Designing a Good Lighting Plan
You are doing a remodel and know that you want to add some
lighting to the room, but your stumped. Where do I start is the
most common question I get asked. There are some basic
guidelines and factors that can help you determine where to
start and how to proceed.
First let's take the room and it's needs. Different rooms
require different lighting solutions. Rooms like bedrooms,
living rooms, dens and basements can be properly illuminated
with a simple general lighting plan. In rooms up to about 12' x
12', one ceiling light that can hold bulbs that combined equal
about 120 watts is sufficient. For a better and more evenly
disbursed light, 4 recessed lights about 40" off each corner
works wonderfully.
A living room or den may be a rectangle as opposed to a square.
A room that is 15' x 12' would be more evenly lit with 6
recessed cans. In these rooms lighting can be supplemented with
wall sconces and or table or floor lamps.
Kitchens and bathrooms require much more thought. In these
rooms, where tasks are performed, it is important that the
lighting level be high enough to perform these tasks safely and
comfortably. In a good kitchen lighting plan all the work areas
will be well lit. Placing the cans so that the centers line up
directly above the outside edge of the cabinets is the best
solution. This provides ample light and avoids shadows while
working at the counters. Spacing in a kitchen is also very
important. Keeping the recessed lights about 4 feet apart and no
more than 5 feet, will assure you have even spread of light.
If you run into a wall and need to ask questions about lighting
try a Lighting Forum. There are some basic lighting principles
that can help you along in this process. One is understanding
that light in most fixtures has some type of pattern. For
example a recessed light using a reflector type bulb distributes
a pattern in the shape of a cone. When this pattern reaches the
floor it is in the form of a circle. By slightly overlapping
this circle of light it is possible to have a very even
distribution of light throughout the room.
Since most of the members of a household walk upright and the
ones who don't, probably won't lodge any complaints about
lighting, a general rule in lighting a room is to design the
plan on a work plane. This is an imaginary plane at about 30"
off the floor. This helps to provide a nice even lighting for
most tasks in any room. This is where understanding the pattern
of light your fixture has is important. Most manufacturers have
specs to show what these patterns are. For reflective bulbs you
can get this info from the bulb manufacturer.
(c) Copyright 2005 Paul Forte. All rights reserved.