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Track Lighting
For a time, track lighting was a fairly cheesy choice. But that
was never inherent in the design. Any form of lighting can look
poor when the lighting scheme and fixture design are weak. It's
also true that overuse of any one style will get old when it
becomes overwhelmingly common.
But new styles have brought track lighting back to a
well-deserved prominence in lighting design schemes.
Track light designs generally use a thin, rectangular support
with a channel down the center. That allows for a sturdy hold
on the lamps while providing a means for moving them along the
rail. That gives flexibility to direct the lights exactly where
they're wanted.
That directionality is key to using track lights well. Because
of their nature, they don't make for a good option for overall
ambient lighting. But they're perfect for their intended
applications: accent or task lights.
'Task lights' are just what the phrase suggests. They're lights
to allow someone to accomplish a task that requires
illumination. That can be anything from working at a bench to
assemble a ship in a bottle to giving adequate light to make a
large drawing.
Accent lights, by contrast, are intended to provide one or more
spots to illuminate a wall, a work of art or a piece of
furniture. Sometimes an accent light simply provides an
atmosphere, where track lights provide a light display against
an otherwise plain surface. In other applications they may
highlight a fine stereo or direct light onto a decorative
element on a wall or table.
Track lights can do all that. Today, they do it with more style
choices than ever. Thanks to advances in CFL (Compact
Fluorescent Lights), as well as better output and lower prices
for LEDs, track lights are available in more options than in
the past.
Not only do those bulb options create different lighting
effects and save electricity, they produce much lower heat than
incandescents or halogens. That opens up more design choices
for shades and covers. When the bulb creates no risk of melting
plastic or heating metal to a dangerous temperature, track
heads can be smaller, use different shapes and materials, and
offer a much larger array of design choices.
Still, many traditional design principles of good track
lighting continue to apply.
Since their purpose is chiefly accent or task lighting, track
lights should be placed about 18-36 inches above the surface to
be highlighted. If they're directed downward, it's important to
keep them angled away from viewers eyes. If they're
predominantly angled up, they have to be close enough to bounce
ample light without being so close as to create just a bright
spot. The figure recommended is a comfortable compromise,
adjust it for your particular application.
Keep in mind that, depending on the exact circumstances, deep
shadows can result from track lights. That may be just what is
wanted in particular applications, or it may not. Every
individual room will require using good taste to get the
lighting scheme just right. Fortunately, that never goes out of
style.
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