About Designer Live!
Welcome to Designer Live! If you could talk with a top designer or lighting expert, what would you ask? At 1STOPlighting we want to be more than just your favorite retailer, we want to be a resource for your lighting and design answers. To help get you these answers, 1STOPlighting will be hosting FREE webinars featuring designers and industry experts from all over the country.
(Questions taken from April 7th webinar feat. Jeff Dross from Kichler Lighting)
Is it OK to mix light fixture finishes? For example, brushed steel pendants over an island with a rubbed bronze kitchen table light fixture and a semi-flush foyer light in an open concept space?
As spaces become more open and shared, it is becoming more common for styles and looks to be joined in a single space. You can most definitely use different finish colors in a kitchen, dining room, and entry.
In a bathroom with a vaulted ceiling, how low/high should a chandelier be hung?
Generally a chandelier in an open space should be hung at least 7 feet from the ground. If you have very tall people in the home, you may consider raising it up to 7 1/2 or 8 feet. Bringing a chandelier into a bathroom with vaulted ceilings is a great idea and can help fill the open space.
Tell me more about LEDs in a way that I can and should be selling these products as an Interior Designer.
LED is directional light. They will be of the most economical and efficient use if played to their strengths. Undercabinet lighting, recessed lighting, desk lamps and track lighting are today, some of the best uses of LED. It is no coincidence that these are all directional. Using an LED in a table lamp or a foyer chandelier would be difficult and much of the lumens produced would be wasted. You would simply not get the efficiencies garnered from the direction light sources. This does not mean efficient options disappear with non-directional light. CFL’s (fluorescent corkscrew lamps) are omni-directional light sources and should be considered for those applications.
Finally, be cautious with LED replacement lamps. While many companies are working on them and there are some very good results, there is not yet a GREAT result. They may be around the corner, but today is not yet the time to use LED replacement lamps. See the DOE CALiPER test results for more information.
When and where fluorescent or halogen lights are the best to use?
Consider fluorescent lighting in fixtures that have extended periods of operation. If the kitchen lights in a particular home are the most popular and burn 6 to 8 hours per day, then these are prime candidates for energy efficient lighting. Conversely, if the dining room chandelier is turned-on 1 hour per month, the incandescent or halogen lamps in that fixture can remain. Remember, a light bulb that is NOT energized, does not consume any electricity. In most homes, kitchen and outdoor lighting are used for longer hours than any other in the house. These are prime candidates for change.
If remodeling, what are the rules to apply when establishing proper lighting?
When remodeling, be certain the following areas are addressed when determining the lighting:
- Ambient or General Lighting – an overall backdrop of light
- A good rule of thumb is to multiply the room dimensions and then multiply that number by 1.5. This will provide you with minimum amount of incandescent wattage needed for general layer of light. (i.e. 12’ x 16’ room = 192, 192 x 1.5 = 288. 288 watts is the minimum amount needed for that room.
- Task Lighting – Lighting needed to achieve a particular task or goal (reading lights, lights on counters, lights needed to shave)
- Accent or Decorative Lighting – lighting used to add interest and visual appeal to a room or area
What is the perfect proportion for a chandelier over dining table and what height?
Generally you want a light to hang 30" above a table or island. If you have tall people in the home, you may consider raising this to 31" or 32" to accommodate them. If hanging a chandelier over a table, generally we recommend measuring the width of the table and finding a fixture that is 50% of the width or greater for it to be properly proportioned.
Tell me about outside stair lighting/front stairs,deck stairs.
One of the best options for stair lighting is the Design Pro LED line by Kichler Lighting. LED bulbs have the longest life span of any bulb on the market, so you won't have to worry about changing them for years. Depending on your application, Kichler's Design Pro LED line offers Brick and Step lights as well as strip lights that can be used on stone steps.
What type of lighting is appropriate for a bathroom ceiling?
Lighting for a bathroom ceiling really depends on your ceiling height. For lower ceilings, recessed lighting and flush mount fixtures would be ideal. Placing a recessed light directly over your work station with a wall fixture on either side of the mirror gives the best lighting for shaving, applying make-up or other tasks you might perform in a bathroom. If you have high ceilings, consider a chandelier or semi-flush light that can hang down and fill the space.
Foyer lighting.... What is the current trend?
With home sizes on a downward trend, large foyers are going away. So the times of 2 tier foyer lights is going away. Now it is more common to find a nice flush or semi-flush mount fixture in an entry way to welcome guests.
Any tips for outdoor tree lighting?
Tree Lighting can be applied in several different ways. You can create a moon lit effect by attaching lights to the top of the tree and aiming the beam down. You would want to use a wide beam spread to reach a larger surface area. You can also use ground mounted lights and shine them up the trunk of a tree into the branches. Positioning 2 lights on opposite sides of a tree then crossing the beams can give well rounded illumination.
How high off the kitchen counter should island/billiard lights be?
Generally, a light should hang 30" above a counter or billiard table. If there are taller people in the home, you may consider raising the light to 31" or 32" to accommodate them.
How the type of shade affects the light given off?
Shades that are colored or lined will reduce the light output of any fixture. This is ideal for TV rooms as it will prevent glare on a TV screen. Shades that are white and sheer will allow most of the light to come through while still helping to reduce glare from the bare bulbs.
What is the best way to layer lighting in a kitchen?
Start with well spaced recess lighting to give general illumination. Then you can add in pendant lights over an island to add some style and a focal point. Under cabinet lighting will give you task lighting as well as ambient light while the rest of the lighting is turned off. If you have an eating nook in the kitchen, consider a chandelier or semi-flush mount fixture over the table. A downlight chandelier will provide task lighting for reading the paper or doing homework.
When incandescent are no longer available, what will take the place of candelabra bulbs for fixtures where the bulb is exposed? The current CFL substitutes are rather clunky looking by comparison.
Bulb designs for CFL and LED fixtures are improving and will continue to improve over the next few years. Their designs are getting smaller and more attractive. I believe that LED's will likely replace the candelabra bulbs for chandelier use within the next few years.
What you can tell about moonlight in landscape lighting?
The moon light effect in landscape lighting is very subtle and can be lovely when incorporated into landscape lighting. It looks best in trees. Attach the light in the upper most branches of a tree and aim the beam downward. Using a wide beam spread will help reach as much surface area as possible. Using the moon light effect also helps reduce light pollution in the neighborhood.
What do you advise to use as a marker fixtures built into the path's coating?
Depending on your application, you can use an in ground well light that would be recessed into the ground and shine light upward. You could also use a path light above the ground that would spread the light around and down to the ground.
LED track lighting, will it get cheaper in the near future?
As with any new technology, LED lights are more expensive. As the technology advances though, it will become less expensive to produce and therefore less expensive to buy. I believe you will start to see a price drop in LED bulbs over the next year.
What new trends in landscape lighting are at this moment?
LED Lighting is one of the biggest growing trends in Landscape lighting. The color rendering of an LED bulb has vastly improved over the past year so that it is comparable to a basic incandescent bulb. But the energy savings with an LED light allows you to light your outdoor space without spending a fortune on energy consumption.