I have attempted to use the search function on this site, looked through a number of books as well as used google in search for appropriate pendant lighting for over our island at the Gunning House/Glenbrow to no avail. I'm hoping someone here might have some suggestions for our 1940 house. The kitchen will have the soffit lighting (although using LED concealed fixtures) along the edges of the raised ceiling but we need to find pendants for over island. My husband is leaning towards RLMs in a brushed nickel or possibly a Halophone since they are made not far from the house, but we haven't decided.
We also haven't made a final decision on the counter material for the island. It will need to be scribed into the stone wall. The countertops along the counter height horizontal windows will be stainless. My husband would like to use butcher block but since I bake bread and pizzas, and the island meets the color variation and texture of the stone wall, I would prefer a solid material without variation but heat resistant. I'm thinking possibly silestone.
Comments appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Workspace pendant lighting over island
I have specified lights from this catalog for some clients (not particularly Wrightian, but some clean lines):
http://www.rejuvenation.com/catalog/cat ... g/pendants
a google image search for modern pendants:
https://www.google.com/search?q=modern+ ... 36#imgrc=_
George Nelson lights might be an option:
https://www.google.com/search?q=george+ ... 36#imgrc=_
http://www.rejuvenation.com/catalog/cat ... g/pendants
a google image search for modern pendants:
https://www.google.com/search?q=modern+ ... 36#imgrc=_
George Nelson lights might be an option:
https://www.google.com/search?q=george+ ... 36#imgrc=_
SDR,
We really don't have photos of the original kitchen only one partial one looking at the stone wall. The original floor plan calls for a 3 X 6 table off the stone wall (called dining) but you might recall this was when what we call the living room was called the dormitory with it's 3 beds between the horizontal windows for children. When we took ownership the house had gone through 2 additions ('49 carport converted to livable space with a walkway and new carport by Noverre Musson) and '64 bedroom addition with a slight enlargement to the kitchen.
When we took ownership, we found a deteriorated plastic laminate cabinets /faux granite counter top and although the original soffit lights were in place below the raised clerestory windows, track lighting was added, probably because of insufficient lighting. Here is a photo showing how we took ownership:
original photos (how we took ownership):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/125471081 ... ed-public/
the original floorpan showed a 6 ft dining table/island off the stone wall:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/125471081 ... 444413635/
Since the kitchen was enlarged by van Fossen from the original, we moved the placement of the refrigerator and will increase the table (now an island since the original "lounge' became a dining room with the dormitory becoming a living room)from 6 feet to 8 feet. Here is a relatively recent photo:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/125471081 ... 444413635/
We have the electrician wiring the house now and want to make sure we won't have to go back and add additional wiring. Joe believes we will need additional light besides the soffit lighting over our "island". I just want to find appropriate lighting.
In the "Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian Houses" book, Jacobs I , page 60, there is a type of modified track lighting. I'm wondering if this was used or added later, like I'm guessing the ceiling tracks in our house was added. Thanks in advance.
We really don't have photos of the original kitchen only one partial one looking at the stone wall. The original floor plan calls for a 3 X 6 table off the stone wall (called dining) but you might recall this was when what we call the living room was called the dormitory with it's 3 beds between the horizontal windows for children. When we took ownership the house had gone through 2 additions ('49 carport converted to livable space with a walkway and new carport by Noverre Musson) and '64 bedroom addition with a slight enlargement to the kitchen.
When we took ownership, we found a deteriorated plastic laminate cabinets /faux granite counter top and although the original soffit lights were in place below the raised clerestory windows, track lighting was added, probably because of insufficient lighting. Here is a photo showing how we took ownership:
original photos (how we took ownership):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/125471081 ... ed-public/
the original floorpan showed a 6 ft dining table/island off the stone wall:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/125471081 ... 444413635/
Since the kitchen was enlarged by van Fossen from the original, we moved the placement of the refrigerator and will increase the table (now an island since the original "lounge' became a dining room with the dormitory becoming a living room)from 6 feet to 8 feet. Here is a relatively recent photo:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/125471081 ... 444413635/
We have the electrician wiring the house now and want to make sure we won't have to go back and add additional wiring. Joe believes we will need additional light besides the soffit lighting over our "island". I just want to find appropriate lighting.
In the "Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian Houses" book, Jacobs I , page 60, there is a type of modified track lighting. I'm wondering if this was used or added later, like I'm guessing the ceiling tracks in our house was added. Thanks in advance.
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Roderick Grant
- Posts: 11815
- Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 7:48 am
Placement of hanging lights is most important. Above an island 8' long, there should be 3 lights spaced 30" to 36" apart (if the house is on a 4' grid, that would be 32" apart) aligned with the center line of the island, but off-center with respect to the width so that the side of the island you work on is not in shadow. Choose a fixture that casts light up as well as down, or the upper reaches of the kitchen might be in an exaggerated shadow. Keep the fixtures as simple in design as possible (ovoid rather than spherical) and in a light, neutral color. They should not be a visual distraction.
Very good. In addition to providing light, hanging fixtures visually divide space into zones; I would expect a row of pendants to do so in spades. If this is not the desired effect, perhaps flush-mounted ceiling fixtures would be the alternative -- especially with a relatively low ceiling ? On the other hand, if subtle but distinct space division is desired, pendants would be the way to go.
The nice thing about flush fixtures -- which Mr Wright used often in his later homes -- is that they tend to disappear -- and the owner is spared the dilemma of choosing an appropriate "style" . . .
SDR
The nice thing about flush fixtures -- which Mr Wright used often in his later homes -- is that they tend to disappear -- and the owner is spared the dilemma of choosing an appropriate "style" . . .
SDR
The problem with pendants is they are often more decorative than good at providing task lighting. A track with low voltage fixtures, like mr16 (there are really good led versions of these now, look up Sorra) will be out of the way and give good task lighting.
One can use Roderick's spacing of electric boxes and still use track in the end.
But keep in mind that a lot of pendants will be glow bombs, shining light into the eyes of folks sitting in adjacent areas.
If there are upper cabinets, make sure you provide for lighting under there in addition to the soffit up lighting.
One can use Roderick's spacing of electric boxes and still use track in the end.
But keep in mind that a lot of pendants will be glow bombs, shining light into the eyes of folks sitting in adjacent areas.
If there are upper cabinets, make sure you provide for lighting under there in addition to the soffit up lighting.
Something like this hanging level would be nice.
http://www.nova68.com/modernlight.html
Or this above the area would be great, too!
http://www.nova68.com/Merchant2/merchan ... rnlighting
They are both very simple, clean options that style-wise will last a very long time.
http://www.nova68.com/modernlight.html
Or this above the area would be great, too!
http://www.nova68.com/Merchant2/merchan ... rnlighting
They are both very simple, clean options that style-wise will last a very long time.
Lots of great information!
Roderick..thanks for the detail in type and placement. I'll pass it on. Good reading while Joe is out of town this week.
Scott..we had a simple pendant in our previous house bathroom (seen here:)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/125471081 ... 103895493/
and after seeing your suggestion I recall one of the problems was movement with air circulation. I intend to use the operable clerestory windows, and keep the french doors on the ravine side open as much as possible. Our bathroom had large sliding doors nearby and after having to replace the lighting mechanisms twice from tapping against the mirror backing, we were unable to open the western facing sliding door.
Egads..We will be using mr 16s that we purchased as an anniversary present years ago in the dining room (around the corner from the workspace). We removed them before putting our house on the market and before we discovered Gunning. They are very modern (Lucifero is the brand) but we had no problem with movement and they do seem to disappear into the air. Seen here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/125471081 ... 103895493/
So maybe the pendants are a bad idea because of movement and the length of the cord with air circulation. If the track was mounted on the ceiling, there would be a lot of distance to the level of the fixture. Since we will be using cable lights over the dining room table w the mr 16s, would it be out of place over the island as well?
(I am not a fan of air conditioning and only like to use it on unbearable days. There are cool breezes that blow up the ravine from the creek that I want to use to keep the house cool. During the past 2 summers while we were working, the house was cool thanks to these breezes.)
Roderick..thanks for the detail in type and placement. I'll pass it on. Good reading while Joe is out of town this week.
Scott..we had a simple pendant in our previous house bathroom (seen here:)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/125471081 ... 103895493/
and after seeing your suggestion I recall one of the problems was movement with air circulation. I intend to use the operable clerestory windows, and keep the french doors on the ravine side open as much as possible. Our bathroom had large sliding doors nearby and after having to replace the lighting mechanisms twice from tapping against the mirror backing, we were unable to open the western facing sliding door.
Egads..We will be using mr 16s that we purchased as an anniversary present years ago in the dining room (around the corner from the workspace). We removed them before putting our house on the market and before we discovered Gunning. They are very modern (Lucifero is the brand) but we had no problem with movement and they do seem to disappear into the air. Seen here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/125471081 ... 103895493/
So maybe the pendants are a bad idea because of movement and the length of the cord with air circulation. If the track was mounted on the ceiling, there would be a lot of distance to the level of the fixture. Since we will be using cable lights over the dining room table w the mr 16s, would it be out of place over the island as well?
(I am not a fan of air conditioning and only like to use it on unbearable days. There are cool breezes that blow up the ravine from the creek that I want to use to keep the house cool. During the past 2 summers while we were working, the house was cool thanks to these breezes.)
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Paul Ringstrom
- Posts: 4777
- Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2005 4:53 pm
- Location: Mason City, IA
As for your island top consider natural soapstone. This is the stuff the top of your chemistry table was made of in high school. Virtually indestructible.
Wright would have constructed flush wooden ceiling boxes, made out of the same wood you are using on the ceiling, with square, rectangular or triangular with or without an opaque lens. Using some decorative holes would increase air flow, but with LED bulbs instead of incandescent it probably wouldn't be necessary. Wright should have lined his boxes with galvanized steel to reflect the heat away from the wood. Several Usonians have had scorched interior wood the could have started a fire.
Jacobs I had Wright's own version of track lighting in the living room. Which brings up the question was his the first iteration of the concept?
On a similar note: Wright designed TV trays in the 1950s for the John Christian House (T5405). Did TV trays exist before those?
Wright would have constructed flush wooden ceiling boxes, made out of the same wood you are using on the ceiling, with square, rectangular or triangular with or without an opaque lens. Using some decorative holes would increase air flow, but with LED bulbs instead of incandescent it probably wouldn't be necessary. Wright should have lined his boxes with galvanized steel to reflect the heat away from the wood. Several Usonians have had scorched interior wood the could have started a fire.
Jacobs I had Wright's own version of track lighting in the living room. Which brings up the question was his the first iteration of the concept?
On a similar note: Wright designed TV trays in the 1950s for the John Christian House (T5405). Did TV trays exist before those?
Former owner of the G. Curtis Yelland House (1910), by Wm. Drummond