Hello everyone,
My wife and I are building a house in 2018, and currently one of the topics is planning the lighting, especially the spotlights, in the living and dining area.
You can see the exact layout of the room in the attached drawing.
We have an open kitchen with an island, a dining area, and a TV corner for cozy evenings. The ceiling height is standard at 2.60m (8.5 ft).
We have done some research and put some thought into it. What you see in the drawing is our best draft so far: a symmetrical but staggered lighting design with 13 spotlights.
If you don’t have better (ideally also cheaper) ideas, we would have the fixture boxes for the spots (HaloX is one supplier) installed during the ceiling pour. We don’t want to lower the ceiling, as we want to keep the full room height.
In this design, we planned three circuits: Circuit 1, Circuit 2, and Circuit 3. Circuit 3 is a cozy pendant lamp for the corner. The rest are LED spots, with Circuit 2 being dimmable.
It was important to us that the kitchen is well lit, that the dining table is always properly illuminated, even if it’s moved about 50cm (20 inches), and that the whole design follows a certain logic—randomly placing spotlights in critical spots just looks odd.
We would be interested in your opinions on the lighting plan. Are there enough spotlights?
Is the arrangement suitable for what we have in mind? Do you have any other ideas or suggestions that might be worth considering?
Maybe a completely different setup…?
I would be happy if you shared your thoughts and experiences with us!
If you need any more information, I’ll gladly provide it.
Best regards
Roppo
My wife and I are building a house in 2018, and currently one of the topics is planning the lighting, especially the spotlights, in the living and dining area.
You can see the exact layout of the room in the attached drawing.
We have an open kitchen with an island, a dining area, and a TV corner for cozy evenings. The ceiling height is standard at 2.60m (8.5 ft).
We have done some research and put some thought into it. What you see in the drawing is our best draft so far: a symmetrical but staggered lighting design with 13 spotlights.
If you don’t have better (ideally also cheaper) ideas, we would have the fixture boxes for the spots (HaloX is one supplier) installed during the ceiling pour. We don’t want to lower the ceiling, as we want to keep the full room height.
In this design, we planned three circuits: Circuit 1, Circuit 2, and Circuit 3. Circuit 3 is a cozy pendant lamp for the corner. The rest are LED spots, with Circuit 2 being dimmable.
It was important to us that the kitchen is well lit, that the dining table is always properly illuminated, even if it’s moved about 50cm (20 inches), and that the whole design follows a certain logic—randomly placing spotlights in critical spots just looks odd.
We would be interested in your opinions on the lighting plan. Are there enough spotlights?
Is the arrangement suitable for what we have in mind? Do you have any other ideas or suggestions that might be worth considering?
Maybe a completely different setup…?
I would be happy if you shared your thoughts and experiences with us!
If you need any more information, I’ll gladly provide it.
Best regards
Roppo
So, fundamentally, I can understand the thoughts expressed. Pendant lamps are generally considered cozy. However, I don’t want to oversimplify, as we do find recessed spotlights to have their own charm.
One question that came to mind while reading is what exactly differentiates the spotlights on the Paulmann track from those recessed in the ceiling. After all, the bulbs are almost identical, right? Wouldn’t the shadow effect be the same if the bulbs hang 10cm (4 inches) lower on a track, or what exactly changes?
Of course, the spotlights in the kitchen can be positioned a bit closer to the wall, as there are no wall cabinets. There is only a range hood above the stove; above the countertop, there is nothing.
One question that came to mind while reading is what exactly differentiates the spotlights on the Paulmann track from those recessed in the ceiling. After all, the bulbs are almost identical, right? Wouldn’t the shadow effect be the same if the bulbs hang 10cm (4 inches) lower on a track, or what exactly changes?
Of course, the spotlights in the kitchen can be positioned a bit closer to the wall, as there are no wall cabinets. There is only a range hood above the stove; above the countertop, there is nothing.
Roppo schrieb:
There are no corner cabinets as far as I know Then you MUST position the spotlights so that they illuminate the countertop and not the space in front of it. Imagine a light directly above you and then lean forward just about 10cm (4 inches) … where is the shadow?
The advantage of a track lighting system is that you don’t have to decide the exact spotlight positions right now.
And comfort seems to be a matter of personal taste … for me, spotlights over the dining table and sofa definitely don’t count as cozy.
This multipurpose room currently has industrial-style lighting—far too much. There is one outlet above the table, one in the center of the living area, and two spotlights in the kitchen ceiling. Above the table is a pendant light. In the living area, there is a dimmable LED ceiling light by switch from Hufnagel, which works really well and comes in attractive models. The rest is provided by floor lamps.
I also only see the appeal of an open-plan office or a medical practice when there are too many spotlights.
A widespread distribution is useful when cleaning or searching for something or checking, for example the contents of a coat or clothing, such as in the hallway. Also when ironing or in the utility room.
We rarely have the skylight in the living room/kitchen on, but instead rely on suspended task lighting or floor and accent lamps.
A widespread distribution is useful when cleaning or searching for something or checking, for example the contents of a coat or clothing, such as in the hallway. Also when ironing or in the utility room.
We rarely have the skylight in the living room/kitchen on, but instead rely on suspended task lighting or floor and accent lamps.
D
Deliverer13 Dec 2017 10:11kbt09 schrieb:
... and lighting in the kitchen cabinet row should be positioned above the countertop, not where you stand and then cast shadows on the work surface. All lighting and kitchen planners disagree with that. The outlets are always placed exactly on the edge of the countertop. I also thought that would be a bad idea at first—but it works very well. I haven’t experienced any disturbing shadows so far.
C
chand198613 Dec 2017 17:34You are not standing ON an edge, but in front of it. Therefore, you will not cast a disturbing shadow in front of you. However, with every bit that you move a spotlight further back, it gets worse.
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