Choosing the Correct Lighting

Choosing the correct lighting for your home is very important for you to be able to perform basic visual tasks without straining your eyes. General lighting alone will not be sufficient for your kitchen, bath, study, utility room or office, as there are too many visual tasks performed in these rooms. It is best to plan for a mix of task and general ambient lighting for these rooms.

Kitchen
Since the majority of work in the kitchen is done on the counters, you need to pay particular attention to lighting these surfaces. Locate fixtures near the areas of greatest use and on both sides of the main work area to control glare. Install down-lights over the counter 1 to 2 feet from the wall, but avoid putting them over the upper wall cabinets. To minimize shadows, keep the light in front of the person who uses the counter. Use under-cabinet fixtures to light portions of the counter that remain in the shadows.

Bathroom
In the bathroom, light should always be directed to the person, not the mirror. To reduce shadows on the face, light should come from both sides of the mirror, not just one. If you do want to use a light over the sink, make sure it's at least two feet long to avoid casting shadows under your chin, and avoid reflector lamps as they might cast harsh shadows. Wherever possible, use light colored counters to reflect light under the chin. And never place the light source behind the person at the mirror or it will create shadows on the face - a real challenge if you are trying to put on makeup.

Office
The same principles that apply to a home office will work in any room with a desk. First and foremost, avoid reflected glare and shadows by lighting from the side. Don't place lamps or windows directly in front of the person at the desk. Instead, put the lamp or natural light source to the left of a right-handed person or to the right of a left-handed person.

Utility Room
Fluorescent bulbs are perfectly suited to utility rooms because they provide plentiful, well diffused and energy-efficient lighting. Task lighting will be required for a sewing machine, ironing board or workbench, and track-mounted systems are ideal for this purpose because the units can be moved to highlight portions of the work, making attention to detail easy and enjoyable.

Three factors determine how much task lighting you will need - the age of the people using the light, the speed and accuracy required for the task, and the reflectance or surface glare involved. Keeping these factors in mind, you can choose the perfect lighting for different rooms.