May 12, 2023

Located in the booming Brentwood district of Burnaby, the new Earls Kitchen + Bar has modern interiors, cool décor, and incredible eats. The uncomplicated chic vibe of the restaurant reflects the menu; it’s simple, but elevated. To complement the aesthetic of the restaurant, MP Lighting’s sleek luminaires were chosen for a variety of uses inside and outside Earls. For ambient lighting, the L600 was chosen as they provide great overhead illumination without glare. For task-specific lighting, the L402, and L550 were chosen due to their adjustable directions – great to shine the light exactly where it needs to be. For indoor accent lighting, the L225C-L luminaires highlight the art and décor of the restaurant; and for outdoor accent lighting, the best-selling L01 accentuates a column, and the L730 illuminates the Earls sign.

downlight in Bronze Powder Coated used for ambient lighting in conjunction with other luminaires. The modern design allows for compatibility with many other types of lighting fixtures

Ambient Lighting at Earls

Ambient lighting can generally be defined as lighting that provides a base level of illumination to a space without the help of additional or focused lighting. The goal is to provide a room with a foundational level of light that can be built upon. At Earls, the L600 luminaires were placed on the ceiling to provide ambient lighting. The 13W luminaires are powerful but not overwhelming due to the restaurant’s high ceilings. In addition, the Warm Dim feature allows the lights to grow warmer-toned when dimmed, giving the restaurant a cozy ambiance with the overhead illumination. A great advantage of using LED lights is that they are energy-efficient, even with the high 13W wattage of the L600.

L600 surface mounted downlight in Bronze Powder Coated used for overhead illumination

The finish of the L600 changes depending on where it was installed. Closer to the patio – where the ceiling is white – the L600s have a White Powder Coated finish, while the L600s installed on the wood panels have a Bronze Powder Coated finish; that way, the fixture can blend more seamlessly to its environment. The same thinking was used for the colour of the reflector, white luminaires are equipped with silver reflectors and bronze luminaires with bronze reflectors. The reflectors have grooves in them that catch and release the light, directing it to where it needs to go. It’s a creative way of bouncing light that would be considered glare to the central light beam.

Task Lighting at Earls

Task lighting is usually defined as lighting that is used specifically for tasks, such as reading, writing, cooking, or skilled work. For Earls, the task lighting solution was tackled with the L402, and L550 luminaires. The L402s are recessed downlight luminaires that were installed close to the kitchen area to provide tables with extra illumination for customers to read menus and for the staff to handle dishes and POS systems more easily. Like the L600, the L402 has Warm Dim, which allows the light to grow warmer-toned when dimmed – enhancing the ambiance and experience inside the restaurant.

L402 adjustable recessed downlight used for task lighting alongside L225C-L used for accent lighting

To aid servers and chefs, L550s were installed on the serving window. The L550 is great for this purpose as it has an adjustable head and though small, the 2W LED packs a punch. The Black Anodized finish blends in with the industrial vibe of the window, and its minimal design is non-obtrusive to facilitate ease of motion. These fixtures were ordered in a 2700K colour temperate to match the cozy atmosphere of the other luminaires with Warm Dim. The L550s are functional and efficient, without compromising on aesthetics.

L550 adjustable cabinet downlight used for task lighting in serving window

Accent Lighting at Earls

Accent lighting is generally described as lighting with the purpose of enhancing or highlighting an object, architectural feature, or specific area. At Earls, 3 fixtures were used for this lighting purpose: L01, L730, and L225C-L. Indoors, the L225C-L spotlight in White Powder Coated are installed using canopies around the restaurant to enhance architectural details, like columns, and highlight booths close to the bar and artwork on the walls.

The L225s in Large were chosen to match the 13W wattage of the other ceiling fixtures. Though the luminaire hosts a powerful wattage, the high ceilings and spacious room aren’t overwhelmed by it. It also has the same Warm Dim capability as the L600s and L401s in the restaurant. Another similarity between them is how the finish was selected. To create cohesion and have a seamless effect, the White Powder Coated finish was chosen to match the white ceiling.

L225C-L spotlight on canopies illuminating artwork on walls

Outdoors, the L01 and L730s are positioned to highlight a column and sign, respectively. 8 recessed in-grade L01s were used in total to illuminate the column in front of the restaurant; they were placed in a ring formation on the ceiling so the light beams shine downwards, elongating its length. By highlighting an architectural feature of the entrance, the ambiance starts to take shape before a customer even sets foot inside. The warmer-toned 2700K colour temperature is inviting – it’s neither too yellow nor too blue.

The best-selling L01 is an all time favorite for a reason. This highly customizable luminaire can be installed in various surfaces and positions and has an IP rating of 68 – making it ideal for outdoor applications such as soffits, entryways, and landscaping projects. For this project, the back boxes were fitted with the PIPE-C attachment, which can be cut to size on-site, and provides more flexibility when installing a luminaire.

L01 in-grade luminaire on the left providing the column with accent lighting by enhancing its shape and length. L730 double head spotlight on the centre illuminating the Earls sign to increase visibility

The L730 double head spotlights illuminate the Earls sign, brightening up the façade and enticing passers-by. The double heads provide extra brightness and can be adjusted to hit the right spot. Positioned on both sides of the sign to illuminate them simultaneously, the L730s are compact and don’t interfere with the readability of the sign – a very important concern for outdoor projects.

Earls Kitchen + Bar is a great project that utilizes modern luminaires for different purposes in both indoor and outdoor settings. Even though the luminaires are for different areas, with different intentions, and in different finishes, there’s still an overall cohesion to them thanks to their minimal and sleek design.

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