ᐅ Is lighting design only effective with recessed spotlights?

Hello,
I would like to introduce myself. My name is Thorsten, and we are currently building a detached house in NRW. Our architect has now created a lighting plan for the ground floor with two different options.

What do you think about this? Only recessed spotlights have been chosen here, and I’m not sure if that is the best solution.

I have also created a plan showing approximately how the furniture will be arranged.

It is possible to do that, and I find they create a pleasant light. For a utility room, it might be a bit too dark for me, but that's a matter of personal preference. The question is whether the cost is not an issue? Each of these spotlights costs more than a conventional lamp.

Hello Thomas,
If you are building an architect-designed house and spending a lot of money on it, I would definitely hire a professional lighting designer. In my opinion, the architect’s plan can at best provide basic lighting. Do you want to sit under recessed ceiling lights in the living room or while dining in the evening? How do you create a cozy atmosphere, and how is the outdoor area integrated?
We made exactly that mistake with our current house by trusting our architect’s lighting plan, which looked something like this… partly too dark, far too uninspiring, and not cozy at all. We are building again now, and we won’t repeat that mistake…

Thorsten1982 schrieb:

What do you think about this?

Not at all. To be precise: absolutely not.

In the end, it’s a matter of personal taste. However, I find that relying solely on spotlights makes the space feel like an office or something similar. It lacks coziness. Spotlights or similar lighting work well in areas where simply a lot of light is needed: bathroom, hallway. In all other rooms, a mix of ceiling lights (which can include some spotlights) and wall lights, floor lamps, table lamps, etc. is better. This provides lighting for different moments and moods.

You need to be very careful with spotlights, as they do exactly what their name suggests: they illuminate in a spot-shaped, i.e., POINT-shaped manner. If you choose the wrong beam angles for the installation height, you end up with the entire house being filled with more or less separate light spots. If you are doing the lighting yourself, definitely check the intended fixtures in Dialux first.

Thank you very much for the many tips.

This is also my thought; I am leaning towards significantly fewer recessed downlights.

In the dining room, I probably prefer a fixture above the table.

I can also imagine pendant lights above the kitchen island extending to the dining area.

I would definitely include floor lamps and table lamps, which are not currently in the plan. We are already using these now with Hue dimmable bulbs, and it is very nice. This allows for warm, cozy lighting. For watching TV or having breakfast in the morning, we currently only use the floor and table lamps, and it is very comfortable. I would use this the same way in the new house.