighting. Children being children, they may tend to become very active and you want to insure that the majority of the lighting fixtures are out of harms way when the children’s play starts to get a little rough. Besides protecting the light fixtures, recessed and track lighting can help avoid burn injuries or cuts, etc, if bulbs are touched or broken.
The basic rule of thumb is the younger the child, the more important it is to keep the light fixtures out of their reach.
As the child gets older, you can begin to add some task lighting to help them with close work such as reading, doing homework or playing with a computer.
Track lighting can be effective task lighting since this type of lighting can be adjusted by rotating or aiming it at the area that needs special illumination.
Depending on the maturity and judgment skills of the child, you can eventually move to a desktop lamp that is designed specifically for children. A child’s lamp should be “bottom-heavy” to reduce the risk of it tipping over and the light element should be one of the cooler varieties such as a fluorescent to help reduce the risk of the child getting burned. Traditional incandescent fixtures put out a disproportionate amount of heat as compared to the illumination that they provide and should, if possible, be avoided.
Some parents take the additional step of finding a table lamp that can be attached directly to the table thus avoiding any risk of the lamp being knocked over.
Lamps that are not properly positioned can provide unnecessary glare that will lead to eyestrain and fatigue. The lamp should be used to illuminate the reading material or the computer monitor and an ambient light source should be used to reduce or eliminate the contrast between the lamp light and what it is illuminating.
You will probably need to do a little experimenting to get this lighting balance just right. Even though the child will probably tell you that the initial placement of the lamp does the job just fine, he or she is probably not aware of the glare and more than likely won’t have any ill side effects for a period of time. The best way to get this balance right is to set it up so that it works for you. The older we get, the more sensitive we are to sources of poor lighting.
If you’re among the fortunate parents whose children like to read, consider a lamp placed on a nightstand or table next to the bed. Be sure that it is in alignment with the child’s shoulder when he or she is sitting up to read and make sure that the lighting comes from behind the shoulder and a bit off to the side to minimize the stress on their eyes.
In most cases you should avoid floor lamps in a child’s room. While they might provide a nice decorative touch, they are easy to tip over and offer the possibility of injury.
Some accent lighting can also be considered to highlight special keepsakes, etc. Use small bulb fixtures and, again, keep the heat emanating from the fixture to a minimum.
Finally, a plug-in nightlight is a perfectly safe option to consider for a child’s room. Besides providing that feeling of security, it allows the child to navigate more easily should they get up in the middle of the night.
By: Chuck Lunsford
