Let There Be Light

A major remodeling project represents the perfect opportunity to address spaces that have been performing poorly. But one area in the remodeling process that homeowners often overlook—and undervalue—is lighting. In fact, lighting is perhaps the hardest working element in the home. It helps us perform tasks. It highlights interesting architectural elements. It creates ambience.

“When people are cutting lighting from their project, that really limits the flexibility of what you can do within a given space,” says Todd Polifka of Vision Remodeling in Little Canada. “If you’re trying to get the best return on your investment from your remodel, lighting is a great place to put dollars.”

Ideal Combination Sconces and daylight offer maximum flexibility in this sink area. Photo courtesy of Southern Lights, Inc.

Lighting That Works
Lighting influences a home in multiple ways. “You need to understand how a room is going to be lit, the time of day it will predominantly be used, and how you want it to feel when you’re using it,” suggests Jim McDonald, CEO of McDonald Remodeling in Inver Grove Heights.

“Think in layers,” says Linda Jacobson, showroom manager for Muska Lighting in St. Paul. “Layer one is overall ambient lighting—general illumination that fills the room. Layer two is task lighting for jobs like cooking or bill paying. Layer three is accent lighting, which highlights artwork or plants. By layering light, we can bring out the best of a home.”

In a kitchen, for instance, a well-planned lighting scheme may include recessed lighting, under-cabinet strip or puck lights, above- or in-cabinet lighting, pendants over the island, toe-kick lighting at the base of the cabinets, and lights tucked into range hoods. “It seems like a lot of lighting, but in a space where you’re doing a variety of tasks—such as dish washing, cooking, meal prep, homework, working on laptops, or writing recipes—you need to have the ability to use different types of light,” says Jennifer Murnan, lead designer for College City Remodeling in Lakeville.

That same forethought should be applied to the rest of the house. For instance, if you dress or pack in the walk-in closet of the master suite, consider recessed lighting. For a softer look in the rest of the bedroom, use sconces or lamps. Given that most rooms serve multiple functions, dimmer switches allow for even more flexibility when it comes to the look and feel of the room.

Perfect Fit Pendant lights hanging from a customized overhead branch of steel are highly functional yet blend seemlessly with the overall design of the room. Photo courtesy of McDonald Remodeling

Fixture Fascination
Fixtures are often considered the jewelry of the lighting world—they tie the entire ensemble together. Whether they’re a sconce, pendant, or table lamp, lighting fixtures enhance a room’s design. In terms of the overall look of fixtures, the sky’s the limit.

Selecting fixtures can be one of the most exciting parts of a lighting design project, but homeowners should take into account the light the fixture casts, bulb type, and wattage, scale, and placement. After all, you don’t want to diminish the effect of the lighting scheme you worked so hard to accomplish.

Still, some designers believe there are no set rules in terms of where or how a fixture should be used. You just have to think creatively. “In my world, there is no such thing as a standard height for a sconce,” McDonald says. “If you fall in love with a fixture, and you find that it projects out from the wall too far, maybe it will look okay if you move it up six more inches.”

Layered Light Layers of light add ambience, accentuate design details, and complement the influx of daylight from other areas of the home. Photo courtesy of Quigley Architects

Windows of Opportunity
Natural lighting also has a significant influence on a home’s overall tone. “A lot of people are concerned about how much natural daylight comes into their houses and opening the home to views of nature,” says Tim Quigley of Quigley Architects in Minneapolis. To achieve both objectives, Quigley likes to cluster windows. “It creates more connectedness from the inside to outside, even in very traditional additions.”

When it comes to windows, home-owners often think bigger is better. Unfortunately, not every home can accommodate floor-to-ceiling windows. A home’s architecture is an essential consideration for window size, style, and placement. “Windows have to work with the exterior and interior design and make sense for the architectural features and era of the home,” Murnan says. Plus, she adds, “If your neighbor’s house is five feet away, spending all that money on all that glass might not be the optimal solution,” Murnan says.

Transom windows, which are placed above standard window or door height, can be a smart option. “You introduce light into the space, they’re easy to treat with a window treatment, and they give you the privacy you may need,” McDonald says.

Skylights offer another way to invite daylight into a home. “Tubular skylights allow for natural light to come in from above while not compromising wall space,” says Bjorn Freudenthal, general manager for College City Remodeling. “We use those in closets, kitchens, hallways, and other spaces where there’s no opportunity to create windows in walls.”

For spaces where it’s next to impossible to place a window, remodelers will try to capture natural light from other areas of the home. Interior windows also contribute to a sense of brightness and openness. “A lot of times, the illusion of a window is very important for the overall design atmosphere,” Freudenthal says.

The Interplay of Space, Color, and Light
In addition to function, lighting provides numerous aesthetic benefits. To make the most of the colors in a room, homeowners should consider how the light source will affect the look of paint, finishes, furnishings, and accessories. A room brimming with natural light, for instance, will show differently than one accented by artificial lighting.

The type of light bulb also affects color rendering. Some incandescent light projects a yellowish tone while halogens appear brighter and whiter. Xenon casts a white-blue hue that’s similar to natural light. The newer fluorescent lamps display a slight blue or green tone.

Lighting also impacts the perception of a room’s design and size. “Lighting is an accent that can make the main design features pop,” Quigley says. “It can also have a spatial impact, making a small room look and feel bigger.”

“Lighting is so important to the rest of the design work,” Kuerbs notes. “So many times I’ve seen homeowners who have done a beautiful remodeling job, but it had horrible lighting. If you don’t light a home well, everything suffers—the colors, the furniture, and the art.”

Murnan agrees. “Lighting can really bring a space to life and make it spectacular.”

Adapted from “Let There Be Light” by Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, June 2008, p. 180.