Track Lights?

18 years ago

I had track lighting back in the early 80s. Lit the room fine, but had bright brass cans that were'nt exactly subtle...

In my new house, I'm going for a Rustic-but-not-cutsey look: casual, but with a sense of history. Rural, rocky mtn. setting that was once a stage stop. The lamps in the room will mostly be arts and crafts type stained glass, focal point is a floor to ceiling stone fireplace.

A friend suggested these:

This is a 4.25x 6.75 inch can, so not real large, but not tiny, either. I'd use a 'rust'

color instead of the brushed copper insert. The track is the same color as the can, and the round base is just to show you can box mount it.

I could forego the inset entirely, but then I loose the edge cutout:

What about the same track, but fitted with these:

I'd put the track most of the way round the room at about 8 feet, and use just a couple fixtures up high to cut the gloom up there.

I like the versitility of track, just not the look of track and cans themselves.

To my eye, these are better than most, and the color will help them blend in. I'm still not completely sold, though: sometimes I love them, sometimes they remind me of paintings of Indian Maidens done on black velvet.

Your input appreciated...

These are from award lighting, but there seem to be other companies with very similar products.

Here is a link that might be useful: Southwestern style track

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Comments (3)

Jon1270
18 years ago
I like the 'Indian maidens on black velvet' analogy.

'Rustic track lighting' is something of a contradiction in terms and, IMO, inevitably rather kitschy. To me, rural/rustic implies simple, utilitarian, often handcrafted objects and furnishings, and these fixtures don't fit that idea. I'd be inclined to either skip the track lighting or keep it simple and minimally decorated, and let other furnishings do the talking.

BTW, what part of the Rockies? That stepped cutout is a pretty clearly Southwestern motif -- makes me think of New Mexico.
ilitem
18 years ago
If you don't particularly care for the look of track, I agree with jon1270. Why not use low voltage small heads. I would even suggest using the new frosted bulbs so that it cuts down on glare and takes away "hot spots". My feeling when laying out track is that it shouldn't be the main focal point. Unfortunately, when using this type of fixture, your eye is drawn to it rather than the rest of the room.
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DavidR
18 years ago
I see recessed cans as suited to highlighting room features, not to general lighting. To me track lighting is "the same, but more so."

Lighting a room with either one is kind of like painting your house with a sash brush - it works, but it's inefficient and the results are mediocre.

But if you want something to highlight features, track lighting is markedly better for the purpose than recessed cans, because of its flexibility. Three years from now when you decide to move that painting, you don't have to call in an electrician to move the light that shines on it.

True, track is less fashionable now; you don't see it so much in the home-decorating magazines and books. Some people call it "kitschy." So what? Sometimes, all that home fashion really does is make dumb ideas popular.

If track suits your needs, use it. It's your house, for goodness sake.