We need help with kitchen lighting

oscar098

10 years ago

what is the difference between can and recess lighting? We are rebuilding our Kitchen and need ideas on lighting

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Comments (3)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
10 years ago
Usually can are larger holes with larger bulbs. I like recessed which are smaller holes and either LED or halogen bulbs for overall lighting but you will still need under cabinet lighting and some decorative pieces usually above and island or peninsula. I don't think you can ever have too much lighting in a kitchen Under cabinet lighting is nice on a dimmer for late night snacks.
PRO
Select Construction, LLC
10 years ago
Can lighting and recessed lighting are typically interchangeable terms. A recessed light has all the wiring, junction box, housing, and bulb contained inside the ceiling.
There are track lights that look very much like recessed lights, but the wiring is inside a track and the can, called the housing, sits below the ceiling, so it is not "recessed". There are some lighting types that can be concealed or recessed that are not can lights. For instance, LED rope lighting can be recessed into a crown molding or soffit.

Kitchen lighting is frequently the most challenging room in the home to light because there are so many areas, so many obstructions, and so many different activities that have nuanced lighting needs. I have seen many kitchens where people try to have every possible light for every possible situation, and it just creates a cluttered or overpowering atmosphere. Identifty what tasks you will do in the kitchen (food prep, storage, clean up, eating, homework, paying bills, chit-chatting with guests, etc). Identify how often you expect to do all these various tasks (daily, weekly, only on Thanksgiving when the in-law's are out of town) and where you would do them (near the sink, near the stove, at the island). Being realistic about how the kitchen will actually get used will help prioritize what you need the lighting to do. If you don't entertain very often, but you have kids and the kitchen is the de facto drop zone for everyone and everything, then it doesn't make sense to design the kitchen to be a "showroom". If you do entertain often, and if you do have other dedicated spaces for the activities and tasks that aren't typically considered "kitchen" activities, such as opening mail and doing homework, then it can make more sense to have the lighting be more aesthetic than functional.

No matter how you expect to use the space, it is important not to cram too much lighting into too small of a space. Even though you probably won't have all the lights on at the same time, it can detract from the look and feel of the kitchen and you can get overwhelmed trying to remember which switch is which (say that 3 times fast!). A few lighting circuits should be able to very effectively cover 95% of the lighting needs.

Recessed lights are very popular and effective in kitchens because they provide good general lighting and typically people will use very plain baffle trim so that the fixtures blend in with the ceiling. This gives you the lighting you need to look at other things instead of drawing attention to the fixtures.
For all kitchens, whenever possible, I strongly recommend some form of under-cabinet task lighting. The most common fixtures types are fluourescent bar lights, LED bar lights, "puck" lights, and halogen and xenon lights. Each type has slightly different features, such as the way it disperses the light, light color, and brightness. The stock and semi-custom cabinetry that dominates the market today will have about a 1" space between the bottom of the wall cabinet frame and the underside of the cabinet shelf. The reasons for this space are unrelated to lighting, but coincidentally it makes a perfect space to put under-cabinet lighting in without it being seen. Again, this will provide lighting for other things without drawing attention to the fixtures.
Depending on the kitchen layout, you may want to install flush-mount, pendant, or mini-pendant light fixtures. If you have an island or a peninsula, mini-pendants (small, hanging fixtures) are good for providing task lighting. A larger island, or a higher ceiling, might have enough room for a pendant (mid-size, hanging fixture). If there is no island or peninsula, a flush-mount might be nice. If you have a fair amount of recessed lighting, then a flush mount probably isn't necessary since both lighting types provide general lighting. Each of these lighting types will be visible, so they provide an aesthetic component whether they are on or off. If you have the space, you might want to install a flush mount or two even with recessed lighting just to have another element that ties into the overall aesthetic. For instance, if you want an oil-rubbed bronze look, you could have that finish on the faucet, cabinet knobs and pulls, and then tie it in with the lighting fixtures. If you are trying to change the feel of a kitchen from a contemporary to a traditional style, or vice versa, the visible lighting fixtures can be one more element that contributes to that overall effect.
Don't underestimate the importance of the switches. Too many circuits, too many switch locations, too many switches in one spot- these are all common traps that will make it difficult to use your kitchen. A few recessed lights on one switch, under-cabinet lights on another switch, and peninsula/island lights on another switch will be very sufficient for most kitchens. Larger kitchens may indeed require more than a few recessed lights, but there is no need to put them more than one every 6 to 8 feet. If you think you need more cans than that due to specific task areas, consider using smaller diameter fixtures. Standard cans are 4" to 6" in diameter. Smaller cans can be 2" to 3". I also recommend trying to rearrange the recessed lighting configuration so that you get the fixtures where you actually need the light, not where you think the fixtures need to be for symmetry. Remember, the point of recessed lights is to provide light without being the center of attention. If someone comes in and comments that your recessed lighting layout isn't perfectly symmetrical, then someone is doing something wrong. That would be akin to going to a Broadway show and commenting on the emergency exit signage instead of the production. Let the recessed lights be the means to other ends.
I hope this was helpful without being too technical.
Andrew Mastronunzio
Andrew@SelectConstructionLLC.com
Select Construction, LLC
Chaplin, CT
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dereknewton
9 years ago
Well can light have larger holes with larger bulbs. Whereas recessed lights are very effective to use in kitchens since they require smaller holes and either LED or halogen bulbs looks decorative too. When planning to do kitchen lighting, I would like to suggest that only keeping regular lighting is not enough. You have to keep emergency light like the one available on http://www.emergencylight.com/ that will be of great help in sudden power break down condition. Also instead of using traditional incandescent lamps use LED lights that are convenient and saves energy too.

We need help with kitchen lighting

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Patricia Colwell Consulting

Select Construction, LLC

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