How many downlights in a room?

[Strima]

I know it's a personal opinion... but even 1 downlight is 1 downlight too many ! I always try to light the walls/ceilings if I can... although for me, lighting design is a difficult and complex thing.

All well and good but not ideal when you can't see to chop the carrots up.

 

[Zerax]

All well and good but not ideal when you can't see to chop the carrots up.

Well... eating more carrots would help with that.

But seriously... to me that's 'task lighting'... so yeah directed light is needed, but from the ceiling ? I'm amazed at the number of brand new kitchen installs that I see without under cabinet lights !

 

[Strima]

I'm amazed at the number of brand new kitchen installs that I see without under cabinet lights !

Like the ones I put in for my wife but she's now covered all the worktops in 'stuff' so pointless having them... ???

 

[Mike Johnson]

Ceiling lights are fine if you live in a very old building where you can reach the ceiling just standing up, makes decorating easy. ?

 

[MrGwythers]

Have they been 'designed' or are they just the architects interpretation of a proposed layout?

All designed with spacing measurements all ready given the engineers use dialux software which can work it all out for you. It's good for the big jobs but just wanted to know a quicker way for small domestic jobs instead of time consuming software design.

 

[MrGwythers]

I'm still learning this lighting design process there is alot of stuff to think about, from most videos I've watched from credible lighting designers and from what's been mentioned in the thread, downlights are going out of fashion and strip lighting around the perimeter in the coving is the new preferred look.

 

[moose]

Its been a while but, here is my ten pence worth. Hope it helps.

Its not a new thing its just re designed fitting upgrade. I have worked on old Erm is it Coffers a form of cavity within the ceiling lit with don't laugh but a good old fluro 6ft all lined up to form the continues line of bright light.

LED all lined up look the same. New tech and needs sorting out.

The ceiling thing for your knowledge just look up and say will this look good with 4/ 6 or 8 lights you will always find you can make a fit and usually looks great to see when finished.

Measure the ceiling and Divide by 4 fittings +1wall (5) Then this will space out your fittings.

So 4000mm divide by 5 = 800mm between each fitting. and soo on.

Remember too many and it will look ridiculous. Once you do one you learn by your mistakes.
I myself feel that LED at the moment are far to bright and need to be reduced. So make sure you know what you are fitting. power wise. they all look different and are powered very different saying the same power outings. example 3.5w 4w 5w and all do the same light. Some are more intense than others.

 

[Mike Johnson]

All LED's normally have a lumen output denoted on them, the important thing is if you need Daylight or Warm white output, lumen's go down with the Daylight White that looks like an old tungsten light, better for lounge, but Daylight White for work area's i.e. Kitchens.

 

[nicebutdim]

All LED's normally have a lumen output denoted on them, the important thing is if you need Daylight or Warm white output, lumen's go down with the Daylight White that looks like an old tungsten light, better for lounge, but Daylight White for work area's i.e. Kitchens.

I don't like anything other than warm white (3000K) for general lighting in kitchens, especially if they incorporate a dining area, but prefer 4000K for under cabinet lights.

 

[Mike Johnson]

I did say working area's.