ᐅ Staircase Lighting Ideas

Madira schrieb:

So illuminated steps or those that start lighting up when you step on them definitely aren’t a must-have, and they’re probably quite expensive as well.

Yes, that’s super luxury. Truly not necessary. I agree.

Madira schrieb:

May I ask how many steps you have? Ours is an open staircase (meaning the steps are not closed underneath) and according to the master plan, there should be 14 steps.
Maybe, if the lights are to be installed on the wall, one light every third step?
Are there special lights for that? Especially with a dusk sensor function?

- 17 steps including the 90-degree turn
- Open staircase
- The number of lights depends on personal preference. Others might have installed 5 or 7 lights for me. I just wanted properly illuminated steps.
Even with an eye for aesthetics, not every single step has to be exactly the same brightness. Of course, that looks nice but costs a lot of money and has zero added benefit. The main goal is to see all the steps clearly... The primary purpose (for me) is to avoid falling down the stairs at night half asleep and breaking a bone or my neck just because I wanted a glass of water or apple juice from the fridge.
- There are special built-in/recessed wall lights for this purpose. Unfortunately, there are many options out there, and I got a bit lost in the selection. A close friend of mine (electrician master) came up with a suggestion I liked, including the price. The lamps cost about 50 euros each (without LED).
- The transformer was purchased separately.
- The dusk sensor is an additional element installed. It’s very small and inconspicuous, almost invisible, recessed into the wall (for me, at the height of the highest light on the upper floor). I don’t know if there are systems that already include everything, but I know you can buy the components separately.

Madira schrieb:

By switch, do you mean a normal on/off switch?

Yes, exactly. It simply turns the system on or off. When it’s on, the dusk sensor is active. The staircase lighting then switches on in the evening (sensitivity can be adjusted), so you don’t have to worry about it. The last person going upstairs to sleep switches it off, so the light doesn’t disturb sleep (because of the open door, see upper thread). In the morning, I’m always the first up and turn it back on, so I don’t have to think about it again until night. People without cats would probably choose a motion sensor.

Madira schrieb:

According to the construction specifications, there are no handrails planned on the right wall (exterior wall), so I thought these LED handrails might be practical.
What beam angle would you recommend?

To avoid a glaring “blink-and-blind” effect on the opposite side of the stairs (likely a hallway or living room), it makes sense to choose an asymmetrical beam angle. I don’t know your stair width or railing height, but I’d estimate that a 50–60 degree beam angle directed along the handrail/staircase would be quite optimal. Maybe 40 degrees could also work. This would need to be calculated or tested.

Madira schrieb:

Maybe there is a local company nearby that sells these, so I could get a better idea – they look great online, but you know how things are sometimes.

You’ll have to search, but I believe it’s not that easy to find.

Madira schrieb:

Regarding dirt buildup — wouldn’t it be better to have chocolate fingerprints on the handrail, which can be cleaned, rather than on the “white” wall?

Are you planning to use the staircase handrail for that, or install an additional handrail on the wall?
Either way, according to Murphy’s law: If you don’t install a handrail, there won’t be chocolate stains on the wall because there’s no handrail, and the staircase handrail will get the stains instead. If you install a handrail, it will be partially used, but the wall will still get some chocolate stains.

You’ll hand this over to the electrician anyway. They know their stuff and will find the right LED-compatible transformer and dusk sensor. They have special catalogs; mine had tons of options.

T21150 schrieb:
The main purpose of this is (for me) to avoid falling down the stairs at night half-asleep and breaking several bones or my neck, just because I wanted to get a glass of water or apple juice from the fridge.

That is primarily my reason for this as well, to prevent exactly that.

T21150 schrieb:
Do you want to use the existing stair handrail for that, or install an additional one on the wall?

I was thinking of installing an additional handrail on the other side. In our rented apartment, we only have one, and if you accidentally slip, it’s good to have a handrail on both sides to hold on to. However, our apartment only has one staircase with 5 steps, going straight up, unlike the future house where the stairs will turn.

T21150 schrieb:
I don’t know your stair width or railing height but I *guess* (!) that a 50-60 degree angle for handrail/stairs might be optimal. Maybe 40 degrees could be sufficient too. You might need to calculate that.

I’ll have to check if anything about this is specified in the construction scope, I don’t remember the details exactly. The master plan just says “14 treads 19.07 / 25,” which probably means the tread width and riser height?

For now, I’ll wait to find out who the responsible electrician will be and whether they offer something like this.

In general, it’s good to know what’s possible and available first.

I’m less concerned about the chocolate stains; so far our walls still look fine. Maybe something washable would help there.

Thank you very much for your detailed replies.