Track lighting in kitchen?

15 years ago

Nearing the home stretch on my kitchen renovation, and I need to make a lighting decision TONIGHT. My contractor is encouraging me to go with track lighting, as the installation of recessed cans will be prohibitively expensive to install in my 1940's house. In terms of other constraints, I think I'm stuck with picking a replacement for my large outdated fluorescent fixture (e.g. track lighting or something else), a chandelier over the eating area, and a ceiling mount light over the sink.

I'm trying to keep an open mind but would appreciate input. (I've never been a track lighting fan.) In particular, (1) is there anyone out there that is happy with their track lighting? If so please provide pics!!! (2) Is it possible to mix and match on a track - some "bullet" lights and some hanging "pendants" ? Again, pics would be great!!! (3) Will track lighting be enough to light up my whole kitchen or do I need something else too?

Featured Answer

bob_cville

15 years ago

Because of our sloped cathedral ceiling, and its narrow rafters, recessed lights would not have been feasible for my kitchen. However I have never liked the track lights that I was familar with: with the flat, ceiling-mounted track, and the aimable coffee cans in either black or white, that look, to me, to be right out the 1970's.

After looking around at the options available I decided to go with monorail style track lighting, where the track is suspended below the ceiling. It is a more modern look that I felt worked better with my kitchen.

ALthough most of the monorail-style track lighting has a transformer that supplies a low voltage to the track, I decided to go with a system that has no transformer, and instead provides line voltage to the track, which allows you to use off-the-shelf dimmer switches.

With the monorail-style track I believe each suppliers track is different, so once you choose a particular track you are limited to the line of lights offered for that track.

Here are some pictures of the lights in my kitchen:
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One caution though: In looking at monorail style track lights, since assembling a custom setup using alacarte pricing for each piece seem to range in price from expensive to exhorbitantly expensive. I considered an all-in-one setup like "George Kovacs - GK Lightrail Six Light Monorail Kit with Double French Scavo Shades" but heard several people report that those systems arrived dead out of the box, and had to be sent back. Also those all-in-one setups are often intended more as accent lights rather than as the main lighting of a room.

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Comments (8)

bbstx
15 years ago
I have seen Candice Olsen mix lighting on tracks before. I googled Candice Olsen lighting and found the below website with all sorts of track lighting choices.

here is a picture of a track light in a ceiling of a basement family room by Olsen:
{{!gwi}}

I could not find the picture I was looking for. In the episode I was looking for, she put in track lighting and then put a pendant (still on the track) over the dining table.

Here is a link that might be useful: track lighting website
furletcity
15 years ago
It is possible to mix lighting styles on a single track. Different manufacturers have different tracks so one company's fixture won't fit on another's track. We've used cable lighting in the past and are using it again in our remodel. It's modern looking but stylistically flexible. I'm in a log house with an eclectic kitchen etc. and it works for us.
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maydl
15 years ago
Sorry, no pix yet. We used track lighting in our new kitchen: Juno track with W.A.C. low-voltage halogen heads (each head has its own transformer) and Lutron low-voltage dimmer switches.

I would say that we are moderately pleased with the light. I think we would have been 100% pleased had we been able to do the lighting plan from scratch, but we were constrained by having to adapt existing wiring and switching to our new layout.

We have two tracks operated by two switches: one track surrounds and illuminates our island, the other track is on our central ridgeline beam and currently holds one head that illuminates our bar. We also have a monopoint head on the roof that illuminates our breakfast table. Here's where the problems arise: The monopoint doesn't give quite as much light as we'd like. We could add a head to the ridgeline beam and point it toward the table, but that would mean that the bar light would also go on at the same time, even though it wasn't needed, because it's on the same switch.

So, if you can do your wiring from scratch OR if your existing wiring allows you to put track and track heads where you need them, I think you will be pleased with track lighting's versatility. You can add and subtract heads until you get just the light you want, just where you want it. I definitely recommend low-voltage dimmer switches to help vary the light output.

Also, we installed over-cabinet fluorescent lighting. Having that on at the same time as the track lighting seems to cut whatever glare factor exists from the track lighting.
marty_2008
15 years ago
Yes you can mix different lighting on a "single" track although they call it a dual track I think. I know Tech Lighting has it, because my son has looked at it.
amysrq
15 years ago
Here's a pic of our Tech array in the last house:

It cost $700 plus installation. Not cheap. But wonderfully flexible in that you can add things as you need/want to. Be sure to work with someone who knows the product, both for spec-ing it and for the install. It's not for amateurs!

Bob Cville, what line voltage system did you use? It looks great!
bob_cville
15 years ago
amysrq,

I used Nora Rail line voltage monorail-style track lights.

Most of the room is lit by the small fixed fixtures, but there are also two pendants from the same system hanging over the peninsula.
paigeysmom
15 years ago
We have a Pottery Barn track light over our sink. It is very decorative and doesn't look anything like traditional track lighting. The PB track lighting has different styles of lights--both spotlights and pendants. I don't have any pictures of mine yet but here is the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Track lighting