Adding lights to a hipped sloped ceiling

[rslaback]

Our house was built in 1995. It was built just at the time when accent lighting was all the rage so we have one ceiling fan with a light and a couple of different accent lights in our living room. We bought it 9 years ago and I've always hated how dark it is in here during the day, even with all the lights on.

I want to add ceiling lights but I can't quite visualize what will look the best. The house is a single story ranch with a hip roof. The living room has a vaulted ceiling that carries that hip line back through it as well. If this were a simple slant I would just use some rows of pendant lights and call it good but I don't really know if that will look OK with the need for some lights in the smaller ceiling section by the deck door. I think standard can lights look kind of goofy on a sloped ceiling so I don't know that I want those either. I'm open to suggestions.

The hip line doesn't show up that well in the pictures so I have added it in as a dotted line. Slope on both sections is 4:12.

 

[75gmck25]

If you want much brighter, but still pleasant lighting you need to consider using floor lamps. A floor lamp with a shade that is designed to focus the light upward will "wash" the light over the ceiling and provide pleasant indirect lighting throughout the room. It might take a high lumen bulb to get strong light, but it won't look glaring or garish to the people in the room because it isn't directed toward their eyes.

Trying to get the same effect with individual ceiling lights is difficult because each light will be focused mostly downward, and will give you just a circle (maybe a large circle) of good light, and it will have a lot of glare if you look up at it. That's why we see so many garage lighting threads that don't recommend can lights or small diameter, focused fixtures for general lighting.

 

[cgrutt]

They sell recessed lighting with adapter cans for sloped ceilings that direct the light straight down that may work for you. Not sure if track lighting is still popular or not but will likely fit with age of home and has advantage of adding as many fixtures as you need/want with limited hard wiring. Is adding a skylight something that you would consider? Also wall sconces that direct lighting up toward ceiling may be another option.

 

[dcg9381]

They sell recessed lighting with adapter cans for sloped ceilings that direct the light straight down that may work for you. Not sure if track lighting is still popular or not but will likely fit with age of home and has advantage of adding as many fixtures as you need/want with limited hard wiring. Is adding a skylight something that you would consider? Also wall sconces that direct lighting up toward ceiling may be another option.

This is what I'd do. Assuming you can get in the attic above this area. This light is a retrofit, but there are others with directional lighting. Pay attention to the color of the LED, they can surprise people.

 

[rslaback]

There is actually already a sky light above the stairs.



I'm mostly planning for ceiling lights because I have decent access to the ceiling and running wires into the walls would have to be from the basement up and significantly more time consuming.

 

[kj_mustang]

I put adjustable led lights in the sloped ceiling of the upstairs of my detached building. They work great. No can to install. They stick out a small amount from the ceiling depending on how much you adjust the light to point it downward.

 

[alfredeneuman]

I'm for track lights with LED fixtures. They are infinitely adjustable so you can change the direction of the light or move them at any time
You can "mix or match" the fixture types, and if you get tired of them you can just change the fixture. All that is user safe, too. They're available in all sorts of styles; square, round, bullet shaped, pendant, flood, wall wash, etc.

 

[Dig Doug]

I like can lights.

but you need to cut into the drywall to run the wires.

while doing all that I would scrape the ceiling and go with a light skip trowel ( smooth style texture )

The smooth style ceiling texture makes the ceiling go away, not as noticeable to the eye.

paint the ceiling w/ a flat paint

i used these cans for my kitchen, remodeled in 2019, we have different zones for different tasks

 

[dave*99]

This is what I'd do. Assuming you can get in the attic above this area. This light is a retrofit, but there are others with directional lighting. Pay attention to the color of the LED, they can surprise people.

This Sylvania 4" gimbal is another option I have used.

 

[dave*99]

It's hard to see in your photo, but I had what I think is a similar room in my last house. I had fairly bright half moon diffuser sconces on what would likely be equivalent to the high wall where your ivy planter seems to be.

This was great. Diffused light, no glare, no harsh bulbs in your line of sight. My new house has 51 flat 4" pucks. They are great when you want to clean the house and see well. Not great for relaxing in the evening.

 

[mm08822]

I would do the gimbels, probably 6" at that height. Many are color selectable so you can select it at the time of install. Also buy dimmable fixtures. Dimmers give you the ability to even out the lighting in the room by using more fixtures but being able to dial them back so it doesn't look like an operating room. The gimbels can adjust up to 30 degrees IIRC so you can get the fixture pointing vertically downward.

Plan your lighting layout so you can be in the same rafter bays when possible. Your biggest challenge will be to get into each bay with cabling.
It might be easiest to access the rafter bays by removing an 8" channel of sheetrock horizontally on the top of the wall(s) to be able to drill through the top plate into the needed bays. Drill through the studs in this channel so you can run the cable horizontally to pick up each bay needed.

If you don't have plans to remove the textured ceiling finish, stay 3-4" away from the ceiling-wall intersection so taping won't encroach on the ceiling finish.