Lighting is one of the easiest parts of a home to get wrong. A room can have lovely finishes and still feel flat because every light sits in the ceiling. Good lighting starts with how each room is used. Once you know that, picking fittings and globes gets a lot simpler.
This post works through a home room by room. It covers daylight, general light, task light and the globes themselves. The figures come from the Australian Government’s Your Home guide. Use them as a starting point and adjust for your own rooms.
Start with daylight
Natural light is free, so plan around it first. Your Home notes that north facing windows let in winter sun, while good eaves can block summer sun. South facing windows give daylight without much direct heat. That can suit homes in warmer parts of the country.
Window placement matters as much as size. For a room with only one outside wall, Your Home suggests two smaller windows spaced apart. They reflect more light around the room than one central window. They also give you more options for airflow.
Keep direct sun off desks and polished benches. It causes glare and makes those surfaces hard to work at. Light shelves, glass bricks and light tubes can bring daylight into darker spots. Light shelves work best on north and south walls.
Pale surfaces do half the work
The colours on your walls change how bright a room feels. Light coloured surfaces reflect more light and cut the need for lamps. Dark surfaces soak it up. Indirect lighting, such as a light bounced off the ceiling, only works well against pale surfaces.
That makes paint a lighting decision as well as a style one. If walls are patchy or stained, sound prep comes before any colour goes on. Our post on substrate restoration explains that side of the job. A smooth, pale finish will spread light more evenly.
Floors play a part too. Pale timber or light tiles reflect more than dark carpet. If you are weighing up hard floors, our look at epoxy flooring or tiles covers the practical pros and cons. Either way, think about how much light the surface will bounce back.
Layers of light
Most rooms need more than one type of light. General or ambient light gives the room an overall comfortable level. Task light sits where you read, cook or work. Accent light picks out a feature, such as artwork or a textured wall.
Your Home makes a useful point about general light. Your eyes adjust to lower light at night, so rooms do not need to match daytime brightness. Separate switches for each layer let you set the mood. Dimmers add more control in rooms that do several jobs.
Go easy on downlights
Downlights are popular, but they are not ideal for general light. Your Home says they create bright pools on the floor and leave the ceiling dark. You may need up to six downlights to match the light from one pendant. They work better as task or accent lights.
Every downlight also leaves a gap in the ceiling insulation. That gap can let heat in during summer and out in winter. Standards require a clearance between the fitting and the insulation to reduce fire risk. Some fittings are rated to be covered by insulation, so ask a licensed electrician which type suits your ceiling.
Room by room
In the living room, a pendant or wall lights can cover general light. Add floor or table lamps for reading. Portable lamps suit rooms where furniture gets moved around. Lampshades can block half or more of the light, so pick ones that let light through.
Kitchens need strong, even task light over the benches. Your Home suggests fixed directional lights above fixed work surfaces. Colour accuracy matters here as well, since you want to see food clearly. A globe with a high colour rendering index helps with that.
Bathrooms and laundries often suit a cooler light. Your Home lists daylight globes for these rooms, though it notes they can look harsh. In a small bathroom, light and tile choice work together. Our tips on using tiles to make a small bathroom look bigger pair well with bright, even lighting.
Bedrooms are about calm light at night. Warm white globes suit them best. Your Home advises against daylight coloured globes for night use, as they may disrupt sleep. A bedside lamp is often more useful than a bright ceiling light.
A dressing area or vanity needs good light from the front, not just from above. Light from overhead throws shadows across the face. A mirror with lights at the sides is one simple fix. If you are setting up a dressing table, our ideas to organise your jewellery at home fit nicely with this kind of task light.
Picking the right globes
LEDs are now the obvious choice for most homes. Your Home says they use around 80 per cent less electricity than halogen globes for the same light. They also last far longer and turn on instantly. Unlike compact fluorescents, they contain no mercury.
Choose globes by lumens rather than watts. Lumens measure light output, while watts measure power use. Your Home gives these rough guides for a single globe:
- about 420 lumens for a table lamp
- about 800 lumens for a small room
- about 930 lumens for a medium room
- about 1300 lumens for a large room or bright work area
Colour temperature is the other number to check. Warm white sits between 2700 and 3200 kelvin and suits most living spaces. Cool white is around 4100 kelvin and suits garages and workshops. Daylight globes run from 5500 to 6500 kelvin.
The colour rendering index, or CRI, tells you how true colours look. Sunlight scores 100. A CRI above 80 is usually fine for general use. For cooking, makeup or painting, Your Home suggests a CRI above 90.
Switches, dimmers and sensors
Put switches at the exits of each room so you can turn lights off as you leave. In long hallways and stairs, fit switches at both ends. Timers and motion sensors suit outdoor security lights and rooms used now and then. Daylight sensors can switch outdoor lights on at dusk.
Dimming LEDs saves energy in a simple way. Your Home says LED energy use drops in line with light output, so half the light uses half the energy. Not every LED is dimmable, though. Check the globe works with your dimmer, or try one or two before buying a full set.
Outdoor lighting deserves the same planning. Low glare lights along steps and edges make a deck safer at night. Plan these lights at the same time as the deck or path layout. The full Your Home lighting guide covers globes, controls and daylight in more depth.
Frequently asked questions
How many downlights does a room need?
There is no single number, as it depends on the room and the fittings. Your Home suggests downlights work best for task and accent light rather than general light. A pendant or wall lights may light a room more evenly. Plan the layers first, then decide where downlights fit.
What colour globe is best for a living room?
Warm white, between 2700 and 3200 kelvin, suits most living areas. It gives a softer, more relaxed light. Cooler globes are better kept for garages, workshops and sometimes laundries.
Are smart globes worth it?
They can be handy for scheduling and dimming. Your Home notes that smart globes draw standby power while off. Look for standby use of 0.5 watts or less, or switch them off at the wall.
Can I throw old globes in the bin?
Your Home says incandescent, halogen and LED globes are generally fine in household waste. Compact fluorescents are different because they contain mercury. Take those to a local recycling program instead.