Hello everyone,
We are currently planning the lighting design for our new build (construction starting in about 4 weeks). We mainly plan to use recessed downlights on the ground floor (living room, hallway, kitchen).
I am quite inexperienced in this area. Therefore, my question is: What should I consider when planning recessed downlights? What distance should I maintain from the walls and between the downlights? The ceiling height is 2.55m (8 feet 4 inches).
Do I need to pay attention to anything when choosing the downlights, such as beam angle? Would you recommend halogen or LED? (I know LED is more energy efficient, but I’m not sure if it is really worth it.)
The downlights will be installed directly into the concrete ceiling, so the ceiling will not be lowered.
I would really appreciate helpful tips to avoid any dark spots after construction.
Thank you very much.
We are currently planning the lighting design for our new build (construction starting in about 4 weeks). We mainly plan to use recessed downlights on the ground floor (living room, hallway, kitchen).
I am quite inexperienced in this area. Therefore, my question is: What should I consider when planning recessed downlights? What distance should I maintain from the walls and between the downlights? The ceiling height is 2.55m (8 feet 4 inches).
Do I need to pay attention to anything when choosing the downlights, such as beam angle? Would you recommend halogen or LED? (I know LED is more energy efficient, but I’m not sure if it is really worth it.)
The downlights will be installed directly into the concrete ceiling, so the ceiling will not be lowered.
I would really appreciate helpful tips to avoid any dark spots after construction.
Thank you very much.
I have recently been looking into recessed downlights as well.
My situation is different, though. In an existing house, I removed the old ceiling paneling and now have exposed ceilings without plaster. I will add counter battens while keeping the original battens and then suspend Fermacell boards from them. Because of this, my installation space for the downlights is limited to only 5-6 cm (2-2.4 inches) depth. That’s why I chose very shallow LED recessed downlights, also for better heat dissipation. The downside is that the LEDs cannot be replaced since they are built-in. Still, mine are slightly adjustable.
Your situation is different, and I assume you have enough space to install LED or halogen downlights with GU10 or GU5.3 bases, which allows you to later replace the bulbs (for example, upgrading from halogen to LED). I would probably choose LEDs right away, although it also depends on budget; however, they aren’t very expensive anymore. There are significant differences in beam angle, though. For example, I bought some for outdoor use with a 120-degree beam angle and 390 lumens (high voltage LED without transformer). I determined the actual brightness (luminous flux) only by testing various fixtures. For outdoor lighting under the eaves, this is sufficient for me. But if you want accent lighting directed at a wall, LEDs with narrower beam angles (30-40 degrees) are better suited.
After testing, I roughly calculated the number and placement outdoors based on the beam angle and height above ground, so the ground is evenly lit without gaps (4 units at the front and 4 at the back, distributed over about 10-12 meters (33-39 feet)). Indoors, I still need to test since the desired brightness and distribution depend on the room (for example, the kitchen should be brighter than the living room). You should also consider planned furniture arrangements—for instance, I don’t need to light the upper kitchen cabinets from above.
Many LEDs can’t be dimmed (mine can’t either). If you plan to use dimmers, you should pay attention to this when purchasing.
I chose only warm white LEDs (2700-3000 K), but in an office, a more neutral light color might be preferred, so this is another factor to consider.
My situation is different, though. In an existing house, I removed the old ceiling paneling and now have exposed ceilings without plaster. I will add counter battens while keeping the original battens and then suspend Fermacell boards from them. Because of this, my installation space for the downlights is limited to only 5-6 cm (2-2.4 inches) depth. That’s why I chose very shallow LED recessed downlights, also for better heat dissipation. The downside is that the LEDs cannot be replaced since they are built-in. Still, mine are slightly adjustable.
Your situation is different, and I assume you have enough space to install LED or halogen downlights with GU10 or GU5.3 bases, which allows you to later replace the bulbs (for example, upgrading from halogen to LED). I would probably choose LEDs right away, although it also depends on budget; however, they aren’t very expensive anymore. There are significant differences in beam angle, though. For example, I bought some for outdoor use with a 120-degree beam angle and 390 lumens (high voltage LED without transformer). I determined the actual brightness (luminous flux) only by testing various fixtures. For outdoor lighting under the eaves, this is sufficient for me. But if you want accent lighting directed at a wall, LEDs with narrower beam angles (30-40 degrees) are better suited.
After testing, I roughly calculated the number and placement outdoors based on the beam angle and height above ground, so the ground is evenly lit without gaps (4 units at the front and 4 at the back, distributed over about 10-12 meters (33-39 feet)). Indoors, I still need to test since the desired brightness and distribution depend on the room (for example, the kitchen should be brighter than the living room). You should also consider planned furniture arrangements—for instance, I don’t need to light the upper kitchen cabinets from above.
Many LEDs can’t be dimmed (mine can’t either). If you plan to use dimmers, you should pay attention to this when purchasing.
I chose only warm white LEDs (2700-3000 K), but in an office, a more neutral light color might be preferred, so this is another factor to consider.
We are planning the same. The detailed construction plan shows a spacing of about one meter (3.3 feet).
The kitchen, with just over 15 sqm (161 sq ft), has 5 recessed lights. However, there are additional light sources such as indirect lighting inside cabinets and wall cabinets, as well as the range hood.
The hallway, with 11.6 sqm (125 sq ft), has 6 recessed lights: 4 along the corridor towards the living room (length 5.50 m (18 feet)) and 2 in the “branch” area (length about 1.90 m (6.2 feet)).
Three recessed lights will be installed on the ceiling of the recessed apartment entrance. With a width of 3.50 m (11.5 feet), that means 3 lights.
According to our architect, this is sufficient. We also do not plan to install very small recessed lights.
The openings are designed to fit recessed lights up to a maximum diameter of 16 cm (6.3 inches).
The exact models have not been decided yet.
The kitchen, with just over 15 sqm (161 sq ft), has 5 recessed lights. However, there are additional light sources such as indirect lighting inside cabinets and wall cabinets, as well as the range hood.
The hallway, with 11.6 sqm (125 sq ft), has 6 recessed lights: 4 along the corridor towards the living room (length 5.50 m (18 feet)) and 2 in the “branch” area (length about 1.90 m (6.2 feet)).
Three recessed lights will be installed on the ceiling of the recessed apartment entrance. With a width of 3.50 m (11.5 feet), that means 3 lights.
According to our architect, this is sufficient. We also do not plan to install very small recessed lights.
The openings are designed to fit recessed lights up to a maximum diameter of 16 cm (6.3 inches).
The exact models have not been decided yet.
If the recessed lights are to be integrated directly into the concrete ceiling, the mounting housings must be installed and wired during the concrete pouring process. Usually, the mounting housings called "HaloX" by Kaiser are used. Just do a quick search. The structural contractor and electrician need to coordinate accordingly.
Thank you for the responses.
What I am interested in is the question: What distance should the spotlights have from each other to ensure the entire room is properly illuminated? The living room measures approximately 8.10 meters x 4.50 meters (26.6 ft x 14.8 ft).
What do you think, what spacing should be used? (The furniture and a corresponding distance to the wall will of course be taken into account.)
What I am interested in is the question: What distance should the spotlights have from each other to ensure the entire room is properly illuminated? The living room measures approximately 8.10 meters x 4.50 meters (26.6 ft x 14.8 ft).
What do you think, what spacing should be used? (The furniture and a corresponding distance to the wall will of course be taken into account.)
Hi, we have planned recessed spotlights throughout. The distance between the spots in our living/dining area and kitchen is 1.25 m (4 feet), and we left 65 cm (2 feet) from the wall.
It really depends on the beam angle of the spotlights used and the ceiling height. It’s also important whether the lighting is intended only for accent or mood lighting, and if dimmers are used.
You could try drawing your wall height and then sketch the angle of the spotlight (for example, 30°). This way, you can see where the next spotlight should be placed so that the light cones overlap, ensuring good overall illumination.
It really depends on the beam angle of the spotlights used and the ceiling height. It’s also important whether the lighting is intended only for accent or mood lighting, and if dimmers are used.
You could try drawing your wall height and then sketch the angle of the spotlight (for example, 30°). This way, you can see where the next spotlight should be placed so that the light cones overlap, ensuring good overall illumination.
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