How to Design Overhead Lighting
- 1). Measure the room where the overhead lighting will be installed. On graph paper, draw the walls, doors, windows, skylights, fireplaces, cabinets, islands, stairs, fixtures (such as commodes and showers) and special features (such as fireplaces or decorative floor inserts). Note the location of existing electrical outlets and switch plates and make notes in the margin of the graph paper indicating which outlets or existing lights the switches operate.
- 2). Tape tracing paper over the graph paper and roughly trace the border of the room. (The graph paper acts as a reference for existing wiring and fixtures. The tracing paper will be used to add new fixtures, outlets and switches.) Use the template and a colored marker to add additional fixture locations to highlight special features. Make careful notes in the margin about the location of new switch plates, dimmers or other considerations, such as timers. Use one color of pen to draw dashed lines from the location of a new fixture to the new switch plate that will operate it. (This color will represent wiring and make it easier to see what needs to be added.)
- 3). Design your overhead lighting scheme based on the function, type and style of lights you will use. First, locate the recessed lights that will be used for wide dispersal. (Check manufacturer's specifications for each fixture's span of light. This will help you determine how many fixtures will be necessary to fulfill wide-dispersal functions.) Generally, space the recessed lights evenly and consider dimmer switch options.
- 4). Determine the location of any chandelier-type fixture. Chandeliers are selected for formal settings such as foyers and dining rooms and to add romance to master bedroom suites. Chandeliers can only be used in rooms with sufficient ceiling height or centered over tables where people will not walk into them. The location helps determine the scale of fixture. For large, high-vaulted rooms, use larger fixtures that will assist in filling the visual volume of the space (and consider including a small motor to lower large fixtures for cleaning and bulb-changing). For small, low-ceiling rooms, use smaller fixtures that suit the scale of the space and furniture. Select styles and finishes consistent with the design style of the home.
- 5). Use special light fixtures to highlight art, drapes, architectural features and other areas you want to draw attention to. These fixtures may include directional recessed light fixtures or small track lights. With some lighting installations, the light fixtures are also functional art. In a loft design, the fixtures may suspend around the perimeter of the room on cables. With other home styles, the choice may be to hide the lights by making them disappear into the ceiling as much as possible. Note the locations and types of fixtures on the tracing paper plan and detail what the function of the fixture will be. Use the template circles to draw the dispersal area of fixtures to better illustrate the overall lighting design.
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