Ask Randall: September 2014

Where to Place Vanity Lights What's important is the distance between the lights, regardless of the size of the mirror or vanity. By: Randall Whitehead, IALD Q: How wide of a mirror should I put with a 48-inch vanity?   A: It’s not so much the size of the mirror as it is the distance between the task lights. The optimum spacing between vanity lights is 36 inches. This means that the fixtures would be located 18 inches on either side of the center line of the sink. If you are using a regular mirror, then it would be 30 inches wide, allowing 3 inches of spacing between the edge the mirror and the edge of the backplate for the vanity lights. There are companies like Robern that offer mirrors with built-in side lighting. If it were my bathroom I would run a mirror along the entire width of the vanity. I would then install a pair of fixtures on the mirror. If you'd like to leave the mirror surface uninterrupted, you could hang a pair of pendant fixtures in place of sconces. Randall Whitehead, IALD, is a professional lighting designer and author. His books include "Residential Lighting, A Practical Guide." Whitehead has worked on projects worldwide, appeared on the Discovery Channel, HGTV and CNN, and he is regular guest on Martha Stewart Living Radio. Visit his websitewww.randallwhitehead.com and follow his blog www.lightmakesright.com for more information on books, upcoming seminars and the latest lighting trends.

Ask Randall: How Many Lumens Are Needed to Light a Room?

What to look for when selecting LED recessed lights.

This kitchen uses a combination of indirect LED lighting (located inside the box beams), recessed LED fixtures, LED puck lights and pendant lights to create a very usable and inviting space.

Q. :

We are going to be using all 4-inch LED recessed lighting in our home and the output for the LEDs is a bit different than for standard incandescent recessed lights, so we are working to determine how many of the LED fixtures we need in each space. My feeling is that we are going to need to increase the number of recessed fixtures per room. Do you have a list you could share of the recommended lumens per square foot for different residential spaces?

A. :

You may have read my rants in earlier columns about using a grid pattern of recessed fixtures as a substitute for proper lighting design. The best way is to start with a furniture plan to see where the illumination is needed. These recessed fixtures should be adjustable and only used for accent lighting of art, tabletops, plants, sculpture etc. They shouldn't be used for general illumination or over seating areas since they cast very hard shadows. You then layer this accent lighting with other sources of illumination that provide decorative, task and ambient light. The illumination for kitchens should be just as thoughtful. They are today’s gathering place for casual entertaining, so the lighting should be as inviting as the other rooms.
The world is changing quickly as LEDs are becoming more accepted by the general public. Part of the learning process is to not look at wattage but to look at lumen output. Up until LEDs were introduced, I would normally use a recessed adjustable low voltage fixture with a 50W MR16 lamp. These halogen lamps produce 800 lumens. Make sure that the MR16 LED lamps or integrated LED components select have a similar or higher lumen output.
Be aware that LEDs do not get warmer in color when dimmed, which is what incandescent lighting does, and what we are used to experiencing. I tend to add a warming filter to our LED products to change the color temperature from 2700K or 3000K to 2400K. This is the color of dimmed incandescent. Here is the big news: Lucifer Lighting is going to be introducing is a recessed adjustable fixture with integral LED components that will give you the ability to set the color temperature within each fixture or appear to get warmer in color when dimmed, while maintaining a high CRI. I think that this is where the future of LED lighting is headed.

Randall Whitehead, IALD

Randall Whitehead, IALD, is a professional lighting designer and author. His books include "Residential Lighting, A Practical Guide." Whitehead has worked on projects worldwide, appeared on the Discovery Channel, HGTV and CNN, and he is regular guest on Martha Stewart Living Radio. Visit his website www.randallwhitehead.com and follow his blog www.lightmakesright.com for more information on books, upcoming seminars and the latest lighting trends.

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Ask Randall: Bathroom Lighting for a Sloped Ceiling

Our expert recommends indirect dimmable LED lighting. By: Randall Whitehead, IALD Q: We've just finished our master bathroom. As you can see in the picture we have provided, the ceiling slopes up toward the center of the ceiling. We put in 6-inch recessed adjustable fixtures, but the room still feels dark at night. What can we do to improve the lighting?  A: I noticed in your photo that you have blackout shades and no mirror over the vanity. Is it possible that you are a vampire? I'm not judging; just curious. I can see that your sloped ceiling is shaped like a shallow pyramid. The recessed fixtures are not doing much other than creating Dark Shadows on your face. They do nothing to enhance the architectural detail of the ceiling. My recommendation would be to install a perimeter cantilever or crown molding detail to hide some indirect dimmable LED lighting. This will create an overall glow while accentuating the pitched ceiling. The recessed fixtures can be taken out. The new perimeter lighting, in combination with the chandelier and the wall sconces above the vanity, will do a good job of creating a cozy sanctuary where you can sleep until nightfall.

 

	Randall Whitehead, IALD, is a professional lighting designer and author. His books include "Residential Lighting, A Practical Guide." Whitehead has worked on projects worldwide, appeared on the Discovery Channel, HGTV and CNN, and he is regular guest on Martha Stewart Living Radio. Visit his website www.randallwhitehead.com and follow his blog www.lightmakesright.com for more information on books, upcoming seminars and the latest lighting trends.

More Great Advice From Randall!

Sizing Light Fixtures

Helpful advice for calculating proportional decorative lighting based on a room's dimensions.

Question: 

What is the rule of thumb for determining the size of a chandelier or pendant fixture for a given space? I have a 25-by-30-foot area over a stairwell and I don't want too large or too small a fixture. If you could help me out, it would make me very happy. 

Answer: 

Just think of me as verbal Prozac. Try this formula: Add the dimensions of the width and length of the foyer area together. This number will be the measurement in inches what the width of your fixture should be. Based on the dimensions that you have given me, I think you should be looking at a chandelier that is 55 inches in diameter. The length will be a little bit harder to determine, as it depends on the ceiling height. Taller ceilings can take longer fixtures. Somebody in your family or your contractor could make a mock-up out of wooden dowels and strings to get a feel for what the fixture would look like in the space.

Randall Whitehead, IALD, is a professional lighting designer and author. His books include "Residential Lighting, A Practical Guide." Whitehead has worked on projects worldwide, appeared on the Discovery Channel, HGTV and CNN, and he is regular guest on Martha Stewart Living Radio. Visit his websitewww.randallwhitehead.com and follow his blog www.lightmakesright.com for more information on books, upcoming seminars and the latest lighting trends.

Ask Randall: Recessed Lighting in a Living Room

Supplementing Recessed Lighting in a Living Room

Q: I recently installed eight recessed downlights in my 16-by-16-foot living room -- three rows of three, two and three. I used Halo 6-inch LED lights that have an 8-foot beam spread from a 9-foot ceiling. The room is super bright and awesome.

 

A: This is more of a declaration than it is a question. I’m still trying to process the lighting installed in your living room. I had to lie on the floor in a darkened space just to create a mentally safe environment. This lighting would be "awesome" if you were interrogating eight prisoners all at the same time. Have you learned nothing, Grasshopper? Your living room must feel like an alien spacecraft is just about to land and tractor beam you up for a quick probe. I applaud you for using an LED source. All I am asking for is that you use some other sources of illumination in the space, too. Since you have a 9-foot ceiling, consider installing one or two pendants. Maybe add a pair of sconces flanking a tall piece of furniture or a painting. The journey to good lighting begins with a single step light

 

Randall Whitehead, IALD

Randall Whitehead, IALD, is a professional lighting designer and author. His books include "Residential Lighting, A Practical Guide." Whitehead has worked on projects worldwide, appeared on the Discovery Channel, HGTV and CNN, and he is regular guest on Martha Stewart Living Radio. Visit his websitewww.randallwhitehead.com and follow his blog www.lightmakesright.com for more information on books, upcoming seminars and the latest lighting trends.

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