Island Lights, Not Just for Kitchens

When setting up a pool table in your rec room, basement or garage, consider this: it's not easy playing pool in the dark. Skilled as you may be, playing pool without the proper lighting just isn't feasible! The solution to this easily avoidable mishap: island lights. Some of you may already be familiar with island lighting since it's usually used over the islands in your kitchen. In fact, most new homes already come with island lights, if not track lighting. Occasionally, bars and buffets in dining rooms are sometimes equipped with such lighting for both aesthetic and utilitarian purposes.

Island lights as mentioned earlier are usually fitted above an island in your kitchen. Usually found in the pendant lighting or ceiling lights section of your hardware or lighting store, island lights are nothing new and are designed to light up just about any room, not just your kitchen. Take for instance the pool table and rec room situation we mentioned at the beginning of the article. Billiard table lights can come in a variety of styles, such as linear chandeliers with two or three fixtures or even as horizontally styled ceiling pendants. Pool halls usually go for the latter of the two style options, with some even designed to have a lamp shade that centers the lighting directly over the table. At home, you have the freedom to choose that same style or go with something completely different and modern.

These same types of lighting can also be used in the dining room, usually over a bar or dining buffet. And as mentioned before, island lights and track lights can be used for both an aesthetical and utilitarian purpose. For the dining scenario, sometimes it's best to go for a flushed ceiling mount fixture rather than the hanging alternative. Unless you have a dining room with a rather high ceiling, island lights over the dining table can make the room seem rather small and claustrophobic.

It's important to think about what lighting will do to any part of your home, whether it's the rec room, dining room, or even the kitchen. Luckily, island lights will easily solve your billiard tables and dining concerns.
written By Vicki Duong

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