Lights

When I refinished the basement a few years ago (which still isn't totally finished, but close enough), I installed two overhead light fixtures in the main layout area (approximately 9'x15'). A single bulb was placed in each fixture, and that was sufficient to light the space. I knew that when the time came, I would replace these fixtures with a track lighting system, in order to more effectively light whatever layout came to fruition in that space. That day has come, and now I have the beginnings of a system of track lights installed.

I went with a track and power supply from Lithonia, and three halogen light fixtures. I chose these almost exclusively because of their small profile. The ceiling is around seven feet tall, and I didn't want to have large intrusive lights in the middle of the room.

Before. The light source was about 8' from the benchwork, casting long shadows, particularly when I stood between the light and the layout.

After. The difference may not be immediately noticeable, but if you compare the foam in each picture, you can see how much brighter the 'After' is. The lights are now almost directly above the layout, approximately 4' away.

I wasn't happy with the halogen bulbs, the light they put out had a halo effect on the layout, so I replaced them with LED bulbs. I went with "Bright White LEDs." These produce an even field of light over the layout, that I am pleased with. 

The track lighting is expandable, which allows it to grow with the layout, and installation took less than an hour. More importantly, because it can be built in stages, the upfront costs aren't prohibitive.

Products Used:

Lithonia Lighting: 4' linear track section, floating feed power supply, halogen track heads

Feit Electric: 450 Lumens, 6w GU10 3000K Bright White LEDs