ᐅ Lighting for a Long, Narrow Combined Living and Dining Area in a Mid-Terrace House
Created on: 4 Jul 2021 18:20
J
JuliaAlex
Dear forum users,
We have purchased a mid-terrace house and are currently working on the electrical planning. Our biggest concern is the open-plan living-dining area with the kitchen, especially the central part around the dining table. Since it is a mid-terrace house (unfortunately, due to current prices, we could not afford anything else), the dining area does not have a side window, and the house is very narrow and long (almost 12 meters (39 feet 4 inches) in length, only 5.88 meters (19 feet 3 inches) wide). Our main worry is that the dining area will feel like sitting in a long, dark tube. We would like to counteract this by using interior design, spatial arrangement, and especially lighting.
Do you have any concrete ideas, maybe with pictures? Or are there other homeowners in a similar situation who could give us some tips?
For your information: The house facade on the living area side is almost fully glazed and faces south, our kitchen window is also quite large, the front door will have glass elements, and the separation between the entrance hall and dining area will be made with a glass door. Our staircase, however, is closed off (the wall is load-bearing), which of course contributes to the tunnel-like feeling in the dining area.
So far, we have planned the following lighting points:
1x ceiling outlet in the entrance hall
1x ceiling outlet in the entrance hall near the staircase (where a wardrobe will be located)
2x ceiling outlets in the kitchen (1 in the middle, 1 above the counter)
1x ceiling outlet above the dining table
1x ceiling outlet in the living room.
Additionally, we are considering installing wall outlets for indirect lighting either on the wall facing the staircase or on the opposite wall in the dining area, but we have not yet decided on a specific lighting concept there.
We appreciate all constructive suggestions and ideas!
We have purchased a mid-terrace house and are currently working on the electrical planning. Our biggest concern is the open-plan living-dining area with the kitchen, especially the central part around the dining table. Since it is a mid-terrace house (unfortunately, due to current prices, we could not afford anything else), the dining area does not have a side window, and the house is very narrow and long (almost 12 meters (39 feet 4 inches) in length, only 5.88 meters (19 feet 3 inches) wide). Our main worry is that the dining area will feel like sitting in a long, dark tube. We would like to counteract this by using interior design, spatial arrangement, and especially lighting.
Do you have any concrete ideas, maybe with pictures? Or are there other homeowners in a similar situation who could give us some tips?
For your information: The house facade on the living area side is almost fully glazed and faces south, our kitchen window is also quite large, the front door will have glass elements, and the separation between the entrance hall and dining area will be made with a glass door. Our staircase, however, is closed off (the wall is load-bearing), which of course contributes to the tunnel-like feeling in the dining area.
So far, we have planned the following lighting points:
1x ceiling outlet in the entrance hall
1x ceiling outlet in the entrance hall near the staircase (where a wardrobe will be located)
2x ceiling outlets in the kitchen (1 in the middle, 1 above the counter)
1x ceiling outlet above the dining table
1x ceiling outlet in the living room.
Additionally, we are considering installing wall outlets for indirect lighting either on the wall facing the staircase or on the opposite wall in the dining area, but we have not yet decided on a specific lighting concept there.
We appreciate all constructive suggestions and ideas!
H
hampshire5 Jul 2021 07:46aero2016 schrieb:
That’s how it looks. There won’t be any darkness at all with 4m (13 feet) of windows!Our experience has been different, especially during winter.B
Bertram1005 Jul 2021 07:49I don’t have any significant functions in the middle section. I have the kitchen plus a kitchen sofa in the garden area with a large window wall, and the "living room section" at the front. The window there is big enough so that you’re not sitting in the dark. In the middle section, I have a storage room and an office. My house has the same dimensions as the original poster’s. I don’t understand how anyone could find such a house dark.
H
hampshire5 Jul 2021 08:59Bertram100 schrieb:
I don’t understand how anyone could find a house like this dark.When you feel the need to turn on the lights in this part of the house even at midday during winter. For some, this affects their mood. Others are not bothered by it, and some don’t feel that need at all.We have a terraced mid-terrace house with almost identical dimensions.
Above the dining table, we have a 12-bulb industrial-style chandelier with bright LEDs, which provides very strong illumination. However, as of now, I would still install a wall light on the side to allow indirect lighting of the ceiling or to install a fake window.
One more tip: our kitchen width is 238cm (94 inches), and we still didn’t have to push the island that far forward. Your layout will cost you a lot of space! If you like, I can share our kitchen design.
Above the dining table, we have a 12-bulb industrial-style chandelier with bright LEDs, which provides very strong illumination. However, as of now, I would still install a wall light on the side to allow indirect lighting of the ceiling or to install a fake window.
One more tip: our kitchen width is 238cm (94 inches), and we still didn’t have to push the island that far forward. Your layout will cost you a lot of space! If you like, I can share our kitchen design.
J
JuliaAlex5 Jul 2021 10:36Here is the link to our floor plan thread:
Here is the link to our "floor plan thread":
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/grundrissoptimierung-1-og-falls-moeglich.39724/
ypg schrieb:
It’s best if you also link your previous post… 🙂
Here is the link to our "floor plan thread":
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/grundrissoptimierung-1-og-falls-moeglich.39724/
J
JuliaAlex5 Jul 2021 10:55ypg schrieb:
I would probably simulate a window in the dining area using a daylight panel light. Or something along those lines. That daylight panel light sounds great, I’ve seen it in a picture before. Do you happen to know if it needs a wall outlet or just a regular socket?
ypg schrieb:
I would probably align the kitchen, counter, and table in one row with equal spacing. Then carry the table and counter outlets over to the staircase side (like a square). I didn’t quite understand that 😳 Do you mean to set the table back a little so it doesn’t extend into the living area?
Bertram100 schrieb:
Daylight reaches about 5m (16 feet). This way, the light meets from both sides. That’s the great thing about a mid-terrace house: the focus is on the light. My house faces east-west. I always have sunlight coming in, except during the hottest midday hours. Plus, there is enough wall space for furniture. What more could you want? I’m totally in favor of mid-terrace houses. Don’t worry too much about the light. The large windows let in plenty of it. That definitely sounds good and reassuring. Yes, the rear window front is really big. It’s just a bit of a shame that the dining area, where much family life happens, isn’t naturally lit. We want to counter that by moving the dining table closer to the window front, so it should still be within the 5m (16 feet) light cone. The downside is the long walk from the kitchen...
Bertram100 schrieb:
By the way, I have the toilet under the stairs. That saves a lot of space in the entrance. Would that be an option for you? Your entrance area seems a bit tight, especially with kids. Our cellar access is under the stairs. The entrance is definitely tight; we only want to put shoes and a small coat rack for daily jackets right at the entrance, then have a wardrobe for school bags etc. on the wall in front of the stairs to the first floor (so it doesn’t look so messy right at the entrance). Then a sideboard in the dining area on the wall next to the staircase (which is enclosed and a load-bearing wall), and we’ll have to store the rest in the garden shed or outside near the front door.
minimini schrieb:
Our setup will look exactly the same, and the standard includes exactly the outlets you planned. In identical houses, many have lowered the ceiling edges or used a drywall partition for the TV and installed indirect lighting there. It’s not really my style, but I have to say it does create a cozy atmosphere.
We will have a large arc floor lamp in the corner of the living room and over time will probably replace the door to the hallway with one that includes a glass panel to let in even more light. We definitely want an arc floor lamp in the living room too 😀 I also like the idea of lowering the ceiling for spotlights, although our ceilings aren’t very high (standard, so just over 2.5m (8.2 feet)), and lowering them further makes the room feel even lower. A strip like that on the side could look good, but it probably costs quite a bit to have it done. For the bathroom, lowering the ceiling with spotlights sounds really cool — and you can still do that later.
Scout schrieb:
We have a mid-terrace house with almost identical dimensions.
Above our dining table, we have a 12-light industrial-style chandelier with bright LEDs, which makes it very bright. Even so, right now I would still install a wall light on the side that could be used to illuminate the ceiling indirectly or simulate a fake window.
Another tip: our kitchen width is 238cm (94 inches) and we still didn’t have to push the island so far forward. Your layout costs you a lot of space! If you want, I can share our kitchen planning. Thanks for the tip and your input on the wall light! That’s exactly what we’re currently thinking about. What height would you place the outlet at to aim the light from bottom to top (around 1.10m (3.6 feet) or so) or from top to bottom? I think it could look really good. And would you put it on the “long” wall, not the one next to the staircase? I’m thinking to put a long mirror above the sideboard there—it makes the room look bigger, and if the light is on opposite, it would reflect and brighten the space even more.
We’d definitely be interested in your kitchen planning! That’s our next big task... we’re still going back and forth with the plans. We want to extend the counter somewhat beyond the “kitchen nook” so the kitchen doesn’t feel cramped in the corner. We also deliberately pushed the dining table a bit towards the living area, so the space feels more open from the table and you don’t feel like you’re sitting in a hallway — although the walking distances are really long. So, we’re very happy about practical tips and real experiences because so far it’s all theoretical for us.
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