Come on Baby, Light my Fire!

Today, you can call me Teachul...

Getting the appropriate lighting fixtures and wattage for a room can make all the difference.

A few of the first questions that need answering are...  How much wattage is needed to properly “light” a room and how is it sourced? And in lighting my home, can I save the planet?

First, I'm going to show you how much you need: 

To find proper ambient lighting for your room, multiply the room dimensions to get your total square footage and then multiple the total sq footage by 1.5 for total illumination needed.

In rooms where greater task lighting is required, such as over your kitchen island, use 2.5 as your multiplier of over-all sq footage, rather than 1.5. This same formula would be used in say a home office or study area.

Example:

Room size is 12 x16=192 sq. ft.

192 x 1.5 = 288 watts

Now you know the wattage necessary and can break this down into lighting fixture.  Two table lamps or floor lamps with 150 watt bulbs will offer ample lighting for the space.  Take into consideration other items in a space that can offer lighting, in a dining room for instance, you may have a chandelier that holds 6-8 bulbs of 40 watts each, multiple this out and add it to your overall wattage required.

Note to self: If you layer your lighting sources, rather than just plugging in one or two lamps to meet the lighting requirements, you will add the designer feel to the space. 

Consider installing some canned lighting on a dimmer switch over the buffet in addition to the hanging dining room lighting (also on a dimmer).  Can you imagine how much better that slightly charred chicken would look, not to mention how pretty you'd appear in that soft light?  
Why, no one would even notice that wine flush!

But Can You Save the Planet?

Compact Fluorescent bulb versus Incandescent:

Compact fluorescent light bulbs are more energy-efficient than regular bulbs because of the different method they use to produce light. Regular bulbs (incandescent bulbs) create light by heating a filament inside the bulb; the heat makes the filament white-hot, producing the light that you see. A lot of the energy used to create the heat that lights an incandescent bulb is wasted. A fluorescent bulb, on the other hand, contains a gas that produces invisible ultraviolet light (UV) when the gas is excited by electricity (calm down). The UV light hits the white coating inside the fluorescent bulb and the coating changes it into light you can see. Because fluorescent bulbs don't use heat to create light, they are far more energy-efficient than regular incandescent bulbs.

Compact Fluorescent versus Fluorescent:
The primary difference is in size; compact fluorescent bulbs are made in special shapes to fit in standard household light sockets, like table lamps and ceiling fixtures. In addition, most compact fluorescent lamps have an "integral" ballast that is built into the light bulb, whereas most fluorescent tubes require a separate ballast independent of the bulb. Both types offer energy-efficient light.

Compare the Difference:

Standard Bulb		CFL Bulb
40w	=	10w
60w	=	13w-15w
75w	=	20w
100w	=	26w-29w
150w	=	38w-42w
250w-300w	=	55w

Because the wattage of a compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb is much lower than that of an incandescent, you can use higher wattage CFL giving you the equivalent light of a higher wattage incandescent.

It's Not You, It's Them:

CFL bulbs do require a short warm-up period before they reach full brightness, which is why they may appear dim (I told you, it's them) when first turned on. Compact fluorescent bulbs are best used in fixtures that are left on for longer periods of time (15 minutes, plus), rather than in fixtures that are turned off and on frequently.

TYPES OF LIGHTING:

Ambient or General lighting- Is your all-purpose type of lighting that basically lights up a room and allows you to walk around in the space without bumping into walls.  It comes from indirect sources and bounces off your ceilings and walls. Ambient or general lighting is best sourced by using several types of lighting, e.g., lamps, wall sconces, cove lighting, pendants.  It can also be accomplished using chandeliers, ceiling lights, etc.

Task Lighting-This is lighting that is focused on a specific area to allow a specific task to be accomplished, such as reading, cooking or sewing.  This lighting should be bright enough to prevent eye strain and be free from glare.  Task lighting can be accomplished using lamps, pendant lighting or track lighting.

Accent Lighting- Also referred to as decorative or highlighting adds the extra bit of drama to a space by creating visual interest.  Wall sconces, picture lights and track lighting are good example to use for this.  Accent lighting requires about three times the light on the point of interest as the general lighting around it.

How High Can I Fly?

Rule of thumb is the bottom of your fixture should be hung about 30” above the top of your table.  This figure works well with a ceiling height of about 8’-00" - 9'-4".

Beyond that, you should add 6” for every two feet of ceiling height.  Ex: 12’-00 ceiling, you’d want to hang the bottom of fixture 36"- 39" above table.  For this example we are considering the standard dining table top is 30” above finished floor.  The higher the ceiling, the more critical it is that you add additional lighting sources in the room.

Go Big or Go Home:

Size matters.  To figure out how large in diameter your dining or nook fixture should be is easy.
Take your room dimensions, say 12 x 12 and add them together to get 24.  That is the starting size for the diameter of your fixture.  Going bigger works for me, but smaller is a classic mistake.
Many builders offer a generic lighting package for new homeowners, my recommendation is take what they are offering- for free.  Upgrade on your own after closing and sell those builder fixtures in your next garage sale.

Lighting a Foyer- Use the same dimension formula, add length time’s width and be sure the bottom of the fixture is at least 7’-00 above finished flooring.  If you have a large window above your front door, you’ll want to be sure that your light hangs correctly from the outside too, so take this into consideration when determining your final hanging height.  I also love, love, love foyer lighting on a dimmer switch.

Hanging wall sconces:  Everyone loves wall sconces; they add so much of the mood into a room.  I am a great believer of adding these babies – everywhere!  A good rule of thumb is place them about 6’-00 above the finished floor and approximately 6’-8’ apart.

Lighting a Bathroom- Most of the time the only lighting you will find in this space is the strip lighting over the vanity.  And that is fine, but ideally only a start.  I love to layer my lighting in the bath.  Add wall sconces for mood lighting, raise your vanity height and remove the toe-kick to add hidden fluorescent strips that are just perfect for those middle of the night trips.  To offer the best lighting at the vanity add a light over sink at least 24” wide and then add wall sconces on each side of the mirror, this will provide shadow-free make-up application.

In the bedroom- Listen closely, because most people get this all wrong.  A couple of tips, think big. Most master bedrooms have at least a queen size bed in the room.  Don't pair that bed up with a couple of candelabra lamps that were meant to offer mood lighting at a buffet.

And while I'm a big believer that setting the mood in the bedroom is important, don't try to do it with draping fabric over your lamps or putting child-sized lamps next to the bed.  That is just wrong.  Camouflage lighting has its place, especially in the bedroom to help keep those God given imperfections between you and your maker, but that lighting is strategically placed and it's not at the bedside.  For bedside, I want you to think big.  Think 30" plus- think big and beefy with good soft white bulbs.  Once you've correctly purchased the serious lighting, we can talk about layering in the "mood" lighting.

Sexy Mood Lighting:

Recessed cans- These are great in the bedroom and I’d recommend them on a dimmer switch.  
Sconces- Wonderful for setting the mood without reveling too much.  Be sure to use a dimmer switch on these as well.
Cove Lighting- In conjunction with big, fat crown molding- wonderful in a bedroom

Tipsy Tip:

Dim That- Any lights that are turned on by flipping a switch, consider installing a dimmer.  It makes all the difference in lighting your home as well as the mood.  After you have that second glass of wine and are feeling all mellow, there is nothing harsher or quicker to ruin your good mood than flipping on a bright bulb.

Note regarding dimmers: To use a compact fluorescent bulb on a dimmer switch, you must buy a bulb that's specifically made to work with dimmer, so check the package. GE makes a dimming compact fluorescent light bulb (called the Energy Smart Dimming Spirals®) that is specially designed for use with dimming switches. I don't recommend using regular compact fluorescent bulbs with dimming switches, since this can shorten bulb life. (Using a regular compact fluorescent bulb with a dimmer will also nullify the bulb's warranty.) Keep this in mind when going green. 

Layer, Layer, Layer- Just like on the bed, layer your lighting.  Incorporate different sources to achieve your requirements, than dim them appropriately to set the mood.

Ceiling fans with light kits- JUST SAY NO.  The fan is fine, just don’t install the light kit.  If the rest of your lighting is done correctly, you don’t need that cheap, harsh lighting.  Haven't I taught you anything?