Rewiring a large house as part of a redevelopment project

[JohnW2]

For a "working" room like a kitchen, it's by far the best way to get widespread, even, (relatively) shadow free illumination of a large area. For a lounge watching TV then it's a different matter - but then having a downlighter is equally (or IMO worse) as it's a bright "point source" in your peripheral vision.

Is not the same not also true of a pendant light - in fact, probably worse, since the point source is even lower, hence even more likely to be in one's peripheral vision?

but you are tending to illustrate and perpetuate the misunderstandings by describing 60° lights, let alone 120° ones, as "spotlights" . A true "spotlight" typically has a beam angle of 25° or less.

Yes, these wide angle lights are floodlights. ... But their use then brings in another problem - while they illuminate a wider area, it also means a very bright point source that's in your peripheral vision a lot of the time.

See above.

And something I'd never considered before I was wearing glasses full time, such "harsh" light sources do tend to cause glare in a way that diffused sources don't.

Yes, that will become a factor as one moves from very diffuse sources to highly point-source ones. In my house, I personally rely heavily on uplighters in 'non-working' rooms - so there is no directly visible 'light source' at all, just an illuminated ceiling.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You think 2D fittings are nice.

This correspondence is now closed.

 

[Iggifer]

You think 2D fittings are nice.

This correspondence is now closed.

Nice was in inverted commas!

 

[SimonH2]

Is not the same not also true of a pendant light - in fact, probably worse, since the point source is even lower, hence even more likely to be in one's peripheral vision?

It depends.
With most downlighters, it's a very bright and directional point source - set against a largely unlit ceiling. I agree that a bare bulb (as my other half seems keen, and especially a clear bulb with halogen capsule in it) is almost as bad - but at least some of it's light is illuminating the ceiling so it's a point source against a light background. Add a shade and things change considerably.

You think 2D fittings are nice.
This correspondence is now closed.

be fair now, there are actually some nice looking ones - they don't all have to look like industrial bulkhead lights.

 

[JohnW2]

It depends. ... With most downlighters, it's a very bright and directional point source - set against a largely unlit ceiling. I agree that a bare bulb (as my other half seems keen, and especially a clear bulb with halogen capsule in it) is almost as bad - but at least some of it's light is illuminating the ceiling so it's a point source against a light background. Add a shade and things change considerably.

True - but those 'considerable changes' produced by a shade will often (at least in term of light distribution) move it more in the direction of a downlight - less illumination of the ceiling and a more restricted 'beam angle'.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Iggifer]

True - but those 'considerable changes' produced by a shade will often (at least in term of light distribution) move it more in the direction of a downlight - less illumination of the ceiling and a more restricted 'beam angle'

Unless it's an upligther lamp shade! (bug & dust catcher!)

 

[JohnW2]

True - but those 'considerable changes' produced by a shade will often (at least in term of light distribution) move it more in the direction of a downlight - less illumination of the ceiling and a more restricted 'beam angle'

Unless it's an upligther lamp shade! (bug & dust catcher!)

As I said, I use a lot of uplighters - but you highlight one of the downsides

Kind Regards, John