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The uniqueness of track lighting is due not only to its drama but to its versatility. Most lighting sources are suitable for only general lighting or task lighting, but to these
track lights add the third function of accent lighting. Fixtures and positioning
are the keys to successful accent lighting. Join us on this brief tour of the
types of accent lighting and their dramatic effects.
Track lighting fixtures
Spot lights, wall lights, wall track lights, flood lights: each produces a unique visual effect. Using different track lighting fixtures - particularly with a two-circuit
track lighting system - gives the home decorator a range of lighting options
with which to showcase a room or its furnishings.
For general lighting or task lighting using track lights, chandeliers and pendants are the best fixtures. For accent lighting, most people know that directional lights, i.e. spot lights or flood lights, are best. |
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However, the improper positioning of track lighting fixtures will reduce their dramatic power. These guidelines will help you position your track lights for the desired effect:
- Accent lighting
The decorative rule is that track lighting fixtures should point at a 30-degree angle from the vertical. This angle will minimize reflections and keep the light out of the viewer's eyes. The most striking visual is usually achieved by using one light fixture
to accent an object.
To position track lights for accent lighting, imagine a triangle with three points: the light fixture, the meeting point of ceiling/wall, and the distance of the middle of a viewed
object from the ceiling. To maintain the 30-degree angle, an object's middle hanging
two feet down from the ceiling should be illuminated by a light fixture 13 inches
from the wall. For each foot of distance between the accented object and ceiling, move the lighting fixture back a further seven inches (e.g. an object's middle six feet down from the ceiling requires a light fixture 42 inches from the wall).
- Wall grazing
Wall grazing is an accent lighting effect that creates dramatic shadows. The best wall grazing effects are achieved by track lighting mounted six to 12 inches from the wall, with the light fixtures an equidistance apart, i.e. 6 to 12 inches. This effect
is particularly striking on textured surfaces.
- Wall washing
Wall washing is the visual effect of flooding a wall with light. On most ceilings, track light fixtures should be mounted two to three feet from the wall. In rooms with ceilings
over nine feet, position track lighting three to 4 feet from the wall. To get the wall washing effect, the distance from one lighting fixture to the next should equal the distance of the track lighting from the wall.
