Can Lights – love them or hate them?

We are tackling the lighting plan for the new house, and I have been doing some research.  Normally I don’t think about lighting too much, although I am aware that there are some rooms in my current house that are too dark and would really benefit from overhead lighting. Ambient lighting does not seem to do the trick in all situations and all room set ups.

One thing I have started to realize is that many designers are vehemently against the overuse of can lighting  (those cans that are put in the ceilings of rooms) – they despise the way that it makes a ceiling look like ‘swiss cheese’.  Others claim that can lighting (also called downlights) is one of the “worst inventions of Western architecture”.

When we took a first cut at the lighting plan (and by ‘we’, I really mean my architect and designer – I was fairly clueless, but thanks to this post I am up to speed and well prepared for the next meeting!), I was somewhat surprised about how few ‘can’ lights Suzanne and Stan were recommending. The main task areas – like the kitchen – are well lit with downlights/can lights.  But there are no cans at all specified in many rooms (such as the living room and dining room); instead, they will be lit with light fixtures such as chandeliers, lanterns, library lights, and other ambient lighting sources such as table lamps and floor lamps (a layered approach to lighting).

The layered lighting approach is seen in this room.  Notice the beautiful unblemished ceiling!  There are sconces and table lamps (9 that I can see) that provide the light.  (I love that painting – anyone know the artist?). 

It is hard to get an idea for what people ‘really’ do in a room just by looking at magazine pictures. Magazine pictures often don’t contain much of the ceiling in the picture, and I have heard that many unsightly items such as can lights are instantly smoothed away with photoshop.  This room, for example – a lovely clear ceiling – but there only appears to be one table lamp in the room for light.   Yes, it is more beautiful…but is it practical?

Case in point about magazine editing:  on the left, a beautiful home featured in House Beautiful, with interiors by Babs Watkins, Julie Baker, and Eleanor Cummings.  This picture is from the House Beautiful website. On the right: the same room, with the can lights edited out (from Cote de Texas).

 

Sometimes a glimpse of a can light or two can be seen in a magazine photo.  Charlotte Moss has some can lights in her living room; they are small and delicate, but they are there! These might be directional to highlight the art, but they also provide a bit of light over the seating area.  Sconces, a chandelier, candles, and table lights provide additional lighting sources.

Another magazine photo – although they are very subtle, there are definitely downlights in this room. They are small and blend in quite well with the ceiling paneling.

It seems as if can lights are frequently used when the ceiling is this style (the name is escaping me).

Real estate listings portray a more realistic picture, as they often show an entire room, and they often show the ceiling.  This room has a nice approach – largely can light free, but with small focused lights in the area at the end of the room.

Another picture from Cote de Texas – a house that was on the market in Houston.  Looking around the room, it appears that the can lighting is the main source of light in this space.

This room, also from a Houston house, has a few table lamps, but also relies on downlights for the primary light source in the room.

Compare and contrast to this space, where there are can lights, but there are also many other sources of light – two chandeliers, table lamps, floor lamps, and library lights. Architecture by Steve Giannetti.

Kitchens are a different matter altogether, because of the task oriented nature of the space.  Kitchens need plenty of light, and this is often most effectively achieved with downlights.

One of my favorite kitchens, by kitchen designer Lindy Weaver, seems to employ a combination of light fixtures (the large pendant lights), library style lights over the sink, and very small architectural down lights scattered throughout the kitchen.  I like this approach, but my new kitchen is not going to have a light fixture over the island because of the configuration of the kitchen, so I will need to rely on downlights/can lights for task lighting.

I love how this kitchen combined downlights, pendant lights, lamps, and sconces to light the space. 

I asked Brooke from Velvet & Linen about her opinion on downlights, and she said that she often uses other solutions for achieving light in spaces without using cans (in her own house, she does not have a single can light!).  In this kitchen designed by Steve and Brooke Giannetti, note the use of light fixtures in the ceiling (small fixtures close to the ceiling, pendants, and a chandelier) instead of cans everywhere.

Another example from the Giannetti’s portfolio where beautiful ceiling fixtures are used instead of cans (although I do spy two tiny downlights over the sink).

 

One of my all time favorite kitchens, by Victoria Hagan,  uses vintage looking lights instead of can lights to illuminate the kitchen (plus large pendants).

Barbara Westbrook uses hanging lights for the majority of light in this kitchen (although there is a lone downlight over the sink)

Note the clever way that lighting was achieved near the range and sinks, through tiny focused pendants that are attached to the beam.  Image via AH&L.

All in all, I am perfectly fine with function over form in a kitchen – and sometimes can lights are the most effective way to achieve  task lighting in a space.  I really like the look of the small downlights in this kitchen, with interior design by Jim Howard.  The beautiful airy pendant lights provide great lighting without being too intrusive, and the small size of the ‘can lights’ does not create big holes in the ceiling.

Just one of the many decisions that must be made when building a house!  Not only that, but we are also at a turning point in lighting technology; the US government has set a deadline of 2012 for light bulbs to be 30% more efficient, and yet there does not seem to be a really appealing and cost effective replacement to the incandescent bulbs that we are all used to.   I have been looking into LED lighting (CREE seems to be a leader in this market), but the cost is quite high.  Low voltage halogens are more energy efficient than incandescent, but quite expensive too.

So, readers – do you have any thoughts on can lights? Love them or hate them? Do you have any style or bulb recommendations? I would be interested to read your thoughts.

Books mentioned in this post:

Victoria Hagan: Interior Portraits (click here to purchase on Amazon.com)

Things That Inspire Favorites: Cape Cod Metal Polishing Cloths

Things That Inspire Favorites: Oz Naturals Vitamin C Serum

Things That Inspire Favorites: Thera Breath Oral Rinse

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