New Lighting Ideas for New York
Most buildings in NYC have regulations prohibiting the chopping or channeling of structural slabs. (ceilings and floors).
This can make installing additional ceiling light fixtures complex .
So what do you do when you desperately need MORE lighting?
If you're lucky enough to have high ceilings a drop ceiling will allow you to add as much lighting as you desire. A minimal 2" drop ceiling gives space enough to run wires to surface mounted fixtures. Increase the drop to 4" and you can install new shallow cans for recessed lights.
But dropping a whole ceiling in a room can be costly depending on the size. And if you already suffer from claustrophobia because of your low ceilings, this may not be the option for you.
Bring on the Soffits ! Coffers ! and Tray ceilings !Architects, designers and contractors are constantly working on new, creative ways to provide you with much needed light.
Let's start with the basic soffit. These simple enclosures can be built along any wall and can house recessed down lights. The soffit can also double as a channel to run other necessary wires for cable or speakers .
The coffered ceiling acts the same as the soffit. However, it's perpendicular lines can bring lighting to the center of the room in various configurations. The coffered ceiling also provides beautiful architectural detail while still leaving the maximum height of the ceiling exposed.
Tray lighting, or as I refer to them - floating soffits, meet many needs. First, they can house much needed recessed task lighting. Secondly, they create a cove for beautiful, ambient LED strip lights! And finally, it still allows for the full ceiling height to remain open.
What more could you ask for?
