Modern track lighting offers fresh new options for different home spaces.
Lighting design significantly affects your living space, so it’s no wonder that design pros and decor lovers alike are always on the lookout for the next big lighting trend. Surprisingly, track lighting is one of the styles currently making waves in the design world. Circuits
Track lighting often gets a bad rap, bringing up, at best, images of a minimalist-inspired gallery space and, at worst, a dated and dingy rental apartment. In the past, track lighting was exclusively standard-issue spotlights devoid of warmth or personality, but new track lighting doesn’t have that same austere, cold feel. With innovation in lighting design, today’s track lighting has many fresh options that fit seamlessly in various spaces of a home.
The key to using this type of lighting successfully is understanding its utility and weaknesses and installing it in the appropriate applications. We spoke to Ashley Macuga, a lighting expert who gave us information on when and where to install track lights.
Ashley Macuga is the principal designer at Collected Interiors, a full-service residential interior design studio specializing in custom home designs.
Track lighting is one of those phrases we often hear, but what exactly is it?
As the name suggests, it is a type of overhead light with multiple lights attached to a track where they can slide into different positions. In addition, the heads of the fixtures can be rotated and angled, allowing you to customize your lighting scheme and focus the light precisely where you want it.
It’s an excellent option for task lighting because you can easily direct light onto a work area without over-illuminating the entire room, which makes it popular for places like kitchens and home offices where you can concentrate the light over a countertop or desk.
The biggest reason that track lighting is making a comeback is its increased versatility.
“There are simply better options available! Beautiful finishes, more interesting head shapes … all of which allow track lighting to blend easily into the broader aesthetic of the space,” explains Macuga.
“Track lighting provides flexibility in illumination—particularly important for art-centered spaces. Tracks allow the homeowner to change and update their walls, ensuring that their pieces get the right lighting, so the focus is on the art, not the glare from recessed cans above,” adds Macuga
There are other less conventional advantages to this lighting style as well. Once you explore modern track fixtures, ranging from typical pinpoint lights to heads that drop away from the track—like pendant lights—you’ll quickly see that they can be used in just about any room or style of home.
Use track lighting to designate seating areas and create perfectly illuminated reading nooks. Instead of a traditional chandelier, place a modern emphasis on a dining table with a concentrated pool of light. Using a line of track lights can create a boundary in an open concept space, helping to visually separate different areas. Depending on your goals, different configurations of track lights can help you achieve the desired effect.
Track lighting can be used in spaces where other overhead light fixtures might not fit or work well.
“Clients want height in their ceilings—and depending on the roof style, track lighting can be a good option where there isn’t a lot of space for the housing required for recessed cans. This is particularly true for historical midcentury homes, where space between the ceiling and roof is oftentimes limited,” says Macuga.
If you still need help with using track lights in your home, don’t be afraid to reach out to a lighting pro to ensure that this type of lighting will meet your design goals. Lighting designers are familiar with the modern styles and finishes of track lighting and can evaluate your space for the right beam spreads and lumens needed.
LED lighting “Getting the right illumination is about so much more than choosing a fixture, and having the right support can make a significant difference in the overall impact of a design,” says Macuga.