LED Downlighters - Any recommendations?

[ban-all-sheds]

I'm really just looking for an energy efficient, sleek looking, lighting fitting / system. I do not like the chandelier type which I have in other rooms.

Recessed down lights are not the only alternative to chandeliers. But you do need to look at proper lighting suppliers, not in DIY sheds.

As I live on my own I probably wont use it as a bedroom more storeroom / study. But is classed as a bedroom should I choose to sell the property.

I think it extremely unlikely that anyone would ever not buy the house because it didn't have downlights in the bedroom, but we have heard here of people who decide not to buy because it did. They are much easier to put in if you really want them than take out if you don't.

So BAS & TTC what kind of fitting would you recommend for a bedroom? I was also thinking I could opt for dimmable so could lower the intensity.....

The rose and pendant TTC showed is pretty basic - but that type of light is good. You can get more elegant/decorative roses and fancy flex, if you want. And when looking online for lampshades note that a lot of sellers now call them "non-electric lighting". (No, me neither

)

Wall lights/wall washers/uplights at about head height are nice - if you get ones where the light comes out of the bottom as well they provide very pleasant lighting for a bedroom. If the walls are to be painted you can use plaster ones which you paint the same colour.

And all the above take normal bulbs, which are available in a large range of sizes and types, and can easily be a dimmable type.

If you want something more study-like while you are there, fit a flush light, or a LED panel where the rose is, and then swap it back to a pendant.

IHNI what your style is for decor and furnishings, but there are non-recessed lights for living/dining rooms around these days which don't look like your gran's floral shades with the tassels. You can even opt for bare bulbs and use either the (no doubt prohibitively expensive) real or the LED version of these.

 

[vards01]

BAS Thanks for the detailed reply........In all honesty, I'm not an interior designer, I just want a system that looks nice and is not a dust trap. I'm gutting the room and completely re plastering.

My decor is going to be very neutral I'm a smooth ceiling and walls, white / magnolia respectively. With satinwood white gloss work. I just like the clean and fresh look, and wanted this reflected in my lighting choice. I think I may explore the LED panel route.

 

[Iggifer]

BAS Thanks for the detailed reply........In all honesty, I'm not interior designer, I just want a system that looks nice and is not a dust trap. I'm gutting the room and completely re plastering.

My decor is going to be very neutral I'm a smooth ceiling and walls, white / magnolia respectively. With satinwood white gloss work. I just like the clean and fresh look, and wanted this reflected in my lighting choice. I think I may explore the LED panel route.

I would stay away from a BIG LED panel unless you want it to look like an office. Yes it will light the room well, but it will look damn ugly.

You can get smaller ones, but obviously they don't give out as much light and you'd need more in the room.

 

[stillp]

These are pretty good: https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_I...lo/index.html#LEDlite_Polo_Corridor_Emergency

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I would stay away from a BIG LED panel unless you want it to look like an office.

I probably wont use it as a bedroom more storeroom / study.

 

[vards01]

Glad I have some ideas of the downlighter manufacturers to look for. Maybe I'll try this room first see if I like it, as I can plaster its no big deal or cost for me to make good and revert back to the rose type.

Thanks for all the input guys.

 

[ianniann]

Integrated LED downlights are pretty fashionable at the moment, for some good reasons as well as bad, but you need to be fairly sure they're right before you buy. Not quite as simple (or cheap) as swapping out a 60W bulb for a 75W when your eyes start to go I suspect they're a passing fad and will fade into obscurity when LED lamps cost less than light fittings (ie. next year).

Do consider indirect lighting for a bedroom, rather than downlights. As mentioned, you don't want the glare and except for a specialised clientele you probably don't need a spotlight on you while you're taking off your socks.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Point to note with those multi fitting ceiling lamp efforts- I've just put one in my bathroom (3 LED things on stalks on a plate)- the stalks are adjustable to quite a high degree which is handy, it is pretty good for its primary purpose (light for washing and shaving and similar uses) but rubbish for secondary purpose (allowing me to read when lolling in the bath). The low-rent pendant 100w equivalent lightbulb with a shade on it was good for both...

 

[ianniann]

Point to note with those multi fitting ceiling lamp efforts- I've just put one in my bathroom (3 LED things on stalks on a plate)- the stalks are adjustable to quite a high degree which is handy, it is pretty good for its primary purpose (light for washing and shaving and similar uses) but rubbish for secondary purpose (allowing me to read when lolling in the bath). The low-rent pendant 100w equivalent lightbulb with a shade on it was good for both...

Possibly the LED "spots" do not have a very good beam? Many have a very wide flood, just the basic 120 degree LED spread, which aren't great for reading in the bath. I've found the prehistoric R63 spots to be good for this. Of course an alternative is just to fill the whole room with plenty of light.

From the other angle, proper spots with a beam angle below about 40 degrees are poor for lighting the whole room unless you have quite a lot of them. Three isn't really enough unless you use flood or wide flood bulbs (some LEDs, old R80, etc.) or have very high ceilings to let the light spread. Quality bulbs help. Some spots have a terrible spread, dark spots in the middle, or rings of light and dark. Low voltage halogen MR16s are usually very good with an even tight beam over a reasonable angle, but LED versions are all over the place.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Some spots have a terrible spread,

I wonder why they are called spotlights.

 

[ianniann]

I wonder why they are called spotlights.

Just popular usage for almost any sort of reflector. A true "spot" has a very specific beam angle, narrower than most people would want for general lighting, but even what that beam angle is varies between different bulbs, who you talk to, and how many pints they've had.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Just popular usage for almost any sort of reflector.

Not really.

A true "spot" has a very specific beam angle,

Get away.

narrower than most people would want for general lighting,

That's why they're no good for general lighting.

but even what that beam angle is varies between different bulbs, who you talk to, and how many pints they've had.

Do you mean the ones which aren't 'spots' are wider?


Are you using the correct terms?

 

[ianniann]

Not really.


Get away.


That's why they're no good for general lighting.


Do you mean the ones which aren't 'spots' are wider?


Are you using the correct terms?

Now you're starting to sound like the guys over in the plumbing forum: picking semantic nits and generally just trying to start fights when it would be much less effort to be helpful.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I don't think I have ever encountered anybody who uses the word "semantics" in a dismissive sense as part of a defence who hasn't been using incorrect terms, or espousing incorrect views. Semantics is the study of meaning - if you think that it doesn't matter what the words you use mean, and that it is wrong for people to be concerned with what they mean, then you have no business using them to communicate.