Bright Ideas

With our "Bright Ideas" page we will try to give some helpful tips and general rules of thumb for residential lighting.

You can contact us with further questions, which we might include on this page if they are of general interest. We will also give you a direct, personal reply by e-mail.

Below you will find some of the topics we are covering.

• How to choose outdoor lighting
• Lighting a kitchen
• Is halogen lighting safe?
• What is MonoRail lighting?
• Types of track Lighting
• Choosing a chandelier

Question:
We need better Outdoor Lighting, especially lighting at our doors and around the house and would like some guidelines as which outdoor wall fixtures to choose and where to place them.

Answer:
At your front door the outdoor lighting plays an important role in welcoming you and your guests to your home. The exterior light fixtures also satisfy the need for security by illuminating steps and letting you identify visitors as they approach.

Of course you want to choose lighting fixtures that fit the decor of your house. Most wall sconces or lanterns will do the job well. It's your decor and personal preference that determine the choice of style.

Wall mounted outdoor lanterns or wall sconces on either side of the door will light the door lock and front step. Recessed downlights will do the same, but if used alone they will not illuminate the faces of visitors very well, but can create unattractive shadows.

Mount the lanterns and sconces at least 66" above standing level.

If at all possible, use several low level light sources instead of just one bright lighting fixture. For one, the eyes adapt slower from bright light to darker areas, so you might create glare and even a trip hazard by over-illuminating your front steps.

Too bright outdoor lighting also invades your neighbor's space and adds to the overall "light pollution" reducing our ability to view the beauty of the night sky.

If you want bright lights for security, but warmth and no glare for the first impression of your home, consider putting your outdoor wall fixtures on a dimmer.

Question:
How do you choose good Kitchen Lighting?

Answer:
Good kitchen lighting is so important!
Kitchens are usually the busiest room of the house. Today's multi-functional kitchen spaces are not only used for cooking, but also for visiting with friends, home work, reading the paper and just relaxing.

The days of the single dim overhead kitchen lighting fixture are over! As with all home lighting, it is important to create multiple layers of light. Task lighting, ambient lighting and accent lighting will together create an inviting, livable space.

Kitchen counters and other work areas need to be well lit and free of shadows. Fluorescent or low voltage undercabinet lighting strips provide effective task lighting. Fluorescent lighting fixtures are well suited because they are efficient, providing more lumens per watt. They do not put out much heat and they create an even light, and with the newer electronic ballasts, they do not flicker or hum anymore!

Low voltage lighting dims more easily and lights decorative objects and surfaces dramatically. Over shiny, black marble surfaces they will create drama, but be aware: they will also give off a lot of glare.

If you are illuminating a kitchen island with a very reflective surface and this is your primary work area, you might want to choose a fixture where the low voltage bulb is does not shine directly onto the work area, (like the Tusk by Tech Lighting) or even choose a softer light source, like an incandescent or fluorescent fixture.

A breakfast area is also frequently used for reading, so good overhead light is a must. Here the decor determines the style: from chandeliers to high-tech flexible track lighting with colorful pendants the choice is yours.

Ambient light is needed for all casual activities. It permits comfortable clean-up and easy view into drawers. Recessed downlights or fluorescent lighting are good choices.

In a contemporary kitchen, a low voltage monorail with a variety of track heads and colorful glass mini-pendants can curve through the work and dining areas without interruption of design. The spots can highlight decorative features in the kitchen like collections of canisters on top of cabinets while providing ambient light.

Question:
Is halogen lighting safe?

Answer:
There are two basic concerns with the use of halogen lighting: UV radiation and fire hazard.

Tungsten halogen lamps (bulbs) create more UV radiation than standard incandescent household lamps and they operate at hotter temperatures. In order to meet the UL requirements contemporary halogen floor and table lamps therefore now have protective UV absorbing glass covers and halogen lamps for homes are now limited to 300 watts. Halogen torchieres are tested that tissue paper will not ignite if placed on top of them before they meet the UL standard.

All our contemporary floor and table lamps are UL listed.

We have also done our best to select the halogen floor lamps in our collection not only because of their good looks, but also for stability. There are too many flimsy, top-heavy cheap contemporary floor lamps out there.

Of course, it is still necessary to be cautious: even with their glass shields, these lamps are very hot to the touch and can cause serious burns to probing fingers. Portable halogen lamps are not a wise choice for lighting in a child's room.

Question:
What is MonoRail?

Answer:
MonoRail lighting offers an interesting and more flexible alternative to regular track.

The MonoRail can be hand-bent and formed into simple linear shapes or smooth sinuous curves to enhance architectural detailing or create architectural interest.

The MonoRail is a low voltage system. Low voltage permits the use of very small, stylish fixtures and heads while providing the same amount of light as much larger and bulkier track heads. This makes it possible for you to have the lighting virtually disappear or to use it as distinctive design elements.

Low voltage systems operate with transformers, either remote or surface mounted. You select the transformer according to the wattage load you need: a 300 watt transformer will power six 50 watt fixtures.

The transformer converts standard voltage to a safe-to-the-touch 12 or 24 volts. The heads and pendants clip onto the rail with MonoRail connectors.

Lots of flexibility, lots of choices!

At Form + Function, we currently only show the MonoRail lighting by Tech Lighting. We have carried this product for several years and are impressed with the quality and consistency.

Question:
What are the different types of track lighting?

Answer:
The main types of track lighting are low voltage (12V) and line voltage (120V). Usually the track itself is line voltage, but the track heads that are attached are either low voltage or line voltage. If needed for special lighting effects, low voltage and line voltage track heads can be used together on the same track.

The most noticeable difference between the track heads is the size: low voltage track heads can be a lot smaller while still putting out a comparable amount of lumens to larger line voltage heads. Each low voltage track head usually comes with its own transformer.

Low voltage track heads for residential purposes use 20 – 75 watt MR-16 halogen lamps.

Line voltage track heads are generally less expensive because they don’t need a transformer. They are larger in size. For very high ceilings, these might be the better choice, since some can accept higher wattages.