I have a long and narrow kitchen which is currently lit with a 5 ft
fluorescent tube. I would like to change it but I don't want to fit
downlighters as it would mean taking up the bedroom floor which is chipboard
(the joists run across the kitchen ceiling)

I am wondering it I could suspend something that has spots fixed to it.
Another idea is 3 or 4 retro glass lampshades (wired to a central rose)

Any imaginative ideas?


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John

"John" wrote in message
...
I have a long and narrow kitchen which is currently lit with a 5 ft
fluorescent tube. I would like to change it but I don't want to fit
downlighters as it would mean taking up the bedroom floor which is
chipboard (the joists run across the kitchen ceiling)

I am wondering it I could suspend something that has spots fixed to it.
Another idea is 3 or 4 retro glass lampshades (wired to a central rose)

Any imaginative ideas?


Have you seen the 12V halogens that are hung between low voltage cables
strung across the ceiling?

Google 12V halogen track and wire

On 27 Jan, 21:09, "John" wrote:
I have a long and narrow kitchen which is currently lit with a 5 ft
fluorescent tube. I would like to change it but I don't want to fit
downlighters as it would mean taking up the bedroom floor which is chipboard
(the joists run across the kitchen ceiling)

I am wondering it I could suspend something that has spots fixed to it.
Another idea is 3 or 4 retro glass lampshades (wired to a central rose)

Any imaginative ideas?

--



--
John

as it would mean taking up the bedroom floor

I take it there is a good reason for this as most downlighters sit
perfectly happily in the ceiling plasterboard.

I would counsel against mains halogens as my experience is that they
fail frequently and the bulbs are expensive. The 12v option seems
better even if it means finding somewhere for the transformer - I
suspect that the transformer has a degree of soft start in it hence
protecting the bulbs.

Rob

In article ,
"John" writes:
I have a long and narrow kitchen which is currently lit with a 5 ft
fluorescent tube. I would like to change it but I don't want to fit
downlighters as it would mean taking up the bedroom floor which is chipboard
(the joists run across the kitchen ceiling)

I am wondering it I could suspend something that has spots fixed to it.
Another idea is 3 or 4 retro glass lampshades (wired to a central rose)

Any imaginative ideas?

One of the best schemes which is often discussed here is to
put fluorescent lighting out of sight on top of the wall
cupboards and have it light the room by bouncing off the
ceiling (brilliant white matt emulsion). You might even be
able to move your existing light there. You can add under-
cupboard lighting too to make task lighting.

The centre of the ceiling is generally not a good place for
lighting a kitchen (except for a long fluorescent which you
want to remove) as you'll be working in your own shadow
much of the time. You could leaving something rather more
decorative than functional there. Personally, I tend to get
rid of the lighting point in the middle of the ceiling (or
in one case, used it just for an emergency light).

Spotlights are for supplemental accent lighting, and make
very poor and inefficient general lighting.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

John wrote:
I have a long and narrow kitchen which is currently lit with a 5 ft
fluorescent tube. I would like to change it but I don't want to fit
downlighters as it would mean taking up the bedroom floor which is chipboard
(the joists run across the kitchen ceiling)

I am wondering it I could suspend something that has spots fixed to it.
Another idea is 3 or 4 retro glass lampshades (wired to a central rose)

Any imaginative ideas?


I once saw downlighters fitted through a piece of worktop that had been
mounted (upside down!) above the cupboards, protuding by a few inches.
Looked like quite a good idea as means that the working surface is well
illuminated.

--



--
John

as it would mean taking up the bedroom floor

I take it there is a good reason for this as most downlighters sit
perfectly happily in the ceiling plasterboard.

Rob - I would not be able to run the wires to other lights without taking up
the floor above. Fitting them into the plasterboard is not the issue -
getting the power to them is the issue.

On Sun, 27 Jan 2008 21:09:51 GMT
"John" wrote:

I have a long and narrow kitchen which is currently lit with a 5 ft
fluorescent tube. I would like to change it but I don't want to fit
downlighters as it would mean taking up the bedroom floor which is chipboard
(the joists run across the kitchen ceiling)

I am wondering it I could suspend something that has spots fixed to it.
Another idea is 3 or 4 retro glass lampshades (wired to a central rose)

Any imaginative ideas?


Track lights. E.G. Like these:

http://www.allaboutelectrics.co.uk/d...K_PACK_WH.html

all the benefits of downlighters without the holes.

R.