We have nearly finished planning everything in our new semi-detached house, but we’re having trouble deciding on the lighting for the living room.
Brief description: On the ground floor, we have the kitchen and living room, which are separate from each other. We have planned recessed ceiling spotlights for the kitchen, matching the kitchen area. For the living room, we are unsure and are considering options like two ceiling lights, wall and ceiling lights, wall and ceiling spotlights, or just ceiling spotlights combined with floor lamps, and so on. I would also like lighting for our display cabinets, but in that case, the recessed spotlights might be too much? Each ceiling spotlight costs us 40 euros, which is cheaper than the lamps I like...
The room is rectangular, approximately 7m x 5.5m (23 ft x 18 ft) in size, and faces northwest. On the west side (the 7m side), we have planned two double patio doors, and on the north side (the 5m side), a tall, narrow, wide window (not openable, just for light and aesthetics...).
I find it generally quite difficult to plan this room because of all the windows and doors. It’s a large room that only needs to accommodate a sofa, TV, piano, and a few pieces of furniture, but it has limited wall space. Our sofa will be the focal point (with an armchair and ottoman) and can be placed freely in the room. It’s very modern, made of light gray leather...
I look forward to tips and ideas!
PS In the living room, no eating or working will take place, but it definitely needs to be suitable for reading, playing the piano, listening to music, and watching TV!
Brief description: On the ground floor, we have the kitchen and living room, which are separate from each other. We have planned recessed ceiling spotlights for the kitchen, matching the kitchen area. For the living room, we are unsure and are considering options like two ceiling lights, wall and ceiling lights, wall and ceiling spotlights, or just ceiling spotlights combined with floor lamps, and so on. I would also like lighting for our display cabinets, but in that case, the recessed spotlights might be too much? Each ceiling spotlight costs us 40 euros, which is cheaper than the lamps I like...
The room is rectangular, approximately 7m x 5.5m (23 ft x 18 ft) in size, and faces northwest. On the west side (the 7m side), we have planned two double patio doors, and on the north side (the 5m side), a tall, narrow, wide window (not openable, just for light and aesthetics...).
I find it generally quite difficult to plan this room because of all the windows and doors. It’s a large room that only needs to accommodate a sofa, TV, piano, and a few pieces of furniture, but it has limited wall space. Our sofa will be the focal point (with an armchair and ottoman) and can be placed freely in the room. It’s very modern, made of light gray leather...
I look forward to tips and ideas!
PS In the living room, no eating or working will take place, but it definitely needs to be suitable for reading, playing the piano, listening to music, and watching TV!
We are currently starting to look into this topic as well.
However, we are not fans of spotlights. How many ceiling spotlights would you need to illuminate a room of 38.5 m² (415 sq ft) if the LED spots only provide localized lighting? I think it wouldn’t be particularly cost-effective (40 euros per spotlight plus the LED bulb). Although each individual LED consumes very little power, when you multiply the total number of LEDs by their consumption, the running costs will likely add up. Sorry—I often consider it from this perspective (the woman is in charge of aesthetics, and I can cope if necessary).
In general, I find the discussion about light bulbs very interesting/amusing. Some time ago, regular incandescent bulbs and halogen lamps were heavily criticized. Energy-saving lamps were praised. Once these became widely purchased (and sales probably declined as a result), it was said that energy-saving lamps do not provide pleasant light and contain toxins that are released if broken. The recommendation was to move away from these lamps. Now LEDs are becoming increasingly popular and widely bought. Suddenly, OLEDs are being developed, which are supposed to be even better and will reach the market in about three years. Moreover, (according to WDR’s “Haushaltscheck” from Monday) halogen lamps have been brought up again, as they supposedly offer much better light quality than LEDs and energy-saving lamps anyway. Personally, I feel the lighting industry’s marketing is very effective, and consumers keep getting misled.
In our current rental apartment, we also have a living and dining room of around 38 m² (410 sq ft). There, we have two ceiling lights with two energy-saving globe bulbs each hanging over the dining table and the living room table. The rooms are fully lit when everything is on, and during the evening hours, only one is turned on (either, if you still have to work, the one above us [living room lamp], or for indirect lighting, the dining table lamp). Our friends (who prefer spotlights) often ask how we manage to keep our electricity consumption so low (2,400 kWh per year), despite having older appliances (some over 13 years old) and being a household of four with small children (which requires a lot of washing). I think the lighting certainly plays a part in this.
BUT—even we will partly switch to LED lighting in the new house. The main reason for me is the toxic substances that may be released if bulbs break. The globe bulbs will then be reused in less frequently used rooms (e.g., office-guest room). For the living room, hallway, and stairs, it will almost certainly be LED lamps. But which ones? Most likely, ceiling lights (so I have circled back to the original topic after all).
By the way, we were advised to make sure that the LEDs in LED lamps are replaceable. Often, such lamps are sold with non-replaceable LEDs. Then, if an LED fails, you either have to accept it or dispose of the entire lamp.
However, we are not fans of spotlights. How many ceiling spotlights would you need to illuminate a room of 38.5 m² (415 sq ft) if the LED spots only provide localized lighting? I think it wouldn’t be particularly cost-effective (40 euros per spotlight plus the LED bulb). Although each individual LED consumes very little power, when you multiply the total number of LEDs by their consumption, the running costs will likely add up. Sorry—I often consider it from this perspective (the woman is in charge of aesthetics, and I can cope if necessary).
In general, I find the discussion about light bulbs very interesting/amusing. Some time ago, regular incandescent bulbs and halogen lamps were heavily criticized. Energy-saving lamps were praised. Once these became widely purchased (and sales probably declined as a result), it was said that energy-saving lamps do not provide pleasant light and contain toxins that are released if broken. The recommendation was to move away from these lamps. Now LEDs are becoming increasingly popular and widely bought. Suddenly, OLEDs are being developed, which are supposed to be even better and will reach the market in about three years. Moreover, (according to WDR’s “Haushaltscheck” from Monday) halogen lamps have been brought up again, as they supposedly offer much better light quality than LEDs and energy-saving lamps anyway. Personally, I feel the lighting industry’s marketing is very effective, and consumers keep getting misled.
In our current rental apartment, we also have a living and dining room of around 38 m² (410 sq ft). There, we have two ceiling lights with two energy-saving globe bulbs each hanging over the dining table and the living room table. The rooms are fully lit when everything is on, and during the evening hours, only one is turned on (either, if you still have to work, the one above us [living room lamp], or for indirect lighting, the dining table lamp). Our friends (who prefer spotlights) often ask how we manage to keep our electricity consumption so low (2,400 kWh per year), despite having older appliances (some over 13 years old) and being a household of four with small children (which requires a lot of washing). I think the lighting certainly plays a part in this.
BUT—even we will partly switch to LED lighting in the new house. The main reason for me is the toxic substances that may be released if bulbs break. The globe bulbs will then be reused in less frequently used rooms (e.g., office-guest room). For the living room, hallway, and stairs, it will almost certainly be LED lamps. But which ones? Most likely, ceiling lights (so I have circled back to the original topic after all).
By the way, we were advised to make sure that the LEDs in LED lamps are replaceable. Often, such lamps are sold with non-replaceable LEDs. Then, if an LED fails, you either have to accept it or dispose of the entire lamp.
We also had long discussions about the lighting. Downlights were definitely not an option. I feel uneasy about pushing those fixtures into the insulation, hoping nothing will ever go wrong.
I wanted to switch to LEDs for energy-saving reasons and because we have an energy-efficient house. But… we needed 14 new lamps for the house. You can quickly do the math—if you assume €10 per bulb, just the cost for the fixtures alone adds up quickly.
So we went out to buy lamps... we were shocked by the prices. The lamps we liked were between €100 and €500 each. Wow. Most of the LED lamps were integrated fixtures. I had done some research and even soldered SMD LEDs myself. I’m convinced LEDs last a long time, but not necessarily the electronics behind them. A broken solder joint means total failure since most lamps are designed so that you can’t access the solder points.
If the EU already regulates everything, they should require manufacturers to make all devices serviceable.
So LED lamps were out of the running. We ended up buying regular Q4 or Q2 halogen lamps. They look very nice—simple and modern—and a 20-watt halogen lamp doesn’t consume that much energy to really matter (especially when you factor in the savings from the purchase price here). We scored a clearance deal and paid between €25 and €50 per lamp.
Above the dining table, there’s a long pendant lamp with seven 20-watt bulbs that was a bit more expensive, but I want the dining area bright. In the living room, there’s a ceiling lamp with six 20-watt bulbs, also to keep the light bright when needed. But usually, the light is off, and we use only background lighting in the shelf or behind the TV.
The same applies to the bathroom and hallway, where bright light is necessary. In the bedrooms, we still have the designer-style open lamp holders. We might buy something else eventually if we feel spontaneous about visiting furniture stores again… although that enthusiasm has faded.
The halogen bulbs currently cost just over €1 on A…zon and none have failed since we moved in.
I wanted to switch to LEDs for energy-saving reasons and because we have an energy-efficient house. But… we needed 14 new lamps for the house. You can quickly do the math—if you assume €10 per bulb, just the cost for the fixtures alone adds up quickly.
So we went out to buy lamps... we were shocked by the prices. The lamps we liked were between €100 and €500 each. Wow. Most of the LED lamps were integrated fixtures. I had done some research and even soldered SMD LEDs myself. I’m convinced LEDs last a long time, but not necessarily the electronics behind them. A broken solder joint means total failure since most lamps are designed so that you can’t access the solder points.
If the EU already regulates everything, they should require manufacturers to make all devices serviceable.
So LED lamps were out of the running. We ended up buying regular Q4 or Q2 halogen lamps. They look very nice—simple and modern—and a 20-watt halogen lamp doesn’t consume that much energy to really matter (especially when you factor in the savings from the purchase price here). We scored a clearance deal and paid between €25 and €50 per lamp.
Above the dining table, there’s a long pendant lamp with seven 20-watt bulbs that was a bit more expensive, but I want the dining area bright. In the living room, there’s a ceiling lamp with six 20-watt bulbs, also to keep the light bright when needed. But usually, the light is off, and we use only background lighting in the shelf or behind the TV.
The same applies to the bathroom and hallway, where bright light is necessary. In the bedrooms, we still have the designer-style open lamp holders. We might buy something else eventually if we feel spontaneous about visiting furniture stores again… although that enthusiasm has faded.
The halogen bulbs currently cost just over €1 on A…zon and none have failed since we moved in.
S
schoolboyq4 Aug 2014 14:41You can definitely find something on funkelhaus; it’s a huge website.
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