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#75026 02/11/07 12:15 AM
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 91
H
Member
Things have been a little slow so today I looked at a job that's a little outside of my usuual line of work. It's a newer residence where the owners didn't install enough lighting when they built and now want recessed cans in the living room.
The room is 15' square and only has two usable walls. These two walls form an L shape with a large window centered on the longer of the two with a couch under it. The other wall has a love seat.
My first thought was two 6" cans over the couch and on either side of the window and one or two 6" cans over the love seat.
There's also a narrow fire place that stands alone on a short wall that they would like to highlight with a can light. The ceiling is a low sloping cathedral type.
Any advice on fixture type and placement would be much appreciated as would any other advice anyone has to offer. Also can you get old work cans that can be adjusted for the angle of the cathedral ceiling so the beam shines straight down or even further to splash on the wall?

#75027 02/11/07 01:26 AM
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 26
G
Member
Putting the cans right over the couches will make weird shadows on people's faces when they sit down, but say about a foot in front of each couch could be good. Given the dimensions of the room and that it is square, what about just a square of four evenly spaced lights around the center, say maybe 4ft between each light to give good light to each couch? Plus the extra over the fireplace.

Where is (are) the current light(s) in the room?

#75028 02/11/07 03:03 AM
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 821
S
Member
Personally, I like to use the hi-hats for lighting up the entire room as evenly as possible. Not every customer wants it it done like that, though. Some want them as you suggested - over the couches or whatever. And yes, recessed light manufactures like Halo or Juno do offer 6" "eyeball" trims for their lights. The eyeballs are obviously a little bit more expensive than a regular baffle trim.

As for the lights over the fireplace, I would go with 4" recessed cans with mini eyeballs and 50 watt par 20 lamps.

Good luck!

#75029 02/11/07 12:20 PM
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 91
H
Member
Sorry, I should have mentioned that there is an existing fan/light in the center of the room. It has four candlabra (sp) lamps and gives off a very dim light.

#75030 02/11/07 09:11 PM
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 362
Member
You can use eyeballs, regessed eyeballs if the slope is not to great. You can also get cans for sloped cieling, they will be adjustable to let them point down. However they tend to be larger, ex 6" may be closer to 8". As for layout the customer is always right. If you go over the couch , I prefer to keep them center or slightly back to allow for reading and such. I prefer to use reflector lamps instead of par lamps. You will feel like a french fry under the Pars.
Also be sure to give the dimming option, for those cold winter nights.

Ob


Choose your customers, don't let them choose you.
#75031 02/12/07 12:47 AM
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 138
C
Member
I have installed the configuration you speak of. It came out very nice. no sloped ceiling though, just standard 8' flat ceiling. These were 4" old work recess lights..i put 3 over each couch, and then 2 4"eyeballs about 2' away from the fireplace. Each set of 3 lights had their own dimmer switch as did the eyeballs over the fireplace. This installation was for my parents who are getting a little older, and needed some good reading/knitting lighting. I wish I could send a picture.


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