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I have a kitchen remodel going on and the lights don't line up

Paul F.
last year
last modified: last year

The rendering is a little off but you can see that I want the sink centered under the window but then the center lights won't line up over the sink. Does that matter? It's about 8 inches off.

I could do two smaller lights (3 inch) so I get light on the 20 inch counter to the left and the area to the right of the sink... neither centered over the sink.

I could do a ceiling mount can light centered over the sink too but I'm worried about competing with the pendants. I have no idea what the pendants are going to look like. They could be can shaped too I guess.


What would you do?







Comments (18)

  • Verbo
    last year

    Use LED disc lights. They can go anywhere.

    Paul F. thanked Verbo
  • wdccruise
    last year

    "What would you do?"

    Move the housing.

    Paul F. thanked wdccruise
  • palimpsest
    last year

    You could center the room light on the window as well.

    Paul F. thanked palimpsest
  • Paul F.
    Original Author
    last year

    Any thoughts if a light needs to be centered over a sink?

  • 3onthetree
    last year

    "What would you do?"

    I wouldn't have lights between the counters lighting up the middle of the floor.

    I would have lights over the counters, and work in centering over the sink.

    I would demo completely the drywall rather than piece it in.

    I would align all switches and receptacles.

    Paul F. thanked 3onthetree
  • Paul F.
    Original Author
    last year
    last modified: last year

    There will be under-cabinet lighting on one side and pendants on the other. No lighting over the 5 foot wide area between the counters would be strange, no? This is a smoke damage restoration. and insurance would only pay for so much drywall removal. The electricians have been pretty destructive, hence the patch work you see. I'm sure there will be more demo of it now.

  • palimpsest
    last year
    last modified: last year

    I would try to create a grid or alignment of lights that gets you lighting essentially everywhere you need it without being random ceiling acne.

    There is nothing the matter with lighting up the middle of a room/workspace, nothing at all. It's part of the ambient light. Not everything has to be a task light. There is nothing the matter with having even lighting throughout a work space.

    But what you don't want to do is rely on a central fixture to provide light for counters or areas toward the perimeter.

    Paul F. thanked palimpsest
  • Fori
    last year

    if the light being off is going to bother you, won't the sink location being offcenter bug you as well?


    I'd want unobtrusive task lighting directly over the sink that didn't have to relate to the other fixtures.

    Paul F. thanked Fori
  • palimpsest
    last year

    Actually without knowing what the cabinet layout is, it's hard to say whether the lack of alignment of certain lights is going to be very apparent or isn't.

    Paul F. thanked palimpsest
  • Fori
    last year

    I didn't think I cared much for symmetry and lining things up but the drawing of the kitchen bugs me. The window doesn't line up with the sink and neither lines up with the U.


    But the actual window is proportioned differently from the one in the drawing so the drawing probably isn't representative. It's good that Paul is verifying things being where they should be at this stage.

    Paul F. thanked Fori
  • Paul F.
    Original Author
    last year
    last modified: last year

    To be clear, there are currently FIVE recessed light running down the center of the kitchen not just one. But, I think you might still asking for more lights. I thought 5 feet was too narrow for that but I've photoshopped it.


    Yes, the sink will line up with the window. The window used to be a door so there was no option on window placement.




  • Paul F.
    Original Author
    last year

    I thought this was a simple question with a center it or not type of answer. Now, I'm wondering if 5 lights centered over a 5 foot span is enough or if I need to up it to TEN lights. Any thoughts?

  • palimpsest
    last year

    Do you have a plan rather than these 3-D renderings?

    Paul F. thanked palimpsest
  • Paul F.
    Original Author
    last year

    Sure.


  • 3onthetree
    last year

    Trying to make sense of the drawings. The 2nd rendering shows a gyp board soffit above the upper cabinets/vent enclosure, but I think the actual framing has lowered the ceiling completely instead. The plan layout doesn't appear to match the 2nd rendering. You have "C3s" throughout the house, which are assuming gimbals to accent walls, and they are put on every stinkin wall available, no matter the width, focus, or prominence.

    I would certainly do the general house lighting different. For the kitchen, I would probably do a 3" can in the kitchen, maybe 2" under the uppers, which IMO is a better aesthetic option than the 4" housings for the style and cabinets you have. That being dependent on what I am assuming in my head from the uncoordinated drawings.

    Paul F. thanked 3onthetree
  • PRO
    User
    last year

    Center the light over the sink. That is task lighting and the main focus is function. If the sink light differs from the other lighting in the kitchen I don't see it as an issue of it being out of alignment with the other lights. In fact, make sure it does differ to ensure an aesthetic that appeases the layout.

    Also, in your electrical plan, the sink is not shown center to the window. I would triple-check to make sure that will be centered and ask for a drawing showing it as such.

    Paul F. thanked User
  • Paul F.
    Original Author
    last year

    I'm an art collector so the light is meant to highlight walls where the art will be hung and that is everywhere. Yes Glo, I think I will just keep them as is and use a ceiling mount can as I showed in the original post. Flying by the seat of my pants so no drawings or diagrams will ever show the finished product.