The height of lighting in a room is ultimately a matter of preference. However, there are some simple rules you can follow in order to ensure you get the best positioning of your lighting fixture whether it is in the centre of a room, over a dining table or otherwise.
Firstly, for a central light, say in a living room, always keep it at least 7ft above the floor. You don't want anyone hitting their head off it and you want to get an optimal level of illumination. In a standard modern property with average height ceilings 7ft should suffice. If you have particularly high ceilings, for example in a victorian or tenement property then go a bit higher. There can be a lot of space up there so aim for around 8 ft. That way you can create a real visual statement without your light getting a bit lost, while maintaining a reasonable spatial balance between the ceiling and the floor.
Above a dining table (as shown), aim for around 2 1/2 ft. This gives the great focused atmospheric light over your table while still allowing you to see your guests, avoid banging your head and not get blinded by light bulbs in your eyeline!
If you want to hang a light over your bed, the easiest thing to do is kneel on your bed and ensure there is at lest 6 inches clearance between your head (or the head of the tallest occupant!) and the light. Simple!
If you are hanging a light over your kitchen worktop or island, then go for about 3 ft above the surface. This gives you a decent level of focused task lighting while keeping it above head height to allow you to work, and out of your direct eyeline.
So, we've talked about minimum heights mostly here, at the same time don't go too high! If you have a fantastic light fitting you want it to make a statement so unless it's designed to fit flush with the ceiling, don't put it so far out the way that it loses impact!
Downlights are a great option for a modern clean look, especially in a bathroom, kitchen or circulation areas such as hallways or landings.
One of the first questions we are asked when we arrive to install downlights for a customer is 'How should they be laid out?'
With this type of lighting, it's important to start with a grid. These lights should ideally be spaced evenly apart and be in line. Honestly, it just looks odd if you start to try anything 'a bit different' in a standard, box shaped room. Generally with ceiling downlighting you are creating an even raft of light throughout a room rather than focal points.
One variation here however could be dependent on you kitchen layout. The grid principle is adhered to but the lighting follows the layout of the units.
So, how many lights? Start by measuring the square footage of the room i.e. length x width. Multiply that number by 2 which will give you the wattage.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is for halogen downlights, if you are using LEDs (which we would highly recommend), divide that total by 10.
So for example if your kitchen is 20ft x 10ft = 200 sq ft. 200 x 2 = 400 watts (40w for LED).
If you have a high ceiling we would recommending increasing the wattage of each individual bulb, and if you have a lower than average ceiling we would recommend reducing the wattage.
Finally, get a dimmer switch. This allows you to brighten the room for task and darken it for ambient lighting. A word of warning here, if you are using LED bulbs remember that dimmer switches often have a minimum wattage of around 40w. So you will either need to run a standard dimmer switch in a room that has enough lights on the circuit to meet the minimum wattage or you will need to purchase a switch specifically designed for low voltage lights.
To put it simply, they will save you money, save you hassle and save the environment!
LED bulbs are around 10 times as energy efficient as traditional halogen or incandescent bulb. So, for example you will get around the same amount of light from a 5 watt LED downlight such as the ones pictured, as you would from a 50 watt halogen downlight.
Not only this, but you get around 10 000s of hours from one meaning an awful lot less lightbulbs to change. An equivalent halogen or incandescent bulb may last only 1000 hours. We're talking up to 20 years of light from one bulb!
Just to top it off they even beat the older CFL energy saving bulbs. Ever get slightly irritated by waiting for a light to come on after you flick the switch? And then waiting even longer for it to get bright enough that you don't have to practically feel your way around the room? Yep, us too. This doesn't happen with LED. Instant full light.
Yes, they are a little more expensive than other bulbs but within a couple of years you will have offset the cost with the energy savings in the knowledge that you have years of use to still get out of them.
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