We’re building a house and want tips about lighting for the kitchen, bathroom, entrance etc. Which luminaires do you recommend? How should they be placed and what do we need to consider? What should we consider before starting a renovation/new build using LED lighting?

For us, lighting is about emphasising the room and adapting the light to areas where it’s needed. In the case of a renovation/new build, the following points are worth considering to plan your lighting as effectively as possible.

What type of house is it? 
Choose facade lighting that matches the architectural style. A bungalow with a sleek facade and wall sections might be suited to roof base lighting while a house with features that jut out, such as wooden window cases, might be more difficult to light in this way as it can easily create too many harsh shadows. Placement is important – it’s better to only light the wall sections with an uneven cc distance than to ensure an even cc distance but with harsh shadows. Consider how the light falls.

What does the garden look like? 
Is there greenery that could be illuminated? Trees, flower beds or perhaps a plank or wall. Make the most of vertical surfaces to “build a space” using light.

What materials have been chosen for the interior? Such as colours, walls and floors?
It can be handy to know that dark colours absorb light while light colours reflect it. A darkly coloured room will never be perceived to be as bright as a room painted white. If you have a dark floor, it can be a good idea to light the walls if they are light coloured, to ensure that the room still feels bright.

What type of ceiling (flat/sloping)? 
Remember that a flat ceiling makes it easier to adapt the lighting to walls or passages while a sloping ceiling is better suited to more even placement. With a sloping ceiling the downlights need to be tilted the same angle as the ceiling slope to get the lights to shine straight down.

What is the ceiling height in the room? 
With higher ceilings you may need a stronger downlight while with a really low ceiling, around 2 m in height, you may need a wider beam and/or a weaker downlight.

All of this affects the choice of lighting solution. In the next step it’s a good idea to consider the following:

What colour temperature do you want for the lighting (LED)?
3000K, which is similar to halogen lighting, or a slightly warmer tone, 2700K, which is similar to incandescent lighting?

What shape are the luminaires to have? 
Square, round or a mix?

What work lighting and general lighting do you need? 
Go through the rooms one by one and consider where lighting is needed.

Are there any details in the house you would like to light?
Go through the rooms one by one and consider whether there is anything in particular you’d like to emphasise with the lighting.

What type of control system do you want?
A simple one with push buttons/dimmers or something more advanced? When choosing a control system it’s important to check that the control system and lighting are compatible.