Recessed Can Lighting

Recently, we had a Client ask if we could install recessed can lights through out their home. The home was built in the late '70s and lacked good lighting everywhere. This is still common today as I have seen many new homes with only a few lights in the living room.

We informed the client there were four options for recessed can lights. Halogen, Incandescent, Fluorescent and LED. To understand the differences between each one, we need to first cover some terminology.

Lumens - term for measuring the flow of light from a source
CRI (Color Rendition Index) - quantitative measure of the ability of a light source to reproduce the colors of various objects faithfully in comparison with an ideal or natural light source.
Kelvin - used to convey the warmth of the color of light, the hue of the color which you see.

From a Client's perspective, they want lighting which is close to natural or sunlight, low maintenance (especially in a vaulted ceiling application) and low energy consumption. What's the point of having lights if you cannot keep them turned on for a extended period of time? We decided to compare the attributes of each type of lighting to see how they measure up. Here are the results based upon four recessed can lights on display at Wright Lighting, San Jose, CA. Every can except for the Halogen was a 6" recessed can light. The Halogen was a 4" light.

Halogen Lighting
*50 Watts are equal to 950 Lumens
*3000 Kelvin (warm color)
*CRI 100
*4,000 hour life (as advertised)
*Contains no toxic Mercury. No disposal issues (ok to throw in the trash)
*Fully dimmable
*Not California Title 24 compliant
*Closest to Natural Sunlight

Incandescent Lighting

*65 Watts are equal to 600 initial Lumens*2700 Kelvin
*CRI 80
*1,500 hour life (as advertised)
*Contains no toxic Mercury. No disposal issues (ok to throw in the trash)
*Dimmable
*Not California Title 24 compliant

*Least efficient of all lighting sources

Fluorescent Lighting

*18 Watts equal to 700 initial Lumens

*4000 Kelvin (considered a cooler color)*CRI 70
*10,000 hour life (as advertised)
*Does contain toxic Mercury. Proper disposal is required (cannot be thrown into the trash)
*Not dimmable
*California Title 24 compliant

LED Lighting

*12 Watts are equal to 650 Lumens
*2700 Kelvin
*CRI 92
*50,000 hour life (as advertised)
*Contains no toxic Mercury. No disposal issues (ok to throw in the trash)
*Dimmable
*California Title 24 compliant
*Exterior structure (housing) made of 100% recycled aluminum

The choice for the Client? LED lighting. Even though LED lighting is double the cost of Incandescent lighting, the amount of energy consumed is so much less. Also, think about the maintenance on the Incandescent bulbs. I have seen quite a few that don't reach their advertised life expectancy. Having to replace those bulbs in a vaulted ceiling is a challenge. With the LED cans, much longer life expectancy and less maintenance.

Also, LED can lights do a great job of dispersing the light much more evenly than Halogen or Incandescent. You won't see as many shadows in the room. Plus, the colors of surrounding materials (countertops, woodwork, walls, etc) show much better with LED lighting.

And you cannot ignore the cost savings on your electric bill. We installed 8 recessed cans in the living room. The LED cans consume 96 watts per hour in that room, while Incandescent lights would be sucking down 520 watts of electricity. A difference of 424 watts per hour can add up in one month.

If you are truly conscientious about lowering your carbon footprint, polluting less, saving the environment, etc, this is an option you must explore. Yes its great to do solar panels or wind turbines, but just checking your electrical consumption is a big part of it. In addition, good insulation and new, energy efficient windows help quite a bit.

For more, check out our web site at www.jrgidesign.com

Faux Wood tile

Have you noticed a tile that resembles the look and feel of wood planks? Usually its a dark brown color, made to mimic walnut wood flooring. In the right applications, it looks quite nice.

Where to use it depends on whether the room is light or dark, earth tones, small or large and most importantly, a high traffic area? With regards to the lighting, if you get alot of light, than you can see the details of the tile. This can be good or bad, depending on the quality of the tile. Poor light hides alot of sins when it comes to less than fantastic materials. If you use this tile in a large room, you run the risk of more noticeable wear patterns.

I have seen the wear patterns in this tile (courtesy of a restuarant in the City) and its not pretty. The fax wood grain flattens, the color fades and a faint reddish/pink color begins to show in the worn areas.

Unlike real wood, this tile cannot be sanded and refinished. It would have to be replaced. Thus if its a small room, you can be more successful in mixing and matching new tiles (if not replacing most of them). A larger room and you just have a larger challenge. Why? Because the dye lot for each batch of tile will have some variation, leaving you with a tile that is either darker or lighter than the original. Thus replacing a few will show a contrast (possibly subtle) to the surrounding tiles.

I applaud the idea of making a faux wood tile and saving some trees. Just keep in mind where the tile will be placed and how it will look in five years.

Big or Little?

Lately, we have Clients requesting large tiles be installed when remodeling their bathrooms. Why? Minimal grout lines. Some clients don't want to see alot of lines in their shower/bathroom walls. They would rather focus on the pattern or look of the tile. Some Clients don't want the cleaning required on grout lines.  Less lines equals lower maintenance for them.

There is a fix to the cleaning problem of grout lines. Granted, it will not eliminate the need to clean a shower. But if you use a grout epoxy in the shower area, it will clean more easily and quickly than regular grout. But its expensive, as much as 3x a regular box of grout. Also, the labor to install is more since it takes more time to apply than regular grout. Yet it pays for itself in the long term.

Wood, Tile or Laminate

When we are called in to work on a Client's kitchen, the question is what to do with the floor. Some people think tile because its a kitchen and things get spilled in this room. Or they want a wood floor but cannot afford solid wood.

I always lean towards putting wood down because its a warm, comfortable surface to walk on when barefoot in the house. If you have hardwood floors in the living and dining room, it looks great to carry that flooring into the rest of your house by putting wood in the kitchen. Most likely you have an oak floor that is approximately 3-4 inches in width and comes in 36 to 48" long strips.

The good news is the existing floor can be easily matched to new wood strips. The downside is the cost of this option. To really match up the old and new floor well, its good to have them all sanded and finished at the same time. If done properly, you will never see the difference in the old and new floor. However, this can be more expensive than other options.

A more cost effective option while still giving you the look of solid wood and not Laminate, is engineered wood. Many people confuse Laminate flooring (Pergo brand) with engineered wood. Instead of getting a plastic-resin finsih that simulates wood, you get a real strip of wood. The wood is only about 1/4" thick and coupled with its plywood filler, makes the total plank or strip range from about 5/16 - 1/2" thickness. It can be floated over an existing floor or some products can be glued directly to the floor.

Compared to solid wood flooring, engineered is easier to install and comes pre-finished so there is no fumes or mess you get from solid wood. So your labor costs are much lower which makes this a more affordable option than solid wood. The finishes are great and they hold up well to traffic. Plus, they look so much better than Laminate.

Add Color or Not?

All too often we come across clients that are wary of adding color to their rooms. People want to keep it light and very neutral. In some circumstances, they want to go a shade just above white for the walls.

Granted, this is my opinion and please do not interpret me saying if you do not add color that something is wrong with your room. But I do question people "why not add color"? A room does not come alive with white walls, neutral furniture and accessories. It all blends together and than you have a bland soup.

Putting some color on the walls is an easy way to make a room stand out. You want the room to be warm and inviting when you enter. That goes for whether its a bathroom, bedroom, living room or kitchen.

We recently completed a project on Amherst Drive that can be seen on our web site, jrgidesign.com. The client decided to put a beautiful travertine tile and Crema Marfil marble countertop we had located for a very reasonable cost. The challenge was getting a color in the bathroom that would compliment those two natural stones. A lighter shade on the walls would blend in with the tile in the shower area and lessen the affect of the travertine. We needed to go darker so we could get a good contrast to the tile. Yet we did not want it too dark in there. S we needed a compliment to the tile, which would make the bathroom a comfortable place for the homeowner. The color, Peanut Shell by Benjamin Moore, turned out great. Check out the web site to see more photos of the project. The color is darker than the homeowner ever thought they would put in the bathroom, yet the color does all of the things we wanted: contrast, compliment and more importantly, adds warmth.

Overbudget on your Remodel Project?

Overbudget on a remodeling project. Sound familiar? I am sure a majority of people have experienced this situation, myself included on personal projects. You can work on your budget, price your materials and layout on your plan but inevitably there will be a cost overrun.

How does it happen? My theory is that its human nature that is at fault. You go from modest to majestic in the blink of an eye. And its never one big ticket item that pushes you over. Rather its a combination of little items here and there that add up and place you in the red. Whenever you plan on using an item and than you see something better in the showroom/store, you figure you can absorb that small increase.

But that starts a chain reaction that leads to you justifying other items that will really make the place look fantastic and yet only cost a fraction more than what you budgeted. The only problem is when you do that on a few items (tile, counters, cabinets, floors, lighting, etc) they add up to a rather large overall increase. It is not uncommon for people to say they went 20% over their budget (on average, since some people hit the 50-60% mark).

One way to avoid this pitfall is to stick with your budget and resist the tempation to really splurge on your project. Take all of the upgrade options and list them out and choose which one gives you the most return for the cost. Nicer porcelain tiles versus the low end ceramic or a marble or granite slab versus tiles for the countertop, wood versus veneer cabinets.

Ultimately its the overall effect of your design, colors and the materials assembled that will determine the results of your project. Besides, most people won't notice that you used the porcelain tile versus the real limestone or travertine if everything compliments and flows together well.

For ideas on remodeling your kitchen or bathroom, visit our web site at www.jrgidesign.com.

What to do with a Kitchen?

When it comes to remodeling, there are two main rooms that people always want to improve before anything else. Their kitchen and bathroom (s). Seems appropriate because these rooms are vital to your day to day routine.

Today I want to focus on kitchens and what people are asking for when we plan their design. Questions about whether to do an open floor plan versus a closed floor plan, which appliances and where to place them along with how to squeeze in more cabinet space.

When you walk into a newly built home, you notice the open floor plan (minimal amount of walls) between the kitchen and family room. Some people love the idea and its especially good if you do alot of casual entertaining. People can stand in the kitchen or general vicinity and converse while enjoying food and drink.

Contrast this with a closed floor plan. The kitchen is closed off from the family room as well as the rest of the house. Perhaps there is a breakfast nook that connects to the kitchen, but overall this area is not open flowing to other rooms of the house. This makes for a more formal approach to the entertaining. Some might comment on how it feels chopped up and does not allow for communication between the parties, especially if you are the one doing the cooking! However, people have different backgrounds and culture and for them its more acceptable to have the noise and odors from the kitchen be separated from the rest of the house.

Once you determine the floor plan you like, the next questions that come up are what and where to put the appliances along with how to get more cabinet space. If you are opening up walls than most likely the cabinet space is going away. Plus it limits the areas you can place your appliances. Its always a good idea to move the appliance that takes the least amount of time to hook up. If you have a refrigerator that is too far from the sink and stove/cooktop, than move it closer. Its easier to run some new electrical lines for a refrigerator than to move a water line and drain for a sink. You can use the same logic for moving a stove/cooktop because of gas lines and proper venting.

Clients ask me if stainless steel is going out of style and I tell them its still popular. Yes, some manufacturers are adding color to the panels but for the most part, stainless steel works with so many different variables. If you have the budget and are doing custom cabinets, get matching panels for the appliances as well. This lets the appliances blend in with the overall kitchen design.
Basically, when you decide to remodel your home think about who its intended to serve. Are you remodeling because you will be using this kitchen for the next 5+ years and want to enjoin the convenience and beauty of your creation? Or you want to spruce up the place because you are thinking of selling the house in a year or two? Knowing the answer will determine what you do on floor plan, appliances, cabinets, etc. It also greatly impacts how much you spend on the total project. The majority of time its always the multitude of changes or upgrades made during the project that puts you overbudget. If its for your personal enjoyment for years to come, than go ahead and make yourself happy! If not, pull in the reins and do not change the overall floor plan from how it was originally built.

My next blog will discuss what to do on a bathroom. You can also take a look at some of our projects at http://www.jrgidesign.com/.