Another Plea for Help with my sad Kitchen Lighting plan

16 years ago

I've been trying to research lighting plans for weeks now and I feel like I am getting no where. I don't like to ask for help when I haven't really been able to pull anything decent together myself, but I'm so tired and overwhelmed that I thought I should just try. I feel like the more I read, the more I realize I don't know what the heck I'm doing! So here goes:

Ceiling - 8ft

Cabinets - Off White

Countertops - Something light, possibly marble

Floors - Oak Hardwood (Light)

Microwave - Over the stove

Bottom left corner - There are two doors there. One to the basement and one to a small sun room. We don't get a lot of light in the kitchen from the sun room.

On the other side of the penisula is the dining room. There are two windows in there and a flos pendant light. The dining room gets pretty good light, but the kitchen does not.

I think I would like Xenon Strips for the undercabinet lighting. And I would also like some recessed lights. I think I would like to put a large drum pendant in the middle of the kitchen (is this a bad idea?) or over the sink. Because the penisula is so close to the dining room and it's pendanet light, I don't want to put anything hanging down over the penisula.

ANY help would be much appreciated. I have also looked around for online lighting designers, but from what I can tell they cost $1000s. If anyone knows of an affordable one that I can submit my kitchen plan to, I'd appreciate it. Or even a lighting store. I did e-mail Light Universe and hope to hear back from the tomorrow.

You can also view the original PDF before I "colored" on it at:

Kitchen Layout - Adobe Acrobat File

Thanks in advance for any guidance you may have.

P.S. I know my kitchen plan is kind of a mess. Unfortunately, I discovered this wonderful resource after I already ordered my cabinets. Long story...

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Comments (5)

DavidR
16 years ago
I'm no expert, but I know that if you light with cans you will throw lots of shadows unless you have LOTS of them - and even then it's hard to get even, shadow-free light.

Perhaps I'm just too much into utility, but I think a kitchen is best lit with high quality fluorescents - and NOT recessed lights of any kind. I like to see what I'm doing when I cook, and now that I'm middle aged my eyes work best with bright, even light.
cimbronemamma
Original Author
16 years ago
davidr, thanks so much for your advice. the same night i posted this, i emailed an online light store to see if they had someone who could help me and sure enough they did. they are working on a lighting plan for me now. if i use it (which i don't know why i wouldn't) i'll post it. thanks again for taking the time to answer my post.
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sahsah
16 years ago
cimbronemamma,

Can you tell me the name of the online lighting store that is doing a plan for you and approximately what it costs? I, too am having a difficult time mapping out the lighting since some of the cabinets & island are not in the center of the room. Thanks.
jennyandretti
16 years ago
c-mamma: I'm going through the same dilemma you are! I, too, planned on recessed lighting, but now that I've read your post... I might re-think the lighting plan as well.

davidr: You brave, brave man; admitting to the world that middle-aged eyes need nice bright light. But flourecents? Really?
DavidR
16 years ago
But flourescents? Really?

You bet. I love 'em, both for the intensity without excessive heat or electricity use, and for the smoothness of the light. At least for the linear type, the large radiating surface minimizes shadows, like working outside under a clear blue sky with indirect sunlight.

Funny, when I was much younger, I hated fluorescents. I ripped them out of one house I owned. But three things happened.
1. I got older and my eyes got weaker.
2. Electricity got more expensive.
3. Fluorescents got much, much better.
A lot of people still think that fluorescents are those ghastly greenish-grey humming, flickering "cool white" tubes in offices. No more.

I'll have to admit you can still get the ugly type if you're a cheapskate. The buck-or-two lamps are the low-CRI cool white or pinkish warm white.

But for fixtures and lamps of any quality, the light is dramatically better. Tri-phosphor T8 lamps have a range of color temperatures from warm to bluish daylight, and very good color rendering index (but don't let them sell you lamps with a 7xx number - those are lower CRI).

Fluorescents come in more shapes and types (notably compact fluorescents). This makes them easier to fit into more spaces.

Finally, there are even a few decent looking fixtures if you look around. In my area the big locally owned electrical supply carries some fairly nice ones. I've seen a few online, too.