Kitchens & Dining Rooms Archives - Page 2 of 3

1THING: Plug-In Kitchens

A photograph of a well-lit kitchen featuring lights underneath the cabinets and ceiling lights directly over the island. The cabinets are white with dark handles and the floor is hardwood.

I am a dreamer. I dream solutions, I dream new ways to share the gift of light, I dream new ways to use light. I also dream about running the Boston Marathon. Some dreams are more realistic than others. On the flip side of the dreamer is the doer. I like getting checkmarks on my […]

1THING: New Build Kitchens

A CAD recreation of a kitchen with a big island, cabinets, and a dining table behind the island. The cabinets over the counter are highlighted with lights directed downwards, which are emphasized by red dotted lines and arrows pointing to the lighted area

Center downlights on kitchen cabinet doors for better illumination inside the cabinets – and a better look. IF YOU CAN ONLY DO ONE THING TO IMPROVE THE LIGHTING IN YOUR NEW KITCHEN…put the recessed downlights in the right place. Getting great lighting in a home can be a little intimidating and overwhelming. Homeowners will often […]

Fine Homebuilding Kitchen

The cover of Kitchens & Baths magazine no. 287 - Rethinking the Kitchen

Imagine the future: light helps you keep your balance as you age, cuts down on point sources that cause glare, minimizes sleep disturbances, and helps you see what you are doing better than ever. Wouldn’t it be nice? Pushing these boundaries requires experiments like our recent lighting makeover at my parents’ farmhouse in Illinois. The […]

The Kitchen of the Future

Check out this short video of our two-day process to re-light a fifteen-year old project with updated technology and science. What has changed in the last fifteen years? Everything. Just remember, I’m a lighting designer, not a movie star (this will be obvious). […]

Oops, I did it again.

A photograph of a kitchen with white cabinets, walls, and countertops, and nice hardwood floor. There is lighting underneath the cabinets, circle lights in the ceiling, and everything is very well lit.

Fifteen years ago I did a budget-friendly lighting design for my mother’s total kitchen remodel as shown in the photograph above. I delivered 50 foot-candles to the horizontal task plane, as I’d been taught to do. I had multiple downlights over the sink and placed the downlights directly over the counter. I didn’t like the […]

Plumbers Doing Lighting

Photograph of a bathroom with white and lavender walls, a white sink and white door. Two sconces rest on either side of the mirror, both turned on.

You’ve got the wrong professional. A long time ago I spent several years as a full-time construction supervisor responsible for training volunteer crews and building new homes from the ground up with Habitat for Humanity in Mississippi. I learned how to pour slab foundations, rough in plumbing, wire a breaker panel, install cabinets, put on […]

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Kitchen Counter Lighting

The Right Light for Kitchen Counters (Read the companion story on Houzz.com) After the paint is dry and the counters are set in place, the kitchen becomes the most difficult place in the house to change. Getting lighting on the countertops has to be done right the first time, and here are a few tips […]

5 Tips for 1 Chandelier

An illustration of a table with a candle style chandelier labelled "glare and bright" with a bowl of fruit labelled "dark" on the left. In the middle is an uplight chandelier labelled "bright" and a bowl of fruit labelled "dark". On the right is a downlight chandelier with the space above it labelled "dark" and the fruit on the table labelled "bright".

I am delighted that Houzz.com continues to publish my stories in their news feed and newsletters. This week I pulled together information from several of my languageoflight.blog posts and a handful of images from the vast photo library on Houzz to simplify chandelier/dining room pendant purchasing. I made use of common wisdom and a few […]

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Developing a Kitchen Lighting Plan

A blue print of a kitchen with many lights. "A common kitchen layout...that lights the floor very wel......but creates shadows on the counters. Pendents look nice, but do they light the island well?"

Another one just came across my desk: a kitchen where the plans call for lighting placed precisely in the wrong place. Chopping with large knives and dealing with hot pans is no place for poor lighting and obscuring shadows, and this is just one reason kitchens have the most at stake when it comes to […]

Fine Homebuilding (and Lighting)

Looking into a wine closet with a glass wall and door with all wooden nearly filled wine cabinets, a marble floor, and a large dish on display on a pedestal in the center of a room.

Today I send a big THANK YOU to the fabulous editorial team at Fine Homebuilding for shaping my article for their readers. It was a fun experience for me and I am delighted with the final product! Read it online. […]

Category: Kitchens & Dining Rooms