Pendant or downlights for lounge - design question

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I'm curious to know what you guys prefer, if one or the other ? I've bought the downlights but it feels as though I should have a pendant somewhere in the house - perhaps the hallway ??
Any preferences or ideas ??

Is it a bit generic to just have a house full of only downlights - a bit lacking in character
 
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Dimmable LED downlights work really well in combination with a few standing lamps. I would normally add a feature pendant over any dining area or cooking area, but thats about it. Tiltable Downlights help balance throw and shadows.
 
Dimmable LED downlights work really well in combination with a few standing lamps. I would normally add a feature pendant over any dining area or cooking area, but thats about it. Tiltable Downlights help balance throw and shadows.

I appreciate your views motor.
I've just done fitting two of the bedrooms with downlights and liked the effect it gave over the bog standard pendant that was there but I've got the lounge and kitchen yet to do and I was thinking the same thing about the kitchen area - downlights, for some reason, just don't them that preferable in the kitchen. I like the pendant suggestion there.
 
It also depends on the height/floorsize ratio of your room. In the small but high Victorian rooms I have, downlights would look a bit out of place! :)
20211213_094648.jpg 20211213_094814.jpg
 
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I prefer pendants for their looks and future maintenance.

It can be a nightmare if ( when ) a downlighter fails and you have to replace it. If that type of down lighter is no longer available then you will have one lamp that looks different from the others in the room or you change all of them to be the same appearance.

Pendants that fail can be fixed by simply changing the lamp bulb
 
It also depends on the height/floorsize ratio of your room. In the small but high Victorian rooms I have, downlights would look a bit out of place! :)
View attachment 254108
I really hope this looks better in real life.

A local chain restaurant did a refit 4 years back with loads of 'steam punk' effects, included in which were lights hanging above the tables, the finished height of a selection of these types of bulbs:
ae235
was 600mm above the table with no form of shading. For a 6ft person it was totally impossible to se the person opposite and hard to see the food due to the rediculous glare.

They still don't understand why the trade plummeted and can't get it back despite trip advisor comments.
 
I really hope this looks better in real life.

A local chain restaurant did a refit 4 years back with loads of 'steam punk' effects, included in which were lights hanging above the tables, the finished height of a selection of these types of bulbs:
ae235
was 600mm above the table with no form of shading. For a 6ft person it was totally impossible to se the person opposite and hard to see the food due to the rediculous glare.

They still don't understand why the trade plummeted and can't get it back despite trip advisor comments.

In my case yes, the glare is totally from the phone camera! ;)
Lamp is only 4W LED antique effect (as in your pic), shade is bronze tinted, and is still a metre higher than the table! :)
 
My view on downlighters is the same as BAS (late of this forum) - rarely do they have any benefits in a domestic environment.
If your requirement is for pools of light on the floor, but a dim room; or lots of glare on your glasses; or glaring reflections from anything remotely shiny - then fit downlighters. On the other hand, if you want useful light - fit almost anything else.

Just remember that generally you want a diffuse light around the room. There are many ways to do this - pendant, strip lights suitably places, uplighters, standard lights, ... One way not to do it is downlighters.
 
I appreciate your views motor.
I've just done fitting two of the bedrooms with downlights and liked the effect it gave over the bog standard pendant that was there but I've got the lounge and kitchen yet to do and I was thinking the same thing about the kitchen area - downlights, for some reason, just don't them that preferable in the kitchen. I like the pendant suggestion there.

Downlighters in kitchens might be fashionable, but they are extremely impractical, unless you have a suitably high ceiling and the lights are carefully arranged, you get pools of bright pools of light, with darkness in between, plus lots of hard shadows making it more difficult than it need be to work. Much better are diffused lighting, with florescent being one of the best, even though not fashionable, but their are a variety of diffused lights which can look fashionable and practical. In my case I settled on dome LED ceiling lights which are heavily diffused and light the kitchen fully and without any noticeable shadows.
 
Yes, thanks a bunch everyone.
Sadly I ended up fitting downlights to the lounge before reading the more recent comments. I'm scouting for a brass/copper pendant for the kitchen for the reasons given.

What do you guys think about hallway lighting ? I get the impression most of you would think downlights would be acceptable in this situation due to the hallway not needing a great deal of light and shadows would not be as much of a concern ?
 
In my experience they are cr*p. I tried them once (somewhere where it wouldn't matter) and am always shocked by the gloomy result.
 
In my case yes, the glare is totally from the phone camera! ;)
Lamp is only 4W LED antique effect (as in your pic), shade is bronze tinted, and is still a metre higher than the table! :)
I understand that, I put up a really attractive 'lantern' fitting for a friend, basically a metal framework with panels which are a brassy colour when not lit and give a warm colour to the white ceiling when lit. It's a total PITA if it appears in pictures.:unsure:
 
My view on downlighters is the same as BAS (late of this forum) - rarely do they have any benefits in a domestic environment.
If your requirement is for pools of light on the floor, but a dim room; or lots of glare on your glasses; or glaring reflections from anything remotely shiny - then fit downlighters. On the other hand, if you want useful light - fit almost anything else.

Just remember that generally you want a diffuse light around the room. There are many ways to do this - pendant, strip lights suitably places, uplighters, standard lights, ... One way not to do it is downlighters.
I chose this image because he will not be abe to look up without being blinded in a dingy room.
upload_2021-12-17_12-2-53.jpeg
 
What do you guys think about hallway lighting ? I get the impression most of you would think downlights would be acceptable in this situation due to the hallway not needing a great deal of light and shadows would not be as much of a concern ?
Err no, they are just as crap in a hallway.
 

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