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Quick Tips to Correctly Measure for Lighting Upgrades

Quick Tips to Correctly Measure for Lighting Upgrades

If you are planning to invest in upgraded lighting, one of the essential steps will be measuring to ensure you choose pieces that work with your home. Remember the old saying: measure twice, cut once, which means that you should take extra care to get your measurements just right. We make that easy by offering these quick tips for measuring lighting.

Take a look and contact Mission West Kitchen & Bath at (626) 799-3503 if you need help choosing the right lighting options for your needs.

Start by Measuring Your Ceiling Height

The first thing to measure is the height of your ceiling. This will give you the information you need when deciding how large of a fixture your room can handle and how long it can be. This is especially true of low ceilings – make sure that there is always at least seven feet of clearance between the floor and the bottom of the fixture.

Your standard ceiling is between eight and nine feet, but some ceilings are as tall as 12 feet. When you have a lower lighting fixture, it can help increase intimacy, while higher fixtures blend in and are less noticeable. Note as well that tall ceilings generally require higher lighting to achieve visual balance.

Measure Your Existing Features

If you have features that you are replacing, then you can start by measuring them. Note if you like how low or high it hangs. If not, you can be sure to buy new lighting options that hang lower or higher, as your needs might be.

The Ceiling is Not the Only Thing to Consider

Remember that as you are looking for the right lighting height, you also should consider other elements of a room that can affect the light fixture. For example, if you are improving your dining room, you will want to measure your dining table to determine how tall it is and how far from it your lighting should hang. Measure your windows to consider how the natural light that flows in will affect the lighting you install.

Where to Hang Lighting Fixtures

The average dining room table is 31 inches high, which means that new lighting in the dining room should hang about 35 inches about the table, and/or 66-76 inches from the floor, depending on how high the room is.

If you are installing lighting over your kitchen island or kitchen counter, then you need task lighting that can illuminate where you are cutting. This should be about 28 – 34 inches above the height of your countertop and 72 inches from the floor.

Do you have other questions about choosing new lighting and/or installing it? Then contact Mission West Kitchen & Bath or stop by our showroom to find the right options for your needs. We look forward to helping you bring the light you need to your home or business.