Basic Lighting 101

With the arrival of daylight savings time this month, many homeowners find themselves reminded of more than just the need to set their clocks back one hour: they are reminded that those grand plans they had to remodel their dark and dreary rooms never materialized – not this year, at least.

If you find yourself stuck for one more year with a kitchen that seems boxed in and cut off by banks of cabinets and windowless walls or a den that is about as bright as a cave, you will just have to be a bit more creative in fashioning the light-filled space you envision.

The key to maximizing the impact of light in any room is to remember the rule of triangulation: you should have a minimum of three light sources, at three different levels, in three different intensities.

Specifically, you should have localized, task lighting for activities such as reading, food prep, etc. Under-cabinet lighting can be especially effective in illuminating the dark recesses of countertops. Table lamps provide important reading light but should be used with three-way bulbs so that you can control the intensity and mood of the light.

Next, general lighting, often from ceiling lights, can illuminate an entire space, but should be used with dimmer switches as much as possible to help avoid washing out a space when you don’t want bright light. For those who own older homes and find themselves facing the daunting challenge of rooms without ceiling fixtures, consider hanging chandeliers and other ceiling lights from decorative ceiling hooks and cover the cords with fabrics that coordinate with other items in the room, or color coordinate with an old time cloth- covered wire from www.sundialwire.com. Low-voltage lights offer an extra safe way of running wire to fixtures via a transformer — check out www.seagulllighting.com/ambiance-lighting.htm. These are quick and  attractive solutions that save you the expense of hiring an electrician to re-wire and a handyman to re-plaster.

Accent lighting brings attention to a specific area or object, such as a wall of artwork or intimate seating area, and can add height and / or depth to a room. Wall sconces can provide a soft wash of light that can be directed up or down, while canned “up lights” are a staple of theater lighting that can also be used in the home behind plants or chairs to provide a soft backdrop of upward lighting.

By now, most people are aware that fluorescent bulbs cost a fraction to run compared to incandescent bulbs, but we are now learning that the energy savings of these bulbs comes with a trade-off: fluorescents contain mercury, which means their disposal has implications for our landfills. LED lights are emerging as an even more environmentally-friendly option than fluorescents and improvements are continually being made in their warmth and output (www.ledtronics.com). As a good stop-gap method, use dimmers on traditional incandescent fixtures to save energy and create mood without using lamps at their full output. Use timer switches (www.smarthome.com/4254w.html ) or motion switches (www.smarthome.com/2520w.html ) that turn off automatically whenever possible. Even though the cost and installation of the switch may be expensive, consider extended bulb life when calculating cost-effectiveness and remember it’s worth saving a little energy if it prevents the construction of another power plant.

Regardless of use, intensity or color, remember that when it comes to lighting safety should always come first. Don’t overload circuits or extension cords; make sure that hot lights are kept safely away from fabrics and other flammable materials, and if you find that your fuses are constantly popping, call in a qualified, licensed electrician to see if your loads are balanced properly.