KItchen Lighting - ZEP 1 advice.

[boxster9]

We are in the process of carrying out some extension work to create an open plan kitchen/diner/lounge space measuring approx 8m x 8m .I hear that the ZEP 1 lights come recommended on here and was thinking about this option.

Any advice/pictures from those that have these lights would be appreciated .

Thanks

[boxster9]

Thanks for the advice. Do these lights require a specific dimmer switch?

[boxster9]

Harry Flashman said:

And me too.

They work well with dimmers, we use LighwaveRF and it works well.

Here's a pic of our kitchen (almost finished but not decorated. The walls are currently pure white, so you can get an idea of the tone of the (Warm white) ZEP1 DKLs we are using. It is a newly renovated 1938 house. This kitchen is 7.5 x 6m.

The centre island lamps are 5W "filament" LED bulbs from LED Hut - not cheap, but quality, dimmable items.

The thing to note is not to overdo it. Our ZEPs are all around the room - the centre is taken care of by the island, and there are areas of floor that are not directly lit - we rely on the spots bouncing light off the walls. and we use 13 lights, arranged in four quadrants. The cooking area has 4, all others have 3 - effectively around the perimeter of the room. You can't see most of the spotlights in this photo, but you can see the light they emit.

The light given is a decent, warm shade without being too yellow - not at all cold and clinical. We get no flickering with the Lighwave dimmers, which are in this room running mostly circuits of 3 bulbs (each quadrant has its own circuit/gang on the 4 gang dimmer). In short, very successful.

Go to the 10w variants. You can always dim them down, but it means you can get away with fewer units, and avoid peppering the ceiling in that dreadful style you see in so many new builds. I'd also advise a couple of extra quid for the DKLs. Not only does the black painted recess help with glare, they also look significantly more expensive compared than the standard units. Which they are not.

iPhone photo, but colour rendering is accurate, and I have not messed with the light settings. This is all the ceiling lights (13 x ZEP1 10wDKL + 3 x island pendant LEDs) on full setting. Easily light enough, without any of the under-cabinet task lighting turned on

I've said this before. The ZEPs are one of the purchases I really feel were worth it (many things were not). Quality engineering, and the light quality is fantastic - consistent between lamps, warm and not harsh and cold, as LEDs can often be. Spread from the spots (beam angle) is great too.

Kitchen complete by baconrashers, on Flickr

Edited by Harry Flashman on Thursday 8th December 13:25

Thanks for this. This is really helpful. That's a fantastic kitchen you have there, Are those the 2700K lights? We will be having 3 pendant lights over the island , and also some wall lights to add to the layering effect.

[boxster9]

MrChips said:

I've just installed zep1s in the garage and so far am very pleased with them. I did think they were quite dim but that may just be me subconsciously comparing to the panels.



I'd definitely recommend listening to Guy's advice and/or consider getting the lighting positions properly planned (professionally if needed) as it really makes more difference than you would naturally expect.

We also have zep6 darklights in the living room and similarly are really impressed with the quality and at 2700k the colour is spot on for what we wanted. Using vPro dimmer with no flicker. We never have them this bright though!

Thanks, will contact Guy for some advice, The lighting from those zep6 look great and look much smaller in size too, is this the main difference between Zep1s?, why did you decide on these for the living room?

[boxster9]

Thanks, the Zep6s do look great, just browsed some of the residential projects in the ecoled site... Some fantastic lighting.