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Tips to improve my kitchen lighting?

Last post by Martha, 8 years ago

Posts: 12

Views: 1191

Can anyone give me ideas please to improve my kitchen lighting

By Charlotte 8 years ago
For my kitchen, I used commercial grade gimbles at key spots (eg above the sink, above the stove etc). That decision was absolutely perfect, I highly recommend it.

By Maria 8 years ago
A lot of people don't put in dimmers in their kitchens but I would suggest it. Kitchen lighting is very often too bright and dimmers allows you to tone it down.

By Daniel 8 years ago
I've worked with a few interior designers who have out LED strips on kitchen walls and undercabinets. Worked really well.

By David 8 years ago
Try pendants over the middle of the kitchen. You can use three identical ones, or 3 similiar ones but different sizes.

By Mary 8 years ago
Putting multiple spotlights in the middle of the kitchen ceiling works really well. By trial and error I have seen that 6 or 7 is a very good number.

By James 8 years ago
The kitchen is a bit of a boring room, so I decided to make a statement and put a huge chandelier in the middle. Gave it a lot of mood and atmosphere, and also provides lots of lighting too.

By Johnson 8 years ago
Under-cabinet lights are nopw becoming very common.

By Charles 8 years ago
LED strips on the undersice of cabinets and inside cupboards works well.

By Nancy 8 years ago
Make sure that if you have a pantry, it is well lit. I have seen lots of pantries that have one light - often shadowed by the person in there!

By Martha 8 years ago
view all posts

Kitchen Lighting - any suggestions?

Last post by thomas_isaac, 8 years ago

Posts: 9

Views: 876

We are installing a new kitchen so I wonder if anyone can provide lighting suggestions? Thanks!

By Charles 8 years ago
Best type of kitchen lights are gimbles, placed over strategic spots like the sink. Recommend to get dimmable ones - though you will want the kitchen very bright it is always useful to be able to dial it down.

By James 8 years ago
A group of 3 pendants over your kitchen island provides great lighting and also looks stunning. There is no reason for your kitchen to be boring, so use the pendant lights to make it a bit exciting.

By John 8 years ago
Consider also smart lights. We installed some and have never looked back.

By Chen 8 years ago
Don't forget about your undercabinets. People are always missing that and as a result have a lot of shadows. You can solve that will undercabinet lighting or LED strips.

By Mike 8 years ago
Really important to put dimmers in. Kitchens normally have too many lights to ensure sufficient illumination and the end result is a harsh glare.

By simon_jac... 8 years ago
Colour temperature is important. A lot of guidelines will recommend cool white for kitchens but I think warm white is much friendlier.

By martin_wh... 8 years ago
Pendant lights over your bench tops are very in. HINT: Make sure they are high enough.

By wright_he... 8 years ago
I've seen a lot of kitchen now with glass fronted cupboards and lighting inside the cupboards.

By thomas_is... 8 years ago

Good height to hang pendant light

Last post by ruby_walker, 8 years ago

Posts: 3

Views: 759

Is there a standard height that I should hang my pendant light to ensure it is safe?

By David 8 years ago
There is no standard height as it depends on the size of the room, what is under the pendants (eg table) as well as the height of the ceiling itself.

By evans_eva 8 years ago
A good rule of thumb is is to hang the pendant about 28 to 32 inches over a table, and about 18 to 24 inches above the tallest person.

By ruby_walk... 8 years ago

Mistakes to avoid when buying lights

Last post by Maria, 8 years ago

Posts: 7

Views: 835

I want to buy some lights for my home. What are mistakes to watch out for?

By parkar_da... 8 years ago
A very common mistake is installing one light in a room. It's cheap, easy and works - but it is very nasty and will not provide good lighting. You should put a variety of lights.

By ruby_walk... 8 years ago
When replacing lights watch out for the fact that LED lights are very directional, so you will get less lighting on the outside of the illumination cone, and much more shadow. You particularly see this in outdoor lights when people replace halogens for LEDs.

By brown_sie... 8 years ago
A real simple mistake is assuming that a 100W old fashioned light will give the same output as a 100W LED light. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! If you put a 100W LED light in your living room, you will have stadium power lighting!

By harriet_p... 8 years ago
Almost make sure that in your living rooms and dining rooms, you install warm white. Lots of people have no idea about colour temperature and install cool white lights and regret it!

By jack_wood 8 years ago
In terms of supplier, don't go for discount lighting that is cheap. You get what you pay for. Your lights will last many years so pay a bit more fir quality.

By Mike 8 years ago
Indoors you will want dimming, so make sure you globes are dimmable and that you install dimmers.

By Maria 8 years ago

Advantages of LED lights compared to incandescent lights

Last post by jack_wood, 8 years ago

Posts: 8

Views: 894

What are the dvantages of LED lights compared to incandescent lights?

By wright_he... 8 years ago
There are huge differences! LEDs emit very little heat so they are much cheaper to run.

By cage_chri... 8 years ago
LEDs are very efficient and consume nearly 90% less energy than incandescents. Also they last much longer so long term you pay much less in maintenance costs.

By thomas_is... 8 years ago
LEDs are solid state devices which do not use fragile materials like filaments, so they can handle shock, high termperature, falls and vibrations.

By evans_ros... 8 years ago
LEDs can also produce pure colours like red, green and blue, as well as various white colour termperature. Incandescents traditionally used filters which made them inefficient as filters remove part of the light.

By john_marg... 8 years ago
Once of the things I most love about LEDs is that they are very eco friendly! Also, LEDs produce light at 100% the minute they are swicthed on - there is no warm up time. Also, LEDs can work with very low voltage making them much safer.

By harriet_p... 8 years ago
LEDs are waterproof and they do not flicker.

By ruby_walk... 8 years ago
LEDs can be put on to platforms like strip lights, providing an ability to illuminate that was simpy impossible with incandescent lights.

By jack_wood 8 years ago

What is the best lighting for each indoor room?

Last post by Charles, 8 years ago

Posts: 7

Views: 895

I am looking to change the lights in my entire house. What do people think is the best type of lights for each room in the house?

By Maria 8 years ago
For kitchen and bathrooms, use cool white. For other rooms, particularly bedrooms and living rooms, use warm white lights - and critical to have dimmers!

By Daniel 8 years ago
Use lights to add mood and atmosphere. For example: over your dining room table have a wooden or crystal chandelier. Ensure that your main rooms have layers of lights, so for example put a pendant light + table lamps + floor lamp or sconce.

By David 8 years ago
I like spotlights and gimbles on the ceiling. They are very useful because you can adjust them exactly where you need them, including to shine at features in the rooms.

By John 8 years ago
For bathrooms, vanity lights work really well over sinks and mirrors - I personally use sconces on either side of my mirror.

By James 8 years ago
In the bedroom, a really good pendant light works well. If you have a ceiling fan, then you can get a fan + light combination.

By Johnson 8 years ago
For games rooms, ensure there is good bright light.

By Charles 8 years ago

Indoor lighting that is a bit creative

Last post by Nancy, 8 years ago

Posts: 10

Views: 865

Hi, I want to introduce lighting into my home that is a bit chic and craetive. Any ideas?

By jones_eth... 8 years ago
Hi Look into chabby chic, eg lights from second hand stores. They are really cominbg back in and give a wonderful look and feel.

By Chen 8 years ago
Try to make your own lights. If you are a bit of handyman, you can make some amazing stuff!

By Mike 8 years ago
Wood, wood, wood - and more wood! Timber lights are just incredible.

By Maria 8 years ago
Keep an eye out for unusual looking pendant lights - there are many around, and compared to other pieces of furniture they are very cheap. They can transform your room.

By Daniel 8 years ago
The easiest way to get lovely chic lighting is to create layers - eg a table lalmp with an elegant gloor lamps plus a few ceiling spotlights.

By John 8 years ago
Colourful lamps - both table and floor - are great decorating pieces.

By Mary 8 years ago
You can't get away from crystal chandeliers. These days you get all types, from hyper modern to classic. Choose the one that fits the room decor, and you won't regret it!

By valentina... 8 years ago
There are lots of DIY designs for lights, in particular I like string pendant lights.

By Charles 8 years ago
I like copper or brass indoors, either in pendants or sconces, or even ceiling spotlights. The metal colour is beautiful.

By Nancy 8 years ago

Recommendations requested for ceiling lights

Last post by smith_eliza, 8 years ago

Posts: 12

Views: 1073

Would appreciate any ideas for good ceiling lights?

By evans_ros... 8 years ago
Downlights are probably the most popular type of light but most people ignore the basics: - Ensure that indoors in most rooms you get warm white - Ensure you get dimmable downlights and get dimmers - Make sure you don't have too much shadow in the room - Get adjustable downlights so you can illuminate points of interest

By Daniel 8 years ago
If you have a low ceiling, which most placs do these days, make sure you get recessed lights.

By David 8 years ago
Putting 3 pendant in a row - particularly above a kicten island or large doining room - works really well.

By Mary 8 years ago
I have LED strips installed around my ceiling, works beautifully. Provides very subtle diffuse lighting as well.

By James 8 years ago
Consider a chandelier for a big room - will provide beautiful lighting and if you choose the right one, will be a major talking piece!

By Charles 8 years ago
Ceiling spotlights are now very in and extremely cheap. They are particularly good if you don't have a ceiling cavity you can get into.

By Samuel 8 years ago
Agree! Spotlights are also great in the kitchen above the bench and islands.

By Martha 8 years ago
In terms of material for ceiling lights, consider using diffuse glass - it is a great material and provdies excellent diffuse lighting. There are some pendants that are made from spectacular hand made glass.

By Hanry 8 years ago
If your ceiling is white I would suggest copper downlights or spotlights. The contrast between metal and white looks great!

By smith_eli... 8 years ago
view all posts

Difference wattages of lights in various rooms

Last post by Mike, 8 years ago

Posts: 2

Views: 828

Is there a guideline for how many wattage a light needs to be in each room in thne house?

By Daniel 8 years ago
Yes but there is no definite guideline, only that the amount of light shoud be optimal for that room - for the living room for example you shoud have mood lighting, whereas in thne kitchen you would normally want bright light.

By Mike 8 years ago

Lighting for beeach facing living room

Last post by ruby_walker, 8 years ago

Posts: 5

Views: 890

Hi, I wonder if someone can give me advice for lighting for a living room that faces the beach?

By bing_mart... 8 years ago
I have a beach facing room, and I use warm white LED strip lights myself - and they work perfectly. The reason they work so well is that they are concealed, and give off very diffuse light, so they create a perfect mood and atmosphere.

By smith_eli... 8 years ago
Fairly lights are perfect for beach houses. You can put them up either inside or outside the windows, and they look lovely 😉

By john_marg... 8 years ago
Oil lamps are fantastic, you can get really good clean ones these days, including some on spikes.

By harriet_p... 8 years ago
If you living room has large windows then I would recommend solar lights. You can get some beautiful solar lamp posts and solar bollards so they will be tall enough to see from the window.

By ruby_walk... 8 years ago

Great lighting for living rooms

Last post by grey_christian, 8 years ago

Posts: 8

Views: 889

How can I design lighting for my living room that is great?

By jones_eth... 8 years ago
A good rule of thumb for great lighting is to ensure that the lights is layered, which means light sources at different height and sources in the room. For example a pendant light and a table lamp.

By david_gre... 8 years ago
I think that table lamps are a fantastic way to get superb lighting in living rooms, specially with matching pairs.

By lucas_wat... 8 years ago
I am an interior designer and I am seeing a huge resurgence in sconces. They provide excellent living room lights, and the bonus is that the sconce takes almost no space.

By smith_eli... 8 years ago
Most important thing I think is to use dimmable lights. The dimmer is critical for getting just the right mood.

By Nancy 8 years ago
If you living room has anything interesting in it like paintings or furnishings then ceiling spotlights are an excellent way to direct light at these.

By Martha 8 years ago
Floor lamps, particularly if they are iconic looking, are what professionals use to set uop really nice looking living room lighting layers.

By brown_sie... 8 years ago
Picture lights work beautiful for living rooms with pictures and paintings on the wall.

By grey_chri... 8 years ago

Is an electrician mandatory for changing a ceiling light?

Last post by Mike, 8 years ago

Posts: 2

Views: 805

I want to change my ceiling lights and can work out how to do it pretty easily. Do I have to get an electrician?

By John 8 years ago
Absolutely. In Australia a 240V light must be changed my electrician by law. Moreover if you don't use a qualified electrician, you are not covered by ant insurance (eg if the house burns down as a result of your faulty wiring).

By Mike 8 years ago

Great ways to lights small rooms

Last post by Mary, 8 years ago

Posts: 8

Views: 983

Would appreciate good ideas for lighting small rooms.

By thomas_is... 8 years ago
Ideally a small room will have two sources of light, for example a pendant light and a table lamp. Make sure that the pendant light is not too low down.

By grey_chri... 8 years ago
A sconce (with a ceiling light) also works well. A sconce gives out nice, diffuse light so makes a great atmosphere and so suits small rooms.

By cage_chri... 8 years ago
Harsh shadows really bring out the small size of rooms, so ensure that you avoid these.

By russell_n... 8 years ago
I think the most important thing is simply to make the lighting provide great atmosphere. For instance: not too bright, not too dim, and use warm white globes. Ideally all the ceiling lights should be dimmable.

By valentina... 8 years ago
Sconces are great because they provide lighting at head level, without using valuable real estate space that would be needed by floor lamps and table lamps.

By Mike 8 years ago
For my small rooms, I put a floor lamp in one corner, facing inside the room. This lights up the rest of the room ensuring there are no shadows.

By Daniel 8 years ago
Make sure all lights are dimmable. Critical for small rooms, because the intensity of the lights is much more noticeable.

By Mary 8 years ago

Mistakes to avoid doing when buying lights

Last post by wright_henry, 8 years ago

Posts: 12

Views: 1027

I am thinking about buying some lights - so what are common mistakes I should avoid?

By Charlotte 8 years ago
Make sure that your light does not clash with your room. For example a Victorian room should not have an ultra-modern chandelier, but rather a classic one.

By bing_mart... 8 years ago
A common mistake is to only have one ceiling light in the bathroom. This will create unpleasant lighting with lots of shadows. Add a sconce or a vanity light for layering.

By evans_eva 8 years ago
Ensure that your ceiling lights are well spaced and have a good beam angle. A very tight beam angle can produce very bad pools of bright light inside lots of dark shadow.

By cage_chri... 8 years ago
Most people think they can just add lights where ever, and they will work. WRONG WRONG WRONG! Lights are critical and if you want to get it right, use an interior designer that works with lighting designs.

By grey_chri... 8 years ago
One of the most common mistakes, particularly in modern buildings, is to use recessed downlight is every room. This creates a very bad effect beacuse often the walls are not properly lit.

By jack_wood 8 years ago
A big mistake is to forget under cabinet lighting in kitchens, which will create really bad shadows on benches and stove tops.

By ruby_walk... 8 years ago
As an interior designer, I often see the problem where rooms have downlights installed and nothing else. This is very non flattering because it creates ugly shadows on faces.

By brown_sie... 8 years ago
Biggest mistake is to forget dimmers!

By harriet_p... 8 years ago
A common mistake is to forget the SIZE of the room - ie that large rooms require mofre lights and conversely small rooms should need less lights. Another mistake that people make is not to understand colour termperature and then installing ugly cool white to daylight white lights in their living rooms.

By wright_he... 8 years ago
view all posts

Accessories that improve lighting

Last post by evans_rose, 8 years ago

Posts: 8

Views: 745

I am interested in whether there are any lighting accessories I should consider that would improve my indoor illumination?

By Cynthia 8 years ago
Probably the most common and important lighting accessory is the dimmer. You can never have enough!!!!!!!!!! 😉

By valentina... 8 years ago
Smart lighting is a great accessory. It's basically lights that you can control via youyr wifi, with an app.

By bing_mart... 8 years ago
Sensors are a great accessory as they enable lights to be turned on and off without any switching, and also make lights much more economical.

By russell_n... 8 years ago
I love timers. These are accessories that basically ensure your lights get turned on and off at the right time.

By evans_eva 8 years ago
I am not sure if these are exactly accessories, but swing arms on lights are great. These enable you to move te light to exactly where you need it.

By cage_chri... 8 years ago
Mountings are a common accessory for all sorts of lights, for example for LED strip lights.

By jack_wood 8 years ago
Lots of table lamps have shades as separate accessories, enabling you to choose just the right shade to suit your style and the room.

By evans_ros... 8 years ago

Replacing my downlight globes with LED globes

Last post by Nancy, 8 years ago

Posts: 4

Views: 1336

Hi I have old downlights that take GU10 globes and I want to replace them with LED globes - is there anything I need to know?

By Mike 8 years ago
Should be fine to just put the LED globes into the downlight. The wattages of all LED globes is very low, so you won't have a problem with overloading.

By Maria 8 years ago
Agree, you should just be able to upgrade the globe without a problem. My advice is to buy one globe, try it, and if works ok then buy the rest. Sometimes new globes don't fit etc.

By Mike 8 years ago
The only consideration is if the LED globes you buy are small enough to fit inside your downlights. Also, if it is inside your house, then I would recommend warm white globes.

By Nancy 8 years ago

Please help on why our LED filament light bulbs are too dim

Last post by Daniel, 8 years ago

Posts: 4

Views: 767

I wonder if someone can help... we have a few LED filament light bulbs in our dining room (ie Edison bulbs) but they are much more dim than they should be. I replaced one but this one is too dim as well. Any ideas?

By Charlotte 8 years ago
I think the obvious question first: do you have a dimmer?

By Chen 8 years ago
No, I do not have a dimmer.

By Maria 8 years ago
Could be they are in series and taking too much current, try taking all of them out except one, and see what happens.

By Daniel 8 years ago

How do I join LED strips together?

Last post by Mike, 8 years ago

Posts: 2

Views: 781

Hi, I have bought two 5m LED strips but i want to join them together so I can them off one driver. Any idea on how to do this?

By Charlotte 8 years ago
A good solution is to join them in parallel - they can still LOOK like they are in series, but you simply run a long cable from one end to another. That way you can use one driver for the two LED strips. If you joined them in series, you would have to increase the voltage which you probably can't do as your driver is most likely a constant voltage one.

By Mike 8 years ago

LED downlight recommendations

Last post by Mary, 8 years ago

Posts: 3

Views: 865

I am looking to buy some downlights for my home, but the number of choices out there are overwhelming! Any suggestions?

By Charlotte 8 years ago
Make sure that the downlights are dimmable. This is critical.

By Maria 8 years ago
This is my opinion only but indoors ALWAYS go for warm white downlights, never put in cool white to daylight white.

By Mary 8 years ago

Are all LED lights dimmable?

Last post by ruby_walker, 8 years ago

Posts: 2

Views: 761

I am not sure wonder if someone could help me - are all LED lights dimmable?

By grey_chri... 8 years ago
No, not all LED lights are dimmable. Firstly the driver on the lights must be dimmable. Also, even if it is, you need to have the right type of dimmer. Note also this applies to LED globes - some are dimable and some are not.

By ruby_walk... 8 years ago

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