Track Lighting

Why We Love Track Lighting

Modern track lighting has come a long way since the peak of its popularity in the 80s. The ultimate contemporary lighting option, track lighting is an easy way to illuminate spaces in modern homes and studios. These lights work well in spaces with both standard and vaulted ceilings and look good in rooms ranging from kitchens to bedrooms. Most track lights are adjustable, dimmable, and can provide functional, task, and ambient light depending on the room's needs.

Where Track Light Systems Work Best

Track light systems are available in various configurations that allow you to have complete creative control. Because of their versatility, track lights can be installed in almost every room in your house. Some of the most common areas to put track lighting is in the living room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. The kitchen is an ideal location because you are able to get functional lighting that can be directed wherever you need it most. If you spend a lot of time cooking or baking, track lighting will be the perfect type of fixture for modern kitchens.

Other popular places into install track lighting include craft rooms, workshops, home libraries, and offices. In an office setting, track lighting beautifully highlights bookshelves or wall art and you can adjust the individual lamps for focused task lighting. Track-style lighting provides the flexibility to focus on tasks that require a keen eye for detail activities such as sewing and woodworking.

Track Pendants Ideas for Every Style

Track lighting consists of more than mundane linear fixtures. In recent years, there have been several innovative track lighting systems designed to add flair to modern interiors. These systems evolved to include track pendants from Tech Lighting that combines to the utility of track lighting with the refinement of track lighting pendants. If you’re interested in art glass pendant lighting and bright LEDs, Bruck Lighting offers plenty of stylish options. Brands like WAC Lighting, Kichler, and Nora Lighting stay true to traditional track lighting silhouettes while adding curved, circular, and track lighting spotlights for minimalist spaces.

How to Choose the Best Track Lighting

When you are trying to decide on the best track lighting system, you’ll want to consider a few things. First, evaluate the intended space to determine the appropriate lamp size, finish, and the number of lights needed to complete the system. Depending on your space, track lighting pendants will be an obvious choice for more formal areas like dining rooms while single track lights look great in larger spaces like lofts. Once you know where you will be installing a new track system, you'll want to consider the following:

• Track Lighting Shapes & Types

  Tracking lighting is made to accommodate a wide variety of applications ranging from overhead living room lighting to task lighting in the kitchen. To best fit your application, you'll want to choose the right track type - flexible or straight. Flexible track lighting, sometimes found in monorail systems, can wind and bend in different areas to fit your ceiling. Straight or linear track lighting is best for long hallways or in kitchens where the shape of the ceiling does not change.

• How to Power Your Track System

  As with most ceiling lighting, your track lighting system will be primarily powered from the electrical box in the ceiling. It's important to understand whether your track system needs to be line voltage or low voltage too. You will also find a track system can be powered in the middle of a run or at then end of it with all of the necessary connections.

• Track Lighting Fixtures

  Track systems can accommodate a few different types of light fixtures including mini pendants (typically line voltage pendants) and directional spotlights. You may prefer only track pendants or only track heads, or you can mix fixtures on your system.

• Components & Accessories

  For any track system you choose, you will need to also have the correct parts and accessories to make it work. From rails, adapters, and power supplies to feed canopies, having the right components for your application is key. You may also choose to add a dimmer switch to your track system if you would like to control its output.

Aside from single track systems, custom track lighting is another option to consider. Monorail systems epitomize flexible track lighting because not only can the individual lamps be adjusted to direct light right where you need it, the fixtures can actually be moved along the track as well. Further, monorail systems have a lower profile compared to traditional track lighting, giving complete creative control when coordinating fixtures to match your décor.

Other Considerations

Aside from design considerations, there are a few more things to take note of when selecting a contemporary track lighting system for your home. For sloped or vaulted ceiling track lighting, a standoff vault adapter kit is essential for installation of monorail lighting systems. If you are having trouble deciding on the best lighting system, speak with a lighting professional for expert advice.