We're passionate about lighting up your life at TEKLED – literally! We've been selling lights, and illuminating homes and businesses around the world for nearly 20 years. We’ve sourced great lighting products to help you create the perfect ambience at home. In our latest guide, we'll share our top tips for creating the best layout for downlights for your space - our tips are designed to help you regardless of the room or space you’re trying to light.
Firstly, why choose downlights over other lighting options?
Downlights provide focused, directional light. They're incredibly versatile and commonly used to create ambient lighting or highlight specific areas such as kitchen worktops or bathroom vanity spaces.
How to calculate the number of downlights needed
Getting the right number of downlights in a room is important. Your space will feel dim if too few, and with too many, it’ll feel like you're in a showroom!
To start, calculate the size of your room and the efficiency of modern LED lighting. We used to advise a rule of multiplying the room’s square footage by 1.5 (which was more relevant for older lights like halogen and incandescent bulbs). Nowadays, a more accurate multiplier for LED downlights is to multiply by 0.5 — this assumes you are lighting a light-coloured room with standard ceiling heights (2.6 to 3.0m or 8.5 to 9.8ft).
Let’s work through an example calculation:
So, for a 100 sq ft light-coloured room:
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Multiply the square footage by 0.5 to get the recommended wattage needed: 50 watts
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Assuming we’re using 10-watt LED downlights, divide 50 watts by 10 watts = 5 downlights required
This should provide approximately 300 lux, which is suitable for general domestic areas. (For reference, Lux is a useful measure of brightness at a surface, so 300 Lux (sometimes 300lx) is comfortable for living spaces at home, whereas offices and commercial spaces typically need around 500lx, which typically is achieved with additional lights).
If your room has darker walls, higher ceilings, or specific lighting requirements, adjustments will be necessary, which the manufacturer recommendations usually help guide.
Calculating the downlights needed by room type
While the above calculation provides a starting point, you should consider the unique requirements and set up of your room. It’s not a one size fits all solution, for instance:
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Living room: Opt for a mix of ambient and accent lighting. Space downlights evenly for general illumination and use additional or adjustable downlights to highlight artwork or architectural features such as bay windows or display shelves.
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Kitchen: This is where downlights come into their own, used for task lighting. Install downlights directly above work surfaces, the sink, and hob so you have the best light for your cheffing needs, avoiding having your shadow cast over your working area.
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Hallway: Downlights should provide functional even lighting for walking between rooms.
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Bathroom: Combine general lighting with task lighting similar to in the kitchen. This time, have the lights around the mirror or vanity table. Keep in mind extra consideration: the lights need to be suitable for bathroom lighting use (IP rated).
LED downlights: a brighter choice
Our advice above is really focussed on LED downlights as these are the most prevalent downlights nowadays. They’re popular as they’re more energy efficient and it allows you to achieve your desired lighting effect with lower wattages and sometimes fewer fittings - meaning savings all round.
Consider placement of downlights relative to furniture and fixtures
Think about your furniture and fixtures when planning your downlight layout. You’ll want to avoid placing downlights directly above tall furniture, as this will create shadows. To avoid this, put downlights where you can illuminate the spaces in between and around your furniture.
You can always choose a few adjustable downlights where you might need flexibility around furniture. This will allow you to swivel the focus of the light away from creating shadows or causing annoying glare.
Common downlight mistakes to avoid
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Overcrowding: Resist the urge to cram in too many downlights into your space. Aim for balance rather than brightness.
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Light colour temperature: LED lights come with many options for colour temperature, review carefully for which would best suit your space. Find out more about light colour temperature on our previous guide about ‘what is CCT’.
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Ignoring natural light: when you’re planning downlight positions, don’t forget to see how natural light plays a part in your room.
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Inconsistent spacing: measure once, quite twice is the old adage. Always best to properly measure and plan the space for downlights. Having them inconsistently spaced will become something you can’t ignore.
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Forgetting dimmer switches: Don’t forget dimmer switches allow you to control the brightness and mood of your lighting, adding flexibility and ambience to your home. We also offer dimmable downlight options.
TEKLED’s general downlight recommendations
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Invest in high-quality downlights. Cheaper options may not last as long or provide consistent light output. Explore TEKLED's wide range of LED downlights.
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Consider the colour temperature of your downlights. Warm white is ideal for cosy spaces, while cool white is better suited for task-oriented areas like in kitchens or workspaces.
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Consult a qualified electrician for installation to ensure safety and compliance with building regulations.
Downlights with us
If you’ve come across our guide for installing downlights, you may be still on the hunt for downlights for your project. We have a great range of downlights that we regularly update.
