Lately, I have been coming across lots of photos of cool applications of kitchen track lighting. So this week I thought I would share some of my favorites with you. I hope you find some inspiration below. Or, if not, I hope you at least enjoy seeing how relevant via Pinterest (Marcia Moore)

It’s not a huge, luxurious kitchen. It is something better: Real. Track lighting functions to illuminate kitchen tasks while accenting the wall. All is taken care of with one fixture. It’s the perfect solution in this kitchen full of well-used space.

2. For Gigantic Kitchens, Too

The lighting design pictured above calls attention to the right angles in the kitchen. It’s a metropolitan look that gives the room a sense of cohesion. Track lighting like this can also be used in kitchens with exposed beams. Using tracks to cross gaps or grades in the ceiling can be really cool.

4. Pendants and Spots, Spots and Pendants

Another new trend in kitchen track lighting is the flexible track. While this kind of track is generally not malleable by hand, a special track bending tool allows you to create a custom shape. I’m not sure who bent the track above into that nice curve, but it sure looks good in this real-life kitchen, which is complete with baby pictures on the fridge.

6. Wire Track Lighting

Kitchens like the one above make you see the brilliance of modern design. To put it simply, this kitchen is beautiful work of art, from the brushed metal ceiling to the glass tile to the granite to the smooth top range. To the track lighting! Can I hang out in here? FOREVER?! Muah ha ha. Ahem. Moving on.

7. Very High Ceiling

These very bright track lights look great with their blue glass shades. And they are task-oriented lights, a clear choice for the chef of the house. The aesthetic and functional dualism embodied by kitchen track lighting echoes the aesthetic/functional dualism of the culinary arts. It provides something you need and looks good while it does it.

9. Pendants Done Right

And here we have a lovely kitchen island situation. Notice that the island is dynamic. There’s a gas range for the chef and chairs for the kids. Quite a lot going on. So they had to be very deliberate and smart about the lighting. These white pendants are perfect. What was once utilitarian is now elegant – even graceful.

10. Kitchen Track Lighting Mash Up

Here we have a kitchen doing it all with track lighting. There are spot lights, pendants, and it’s even on a curved monorail. These contribute warm light to a comfortable environment, and they go well with the chandelier. Win.

11. Stunningly Wrong

While it’s a festive time of year you spend celebrating with family and friends, Thanksgiving can be stressful and expensive, especially for the person in charge of cooking. There’s the unavoidable cost of ingredients, but even the process of cooking, baking, broiling and roasting pushes your energy bills sky high. Pursue these top five gadgets to make Thanksgiving cooking easier and more affordable this year.

They’re a lifesaver when it comes to cooking multiple dishes at once. Equip your kitchen with several digital timers and set them for precisely the right amount of time each food item needs to cook.

To save energy and make cooking easier, put multiple dishes in the oven at once. As long as the temperature requirement varies by no more than 25 degrees, you’ll be fine. Set separate timers for each dish so they don’t end up over or undercooked.

Also, if your oven doesn’t beep or buzz to let you know it’s preheated, set a timer for five to eight minutes when you turn the oven on. This reminder prevents you from forgetting to put the food in the preheated oven while you’re distracted preparing other dishes. Remember, you don’t need to preheat the oven for broiling or roasting.

This is one of those gadgets you find in every kitchen, but it’s a more useful tool for preparing Thanksgiving dinner than you might imagine. Microwave ovens consume less than half the energy conventional ovens use. They also cook food faster, which saves time. Free up the oven and stovetop by cooking baked potatoes, reheating gravy and warming rolls in the microwave.

Having a second oven on hand lets you get more cooking done in less time, but if you aren’t lucky enough to have a double oven, you can invest in a countertop version. Small convection or roaster ovens use much less energy than their larger counterparts, but they’re still fully capable of cooking large food items.

Convection ovens come in different sizes, so if you plan to cook your turkey inside, make sure you choose a large enough model. Smaller dimensions are still perfect for baked potatoes, casserole dishes and even cookies.

Roaster ovens look more like slow cookers, which are perfect for buffet style serving and keeping dishes warm for hours at a time without overcooking them. They’re perfect for roasting a turkey, ham or chicken with moist, succulent results.

You’ve liking got a lot of slicing and dicing to do in preparation for Thanksgiving dinner. Use a food processor to speed up the process of chopping vegetables, grating cheese, crushing ice, chopping nuts and mixing pie crust ingredients. It may take more electricity to complete these tasks with a machine instead of doing them by hand, but with an energy-efficient food processor, the time and physical exertion you save are well worth it.

Not sure if your turkey is done? Even if the outside is golden brown, the inside might not be fully cooked. You can’t be sure without a meat thermometer. Choose a digital variety for an instant temperature reading after sticking the probe into the bird. An analog version takes longer to deliver a reading, and all the while the oven door is hanging open and losing heat. The minimum safe internal temperature for turkey is 165 degrees.

Clearly, as long as you have the right kitchen gadgets, cooking a Thanksgiving meal doesn’t have to break the bank. Be sure to implement these tips from Mr. Electric® for the best results this upcoming holiday.

If you need some work down around the house, you may be tempted to look for one of the least expensive people you can find. Calling a name you found on Craigslist or calling the friend of a friend who does things around the house is not a good idea. There are several very good reasons you should only call a certified electrician in Santa Monica like those at The Electric Connection.

Insurance

If a mistake is made on the part of the electrician and the home suffers damage, you may risk your home owner insurance payout. Many insurance companies require you to use a certified, licensed and insured professional in your home. This gives the insurance company somebody to hold accountable should something go wrong.

Training

A Santa Monica electrician who is certified will have had to have passed some tests to receive their certification. This is one way to test their knowledge about electricity before they ever step foot in your home. The certification process also guarantees the certified electrician has some hands-on knowledge and training. If you choose to hire somebody who isn’t certified, you risk getting someone who doesn’t have any real knowledge.

Guarantees

When you hire a professional, you have some sort of guarantee the work will be completed up to code and will be safe. Hiring somebody off the street could leave you with a bigger mess and no recourse. You need to be able to have somebody to hold accountable.

Your home is a huge investment. It just makes sense you would only trust it to a certified electrician. Santa Monica homeowners cannot afford to risk their investment. Your home as well as the safety of your family while in the home is far too important. Call The Electric Connection if you need any electrical repairs and you can take comfort knowing you are getting a certified, professional electrician to work in your home.

The “Broche” pendant, available in an Antique Gold or Antique Silver finish, features a leaf-like bouquet in wrought iron suspended by a decorative chain-link.  This restoration vintage fixture is also available in a mixed-metal combination for the epitome of high-style.

“Middlefield,” a rustic and chic restoration vintage masterpiece, presents a historic feel in Solid Distressed wood and steel with an Iron Rust finish.  The pear-shaped finial,  superbly crafted and detailed, adds to the elegance and stature of this outstanding over five-foot tall chandelier.

The “Livingston” pendant from Murray Feiss presents restoration vintage style with a modern twist.  Finished in a choice of High-Gloss Gray or High-Gloss White, the caged rounded dome delivers a soothing illumination through the dual Clear glass surrounded by a Sandblast outer layer of glass.

“Reel” from Varaluz Lighting is reminiscent of the vintage movie reel. This spherical composition delivers a modest charm and sophistication in a rich Rustic Bronze finish fashionably illuminated by three decorative slender vintage light sources.

“121 Main” from Troy Lighting provides a brilliant display of illumination in a creative and surprising mix of whimsy and elegance.  Hand-worked wrought iron supporting a cascade of pressed glass beer bottles delivers the dazzle of a formal crystal chandelier, while the Old Silver accented with Brass finish, signature “wrecking ball” center and dangling bottle opener elevate this restoration vintage style with an original and playful vigor.

The Dallas Market

When Pegasus Lighting’s President Chris Johnson heard that his neighbor Greg had installed such a unique solution to his dark pantry problem, he knew it was perfect for our Weekend Warrior blog post series. The Weekend Warrior series is part of our quest to bring our customers unique products and offer creative ideas for DIY lighting projects around the house.  

Parts you needPower supply & duration

Note: If you don’t feel comfortable with a soldering iron you can use “wire nuts” to connect the wires. It’s slightly less elegant but perfectly functional.

Now that you understand how the proximity switch works we can wire it up: