Short answer
Think in three layers: general lighting for the room, task lighting where you do something, and mood lighting for the evening. Switch those layers separately. Choose one colour temperature for the whole house, usually around 2700 kelvin, so it stays calm. Decide this before the cabling goes in.
Who this article is for Anyone renovating or refurnishing. This is the part where you have the most say yourself.
Think in three layers
General. The light that fills the room. Spotlights, a ceiling light, or indirect light. This is what you switch on when you come in.
Task. Light where you do something: above the worktop, above the dining table, by the reading chair, at the mirror.
Mood. Low light points for the evening: table lamps, indirect light behind a cabinet, a lamp on a sideboard.
A room with only the first layer feels like an office. A room with only the third is cosy but impractical.
Switch the layers separately
That is the real difference, and during the first fix it only costs an extra cable:
- the spotlights in two groups, front and back
- the dining table separately
- a switched socket for the table lamp, so you turn everything on at once by the door
That last one is a classic that hardly anyone has fitted any more, and that everyone is happy with.
Colour temperature
Choose one colour for the whole house. In a home 2700 kelvin is warm and calm; 3000 kelvin is slightly fresher and works well in a kitchen or bathroom. Above 4000 kelvin it quickly becomes clinical.
Do not mix colours in the same room. Two 2700 spotlights next to one 4000 stand out immediately.
How much light
Look at lumens, not watts. Rough guideline per room:
Rough guidelines to get a feel for the number of points.
| Room | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Living room | 100 to 150 lumens per square metre, in layers |
| Kitchen worktop | 300 lumens per square metre |
| Bathroom | 200 lumens per square metre, plus mirror lighting |
| Bedroom | 100 lumens per square metre, warm |
| Hallway and stairs | enough to walk safely, with a sensor |
What you decide now
Where the points go and how many switches there are. You choose the fittings later, but by then the cabling is fixed. See when the electrician comes for the right moment.
From my own work
During a renovation in Meerssen the customer wanted twelve spotlights in the living room, evenly spread. That turns it into a waiting room. It became eight in two groups, with a cable to a pendant above the table and a switched socket for the table lamp. The same cost, a completely different room.
When to call an electrician
- You are renovating and the cabling is not in yet
- You do not know how many points a room needs
- The light in the house feels flat or restless
I make a lighting plan during the site survey, before anything is chased. Request a quote.
Frequently asked questions
Which colour temperature should I choose at home?
Around 2700 kelvin is warm and calm, 3000 kelvin slightly fresher for kitchen and bathroom. Do not mix colours in the same room.
What is a switched socket?
A socket controlled by the wall switch, so you turn the table lamp on by the door. Classic and still the handiest.
When does a lighting plan need to be ready?
Before the cabling goes in. You choose the fittings later, but by then the points and switches are fixed.
Further reading
Installing outdoor lighting: what goes on underground
The light is the fun part, the cable the most important. Lay an empty duct now and you can extend later without digging.
The light is not working: check it yourself in four steps
Nine times out of ten it is the bulb, the lampholder or the switch. The tenth time it is a connection, and then you call.
Dimming LEDs: why they flicker, buzz or do not switch off
Almost every LED dimming problem comes from a dimmer made for incandescent bulbs. A new dimmer solves it.
Questions and comments
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