Lighting setup advice please

[tygerbright]

Hi fellow diynot members

I'm a long time lurker and have received many tips and advice here.... And now posting for more

We're at first fix during our extension work and wanted to get a view on my lighting set up....

I've attached a plan showing the layout:
- the dining room size is 3.5m wide and 7.6m long with 2.6m high ceilings
- the kitchen is approx 3.8m x 3.8m with 2.6m high ceilings
- The black dots are spot light positions
- I've split the Dining lights into 3 zones... Front six dimmable, middle six dimmable, rear 3 fixed
- I've split the kitchen in two rings - 8 outer and 7 inner
- The yellow dots are pendant light positions
- There is a 2m x 1m roof lantern near the rear bifold door in the dining room

In all cases I'm looking to fit led bulbs...

What do you all think... Is the number and spacing about right or do I have too many and are they a bit close to the walls / each other?

Appreciate any feedback!


View media item 77421

Ps ignore the blue and red circle... These are for ceiling speakers which I'm now ditching

 

[ericmark]

View media item 77421Although your picture looks nice there is a lot more to selecting lights.
In the main a spot light will reflect off light surfaces and how well it works depends on how well it is directed to those surfaces.

A room with a mat black floor with spot lights aimed at that floor will be rather dim compared with same room and spots aimed at white walls.

In the main spots are used to light up dark areas or to look nice although to me a room looking like a planetarium does not look nice.

Any light will work better in a white room and will not work so well in a black room but where lights are reflected from surfaces it will make a huge difference.

I could not see any picture so repeated it for others but I have been also surprised at light types. Theory 10 x 8W CFL with 3800 lumen should be brighter than 10 x 3W LED with 2800 lumen but in fact the LED was brighter.

Dimming a florescent or LED means same colour but less light but dimming a tungsten means also a more orange light. I liked the dimming of tungsten but with LED or CFL having the lamps so you can select how many does the same as dimming and allows the use of cheaper lamps.

With quartz you should not dim as it reduces the life of the lamp. Yes I know people do but with so many lamps you will not want to be swapping a lamp every day.

Power is the other point in the main 6A is the limit so since lights can be left on this is something to consider.

Also of course heat. Our kitchen gets too hot as it is so there are two ways either install an AC or do all you can to reduce heat into the room. So 50W quartz is non starter. Also using an induction hob will reduce heat into the room plus reduce the need for an extractor. Again air out means also need some way for air to come in.

As you say LED so should be cool but also can be rather directional the LED spot above my bed is just enough spread to light my book.

Likely it will work very well but I have given up trying to work out lighting there are some many factors which can upset what seems great.

 

[flameport]

Quantity depends entirely on the light output of each fitting, and the beam angle etc.

However the top row in the kitchen area are far too close to the wall - apparently only 30cm away from it.

There are almost certainly too many lights in the dining area.

 

[Aragorn84]

Downlights are ****e, dont do it.

 

[winston1]

View media item 77421

With quartz you should not dim as it reduces the life of the lamp. Yes I know people do but with so many lamps you will not want to be swapping a lamp every day.

Thanks for that.

When I said the same thing in another thread I was told I was talking poppycock. Be interesting to see if you get told the same thing.

 

[333rocky333]

Yes same applies to eric, me and RF have both dimmed halogens for many years and neither of us has seen any neglible reduction in lamp life.

 

[Taylortwocities]

I'm assuming that you are getting planning permission for that and that Building Control are involved?

If so, do not forget that they will invoke the requirements of Building Regulations Part L1 on the lighting design.

See Table 40 on page 123 of this (shorter) guide

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/domestic_building_compliance_guide_2010.pdf
Basically 75% of all fixed lighting must be low energy as defined in the Approved Document.

This makes discussion of halogen downlights somewhat redundant.

 

[winston1]

Basically 75% of all fixed lighting must be low energy as defined in the Approved Document.

This makes discussion of halogen downlights somewhat redundant.

Did you not read post no 1 where the OP said:

In all cases I'm looking to fit led bulbs...

 

[ericmark]

While I was writing first reply the post altered. At first there was no picture so I went and found it an put in my reply. Not sure if comment on all LED was there to start with or not.

As to quartz lamps the spec says life will be shortened if run cool and also that grease or other dirt will shorten life however on Falklands we had wagons running around with smashed head light glasses and all sorts on the bulb but still worked so yes there does seem to be a issue with theroy and fact. My bath room had 4 or the 50mm down lighters and I got a pack of 10 bulbs when fitted in 1995 and finished off pack last year. No record of how long they have been on and I was not quick to change a blown bulb but clearly they do last a long time. The length of time a dimmed bulb will last is relative to non dimmed and unless you have dimmed and non dimmed running together off same switch can't see how any user would be able to say if dimming shortens their life. So we go by published info which clearly says life is shortened.

 

[tygerbright]

Hi all - many thanks for your responses.

I've dropped the number of lights based on the feedback and have updated another pic.

In terms of decor we will keep things fairly neutral - perhaps a bit of grey on one of the main walls.

See below for updated image (hopefully!)



Does this work better you think?

 

[ekmdgrf]

Downlights are s***te, dont do it.

"

 

[JohnW2]

Downlights are s***te, dont do it.

I think one problem is that many people seem have a very old-fashioned notion of what 'downlight' means. A narrow-beam light recessed into a ceiling is obviously a poor way of illuminating a room, and was never designed to do that. However, with beam angles of 120° or more now readily available, it hardly makes sense to think of them as 'down' lights, any more than that description is appropriate for a traditional pendant lamp and shade!

Kind Regards, John

 

[ekmdgrf]

I invested in a number of pendant lights. They did a really good job of illuminating the room but were constantly correcting minor grammatical errors. It turns out that I'd purchased pedant lights by mistake.

 

[dhutch]

I don't like downlighters, LED or otherwise, the light isnt great and the shadows are a nightmare if your actually working in the kitchen or the like.

LED versions are typically, from what I have seen, very expensive or very poor.

My kitchen and bathroom have gu10 halogen downlighters and I would have them out in and instant if I was after more work for myself.



Daniel