Subtle lighting adds a touch of drama to functional rooms such as baths and kitchens. Remodeler Mark Daniels of Mark Daniels Kitchen and Bathroom Remodeling, in Manassas, Va., says that light and water are a natural combination. For one master suite project, the homeowner wanted twin vanities with onyx sinks. Daniels used trial and error to find the best placement for the rope lighting to illuminate the sink.
To add drama to his own powder room, for both the countertop and floor, Daniels selected a granite slab that had a lot of movement. A black toilet and lighted glass sink complete the look. Instead of rope lighting, he used dimmable xenon lights under the sink. Because the glass sink is more transparent than the onyx sinks in the previous project, Daniels experimented to find the optimum distance for the lights from the sink base. He then set the lights in a metal mount inside the vanity. Paul McClorey of Paulson’s Construction, in Howell, Mich., also had to experiment to create this lighted glass block detail in a kitchen project. The rope lighting was visible through the glass, but since he could not move the lighting, McClorey sandblasted the backs of the blocks to make them more opaque.
Click here to see a slide show of the granite floor installation.
—Nina Patel, senior editor, REMODELING.
Setting the Mood
When these homeowners decided to update the look of their kitchen from rustic to contemporary, they asked remodeler Paul McClorey to add a “conversation piece” to the design. His idea was to cap the end of the white thermofoil wall cabinets with a lighted glass block tower. “It’s near an opening that overlooks the eating area that flows into the family room,” McClorey says. The blocks are supported by a steel plate that is attached to the cabinets. McClorey chose blocks that curve at a 22 degree angle, which leaves a gap to house the rope lighting. The lights can be accessed from inside the cabinet for maintenance.
The kitchen also has undercabinet lighting and rope lighting in the toe kick.
