How To Choose The Best Ceiling Lights for Your Home (2024)

FAQs

How do I know what ceiling light to buy? ›

Choose a ceiling fixture that's bright enough for your room by using a lighting standard called lumens. First, determine the square footage of your room (simply multiply length by width). You'll also need to know that: Dining rooms and kitchens need 30-40 lumens per square foot.

Semi-Flush ceiling lights will drop down a little more than the flush alternatives, so are ideal for homes with standard ceiling heights, or perhaps over tables in a home with low ceilings.

If you're selecting a fixture, start with a favorite element in the room and look for a light that complements it. If you have a modern sofa for example, lighting with clean lines will enhance your space. Another tip is to look at the cabinet or door hardware in the room and choose fixtures in a complementary finish.

Deciding whether to have matching light fixtures in every room boils down to your personal aesthetic, the functionality of each space, and the mood you want to set. While matching fixtures can create a unified look, diversifying allows for greater expression and functionality.

The rule for ceiling lights centers around ensuring adequate illumination for the room's size and purpose. Typically, multiply the room's square footage by 1.5 to determine the total wattage needed. For layout, aim for even distribution, avoiding shadows and glare.

Lumens refer to the amount of light the LED ceiling lights produce, which is the most important factor to consider. The stronger the lumen rating, the brighter the light will be. That's why you must choose the right lumen rating for your room, as too much light will be too harsh, and too little will be too dim.

Today, LED lighting fixtures for general illumination in and around the home are the most energy-efficient and rapidly-developing lighting technology. LEDs use up to 90 percent less energy and last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.

If you want your room to appear larger, stay away from large opaque light fittings and dark coloured shades, which will draw in a room and take up too much space. Instead, choose light or clear materials. See through materials such as clear glass and acrylic trick the eye into thinking there's more space than there is.

Opt for softer 'warm white' or 'soft white' bulbs over harsh or 'daylight white' colour options. Natural finishes are preferable over lacquered ones. Lastly, look for sculptural details, elements of interest in your lights or any furniture in the room,” says Nikhil Paul, creative director of Paul Matter.

How do I know what light to buy? ›

LED bulbs around 2700K (the K is for Kelvin temperature) on the color-temperature scale cast a warm yellow light similar to outmoded incandescent bulbs, making them a good general-purpose choice. Bulbs with a temperature around 3000K have a whiter light that's better suited to bathrooms and laundry rooms.

Depending on the size of the room and the height of the ceiling, you can choose how many ceiling lights you require. This number may vary if you choose a hanging LED ceiling light or prefer dim lighting. While selecting the number of lights, it is important to know that more lights doesn't mean increased brightness.

It's your space after all! But one thing that I find helpful is to pick lighting fixtures that feel like sisters, not twins. That's to say that they should have a coordinating element of SOME variety to tie them together. But they absolutely do not need to be the same piece or even from the same family.

Use Fixtures that Share a Common Trait

This tip is huge because using fixtures with the same or similar shapes, colors, materials or styles will bring harmony to the space and allow your fixtures to blend seamlessly, like they were meant to live together in the same space without being overly similar.

be simpler. Add the dimensions of your room in feet and then convert that to inches, then add or subtract 10% for personal taste. So if your room measures 14 feet by 12 feet, the total of the two sides is 26 feet., meaning an ideal size for your light is 26 inches.

As a general rule, the shade should be wider than the widest part of the lamp base, but not so wide that it extends beyond the edges of the base. The height of the ceiling: A high ceiling can accommodate a larger shade, while a low ceiling may require a smaller shade.

The maximum wattage ratings are printed on the light-bulb sockets of the light fixture or lamp. If a fixture has two or more light bulbs, ensure the total wattage rating based on the sticker on the fixture does not exceed the maximum. It is often on the insulation or baseplate beneath the fixture's globe.