Recessed lights near kitchen island adjacent to theater room?

10 years ago

I am not sure how many recessed lights to place near the kitchen island because the island will have its own pendants, and there is a picture-opening in the wall where the home theater projection screen is viewable from the island seating area (by looking into the other room).

In this diagram, I have a bunch of recessed lights for the main task areas, but fewer near the island. The planned recessed lights are the yellow dots and the planned pendants are the blue dots. I am thinking that the island region should be warmer with more ambient (pendant) lighting reflecting around rather than recessed lights which tend to give a more industrial look.

All these recessed lights will be on one switch, the pendants on another switch, and undercabinet lighting on a third switch. I will also have upper cabinet glass display lighting on a fourth switch.

The lights in the main kitchen area are already installed, but nothing is done yet in the island region. The recessed bulbs will be the Cree EcoSmart 625 lumen downlights.

Comments (3)

David
10 years ago
If the recessed lights are put in around the island, have them on a separate circuit with a dimmer.
scorpionleather
Original Author
10 years ago
davidtay, that is a good suggestion because I can imagine someone working in the kitchen area while other people want dim lighting near the island to watch the home theater through the wall opening. I can put a total of 5 switches in the metal outlet boxes that are already installed in the wall. I wonder if I should re-arrange them a little. Currently the plan has these switches assigned to:

1. All recessed lighting
2. Pendant lighting
3. Undercabinet lighting
4. Upper glass display cabinet lighting
5. Light above sink

If I were to put the recessed lights near the island on a separate circuit, I wonder which of the following option would be best?

A. Combine the sink light on the kitchen recessed light circuit, and use that switch instead for undercabinet lighting, freeing up a switch. (note: this switch is close to the sink)

B. Combine the undercabinet lighting on the kitchen recessed light circuit, freeing up a switch.

C. Combine the pendant lighting with the recessed lighting that is near the island.

D. Leave the plan as-is.
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David
10 years ago
Would it be possible to make space for a new switch box instead? If so, you could have lighting controls for the pendants and the recessed lights around the island grouped together and perhaps have a 3 way setup for the rest of the recessed lighting and UCL.

The switches need to be conveniently located.

Depending on the amount of wiring needed for the number of switches and the size of the switch(es), you may need an additional box.

Alternately, you could have home automation for controlling the lights, a multiple button switch (for manual control) and remotes.

If you utilize the enOcean technology, the amount of wiring is dramatically reduced for multi-way switch setups as the remote switch will harvest the energy from the flick of the switch and connect using RF.
In addition, you don't need to dig holes for the switch boxes either.
In the US, Leviton LevNet RF is probably the best known product range utilzing enOcean.

Press release from '08
http://www.leviton.com/OA_HTML/SectionDisplay.jsp?section=40306&minisite=10251

Here is a link that might be useful: LevNet RF product