Kitchen Track Lighting

Kitchen track lighting has come a long way in recent years. Long gone are the days of plain white tracks with plain white fixtures. The selection nowadays is amazing. The tracks can be curved, straight, and even flexible to conform to any shape you desire. The heads also have a large selection, from pendants to stained glass.

Kitchen track lighting lost some of it's luster in the past but with the options available today it's easy to see how they've come back into style. There is a style for every kitchen. If you want a nice rustic style light, or a modern contemporary style, it's out there. Long gone are the days of gaudy style tracks and fixtures, and in come the days of modern lines and up-to-date styling.

Updating Existing Lighting:

If you're in the market for a simple upgrade without having to rip your ceiling down, a kitchen track light might be right up your alley. You can use, in most cases, the existing electrical boxes to install track lighting for kitchen spaces. Do keep in mind some of the low voltage lighting has a somewhat large transformer that needs to fit into the electrical box.

Types Of Track Lights:

• LED Track Lighting
  LED lighting is energy efficient and the fixtures themselves can get quite small. If you're not looking for a light that takes up a lot of "eye real estate", an LED lighting system may be just what you need. LED bulbs also last for a looooong time, most have a minimum lifespan of 50,000 hours. That's equal to leaving the light on for 2083 days straight, or 5.7 years.
• Fluorescent
  Fluorescent lighting is also a great way to save money on electricity as these bulbs have a lifespan of 20,000 hours, and use up to 15 watts of electricity. Fluorescent lights emit a white light instead of the yellowish light of incandescent bulbs. This can change the feel of your kitchen as some colors don't go well with fluorescent lights. CFL's also cannot be dimmed, keep this in mind as well.
• Halogen
  Halogen lights come in both low voltage and line voltage configurations. Halogen lights are much easier on the eyes, when compared to incandescent bulbs, and give a lot more light per watt.
• Low Voltage
  Low voltage track kits use a transformer to step down the household current of 120 volts to a much lower current, most to 30 volts. These lights can also come in sizes that are quite small, so you can have more of them without overpowering the room.
• Line Voltage
  Line voltage tracks have standard household current going the fixtures. This style track is generally much less expensive than it's low voltage counterpart, because there is no transformer.

Kitchen Track Lighting Styles:

• Rustic Kitchen Track Lights
  Rustic lights in track form are great for the country kitchen. You can get hammered copper, tin, or a selection of other metals. You can also get designs cut into the fixture itself, like Elk and Deer. A rustic kitchen with exposed beams would benefit greatly from a track system.
• Designer Lights
  Designer lights also come in track form. Designer tracks do not necessarily mean they come from a specific designer, it means they are not your ordinary type of light. Most designers use a standard rail but make a custom or limited edition fixture that goes with it.
• Contemporary Lighting, In Track Form
  Modern tracks are great for a transitional or contemporary kitchen. Contemporary lights are sleek and non complex. Modern lights are also considered contemporary lights.
• Decorative Lights
  Decorative lights are not only the traditional lights that attach to the ceiling but also include pendants, and ceiling track lights that replace the single, center of the room, lighting fixture.
• Track Lighting Fixture
  Track fixtures can be replaced, or updated, with newer styles. There are some things to keep in mind when selecting a new fixture.

The Different Track Designs:

• Plug In Track Lighting
  Plug in track lighting is a good alternative if you don't have a dedicated wire available but need some extra light. The light simply plugs into a wall outlet.
• Curved Track Lights
  Curved tracks often hang a few inches from the ceiling and adds a little something extra to dress up the ceiling area. The ceiling in a lot of homes is plain and in need of something to spruce it up a bit, and a curved track is an excellent way to accomplish this.
• Flexible Track Lighting System
  Flexible tracks? Yup, you can now get a flexible track that you can bend into shape. If you have an area that is kind of dark but at an odd angle you can bend the track to get some light into that area, or simply create a personal design, it's up to you!
• Cable Track System
  Cable kitchen track lights are different to say the least. These operate by installing the fixtures between two cables. This is a more elaborate setup and does look good but it does take up a lot of space. On the other hand the flexibility of the lighting plan is infinite.
• Monorail Track System
  Monorail systems are commonly low voltage, and the flexibility in design is huge. These also come in the flexible style, so the shape is not set in stone. The fixtures themselves can also be moved quite easily to accommodate changing floor plans.

Whew! That's a lot to choose from. The styles, designs, fixtures, and tracks themselves have all come a long way in the looks department. Just take your time and try to find the perfect lighting system you can, the selection is amazing but there is always one that fits perfectly into your kitchen style.