Kitchen lights

ifconfig

Our kitchen is approx 4.5m x 4.5m (not particularly big) in a relatively new build.

The kitchen windows (at right angles) face N, NW so it isn't great during daylight hours.

However, our biggest issue is the artificial lighting arrangement during darker hours.
The main light source in the kitchen is provided by a single 6 lamp track (with GU10 fitted,35w/240v halogens). 2 pairs of lamps turn on a pivot and the central section is fixed. It sits in the ceiling above a black granite island in the centre of the kitchen. Auxiliarly lighting is provided in the pelmets of the kitchen units to provide directional lighting above the working spaces on the counter tops on the perimeters of the kitchen space.

My good wife detests the way the light is do directional, glaring and there are a lot of shadows especially around side walls of the kitchen because there is no conventional light source. The glare irritates her too (no matter how I position the GU10 lamps) and she finds it hard to read cooking books due to the intense shine of the highly directional lamps.

I mentioned this to our original electrician and he mentioned something called a Brio (?) for more even lighting.

Also .. I think our options are very limited because we only have a single mains cable drop for lighting in the centre of the ceiling.
Our ceilings are hollowcore and we have underfloor heating upstairs as well as down so I think drilling through the hollowcore or routing another power source through to the kitchen ceiling is next to impossible.

Any ideas appreciated.
The main thrust is to see if we can ditch the 6 lamp track for a more even light source.

Are 2 light fittings in the ceiling , either side of the centre , not feasible due to the single mains cable drop or is there some way to split the power source and maybe use some tubing to cover the short cable run between 2 sites in the ceiling ?

--ifc

beanie10

Try a 60w circular light fitting as made by Fitzgerald Lighting

http://www.fitzlight.co.uk/product.asp?catId=13&ranId=85

Your local electrical wholesaler should have them.

indie armada

dont think you can get fitzgerald lighting here now, we buy in something similar from o'neils.
depending on which way your joists are running you could fish across and drop down three or four pendants with opal diffusers in a line evenly spaced apart.
something like this..... http://www.lightsmart.co.uk/images/T/3303.jpg

if you cant fish a cable and are stuck with the one supply, then maybe a nice arcitechtural flouresent fitting.

ifconfig

Thanks for the suggestions, Beanie, Armada ....

IndieArmada : The ceilings are hollowcore so I suspect fishing more cable drops further away from the center of the room is a non starter.

Is the requirement to fish additional cables purely to avoid the poor aesthetics of having to disguise a split /extension of the single power source so that it reaches a second (or third light fitting) or does each light fitting require a separate cable drop ?

Would there be more average light output across the room using the sort of fitting and 60w output that Beanie mentioned compared to the 6 x 35W halogen track arrangement.
What we find with the halogen/track is that a lot of sections of the room are in shade because of high directionality of the halogens.

beanie10

There is full 360 deg spread of light from circular light, where you located i might know a supplier near you

ifconfig

I am near Claremorris, Co Mayo.

We purchased most , if not all, light fittings originally from Western Lighting in Castlebar.
I also got some materials (for the electrician) at CEF Electrical suppliers also in Castlebar and some items in CT Electric.

indie armada

another option is to fit flouresent lamps on top of you presses uplighting onto the ceiling. depending on the lenght of your presses would determine the lenght of the fitting and this would diffuse down into the rest of the room by bouncing off the celing. i have under counter lights and lights ontop of my presses and i never need the centre ceiling light on.

meercat

indie armada wrote: »

another option is to fit flouresent lamps on top of you presses uplighting onto the ceiling. depending on the lenght of your presses would determine the lenght of the fitting and this would diffuse down into the rest of the room by bouncing off the celing. i have under counter lights and lights ontop of my presses and i never need the centre ceiling light on.

agree with indie armada
i would use led strips though
you can get them in warm white if you find the white a little harsh on the eyes
you can get 1metre or 5metre lengths
put them above and below your kitchen presses
if you havnt got wiring in for striplights you can install switch under presses
a bit dearer than flourescents but really cheap to run constantly
http://www.ledbulbs.ie/led-strip-lights.html

beanie10

ifconfig wrote: »

I am near Claremorris, Co Mayo.

We purchased most , if not all, light fittings originally from Western Lighting in Castlebar.
I also got some materials (for the electrician) at CEF Electrical suppliers also in Castlebar and some items in CT Electric.

The circular fitting shoule be readily availeable from both ct and cef, led strips can get to be very expensive if you were to cover the units

indie armada

the led strip is a great idea but if it were me id stick with flouresent as its easier to change a bulb then replace a lenght of led strip. ive used standard 12v 20 watt cabinet lights above and below the presses, not the most energy efficient but cheap to replace bulbs and are dimmable. also have them countersunk into the presses that have glass to light from the inside out.
with regards the circular fitting, imo i find them outdated and somewhat old fashioned. allthough they take a 60 watt lamp ive found them not to give out the light you would expect from a bulb of that wattage, this plus that they are phasing out t9 circular lamps in favor of the t5 high output type would put me off fitting one in a modern kitchen.

paddy147

Cheap,simple to fit and install,and very effective with regards light and directed working light.

Easy to change a bulb too.:)