If you thought art was art and lighting was lighting, think again.
Today the two words and functions are synonymous.
Wicker, wood bead, glass, feather, paper, even concrete are profound eye-catchers on ceiling and wall light fixtures. The more extravagant, the better.
The key, according to top international designers is to use the unusual sparingly. While your kitchen dining table may “POP” using a unique chandelier/pendant over the top, the rest of the lighting should be more subdued. Think can lights around the perimeter of the kitchen ceiling and undercabinet lighting under upper cabinets.
NKBA.org, a trade association representing the kitchen and bath industry with nearly 14,000 company members, recommends 50 foot candles in the kitchen. A foot candle is a measurement of light intensity (abbreviated fc, lm/ft2, or ft-c) defined as the illuminance on a one-square foot surface from a uniform source of light.
It’s complicated and it’s where you need the wisdom of your Allstar Electrical electrician.
Denver architect Doug Walter, AKBD, with 40 years residential remodeling experience and expertise in kitchen & bath, accessibility, lighting, historic preservation, and building science, performed tests on ceiling cans located at 24,30,36, 42, and 48 inches from the kitchen wall perimeter. He factored in a chef in the kitchen blocking the light and concluded that “with can lights centered more than 24 inches out from the wall, it is virtually impossible to deliver anything close to the minimum 50 foot candles NKBA recommends.”
Clearly, type of lighting and intensity of lighting matter as much as positioning of lighting.
When deciding on lighting for your home, Leah French, writer for Thespruce.com, an online inspirational design and lifestyle publication, urges homeowners and designers to consider the three layers of lighting involved: ambient, task and accent lighting. Ambient lighting is the lighting that substitutes for the natural light that would otherwise light your space from windows. Task lighting is the lighting you need to perform specific tasks in the kitchen, the office, the bedroom and other rooms in your home. Accent lighting, French says, influences the mood of the room—from can lights to wall sconces to chandeliers and uplights.
Lighting is the new wall candy and local manufacturer tiltdstudio.com delivers the sweet look direct to consumers. Designed and manufactured in Lakewood, the wall sconces in fresh colors and patterns come corded or hard-wired in bright white 5,000K or warm white 3,200K. Willis Wood, Partner of RiNoSignWorks.com, reports that the modern sconces are of great interest to professional real estate stagers and commercial developers. The fixtures are giving consumers seeking a little fun and a little color on their walls something to talk about on Pinterest and other social media.
Allstar Electrical is the pro you need to install your light fixtures and wall sconces safely and properly. When you catch the lighting bug, Allstar is the first call you should make.