The most important rule when equipping the house of 2024 with lighting is: it is best to plan a mixture of direct and indirect lighting. Long gone are the days when a single luminaire (then halogen or incandescent) hung from the ceiling in the middle of the room. We need a consistent lighting concept! This also means that we rely exclusively on modern LED lighting, which can be easily integrated into ceilings, walls and stairs.
After all, several luminaires at different positions in a room provide the right mood and light in the room. Set different accents in a targeted manner, because in a modern house the lighting can be called up as required and in different scenes/moods at the touch of a button (with DALI control and with DMX control). But what is the perfect lighting design for lighting in a new-build house or apartment (as of December 2023)?
How many lumens do you need? To do this, we look at the basics that lead step by step to perfect lighting design lead. Without precise lighting planning, you will not feel comfortable in your house/apartment right from the start! An introduction can also be found in the video “Why light needs planning” and goes into the basics of lighting design in a detached house.
Table of contents Lighting design
Lighting design basics: Natural light has priority!
It all starts with the question: What is the best way to provide a room with natural light, possibly even sunlight? How much light do I need in the room? Because there is nothing better than natural light. This is followed by questions such as “What is the color of the individual walls, floors, ceilings and furnishings in the individual rooms? How large are the windows, how many windows and any floor-to-ceiling glazing are there in a room? The brighter a room is, the less additional artificial light is needed.
What are the fundamental benefits of lighting design?
The next question arises in a new build: where should the wall and ceiling outlets be positioned so that there is sufficient light in the respective rooms? If you don’t plan all the lights and lamps precisely, it’s almost impossible to make up for this omission later. Either walls have to be chiseled open or extension cables have to be hidden in order to install suitable additional lights.
A complete lighting design always encompasses all rooms in a house and also includes outdoor areas such as the garden, swimming pool or pool and garages with carports. Not forgetting the façade lighting and the very important entrance area. With the latter lighting concept in particular, atmospheric and appropriate lighting creates the first impression – whether a house or building is inviting and of high quality (even at night) or not. The lighting of the entrance gate with door communication, intercom and letterbox is also important. It almost goes without saying that the house number should also be illuminated.
How does lighting support well-being?
A high proportion of blue light in the lighting ensures that the production of the sleep hormone melatonin is stopped and reduced. At the same time, the production of serotonin is stimulated. This is useful if we are still working later in the evening and don’t want to go to sleep straight away. Or we exercise in the fitness area. The high proportion of blue light means we are ultimately fitter and can concentrate very well.
In contrast, light with a high yellow/red component has a calming effect and ensures better sleep. This is particularly useful in the evening so that we can slowly adjust to sleep at night.
Our video “Comparison of light quality LED spotlights: Inexpensive vs. high-priced” looks at the benefits of good luminaires and their positive effect on health.
Why dimmable light?
Long gone are the days when a lamp/light could only be switched on and off. Most lights – especially those designed for a modern smart home – can now be dimmed in brightness. This has the advantage that they can be set brighter in the early evening hours than at night, for example.
With our KNX Smart Home, this all happens automatically when certain lights in a room are combined into a scene. In addition to normal dimming, it is also possible to adjust the color value of certain lights from“warm white” to“cool white“. These lights are then called “Dim to warm” lamps and are very often available as ceiling spotlights.
Our contribution “Party atmosphere with LED light scenes and dimming” uses the example of a room to show how the mood changes with the color and brightness of the light.
Top 10 rules for room lighting
Every room in the house has a specific function and its own use. For example, the kitchen needs different light to the bedroom. It therefore makes sense to consider rooms separately depending on their function and to illuminate them differently. There are also individual preferences: One building owner attaches great importance to atmospheric lighting in the bathroom, while another wants to equip his garage with particularly good lighting, perhaps because the car is very important to him.
Despite all individual preferences, the following top 10 rules help to create the right light for every room in every house (or apartment).
Let’s start with the interior: living rooms, bedrooms, children’s rooms, guest rooms and bathrooms are the rooms where people spend longer periods of time, day and night, mostly for relaxation. That’s why we recommend Include several different light sources in the lighting concept right from the start to create a good mood (and later changeable moods at the touch of a button).
Small rooms can be visually enlarged with good light and appear more pleasant, while larger rooms are sensibly divided into different areas that can also be illuminated separately with different lighting circuits.
Our video “Lighting design for house/apartment with LEDs” we look at the basic possibilities for today’s room lighting.
How many lumens do you need per room?
This raises the fundamental question that all building owners with high standards ask themselves: How many lumens do you need per room, the light that is ultimately produced by the luminaires? The first answer is that it depends on the use of the room and the individual requirements. The key parameter is the “lumens per square meter” (lumens per square meter), i.e. how much light is needed per square meter of living space. The table below provides a rough guide.
What color temperature do I need for lamps?
The table above makes it clear: Cozy and romantic candlelight has a warm white character and a color temperature of approximately 1800K. In contrast, a warm incandescent lamp has a color temperature of 2300K to 2500K. Halogen lamps have a color temperature of around 3000K and above that it becomes really cold white light with >3500K. Natural sunlight provides the entire spectrum during the course of the day.
Today’s high-quality LED lights can reproduce almost the entire spectrum of sunlight – from Dim2-Warm from 1800K up to 3000K and beyond with cool white light.
Kitchen: Lots of light in the room
The kitchen needs a well-planned lighting design that also includes the kitchen island, cupboards and base units. We recommend high-quality LED spotlights on the ceiling, which are positioned not too far apart. This creates bright and, above all, glare-free lighting that can be dimmed as required – for parties, for example. This way, we have enough light in the kitchen.
Our video contribution “Light scenes: A good mood in the bathroom and kitchen” shows examples from our practice.
Additional lights on the wall (up/down lights) help with the worktop, stove and sink. It is also advisable to install LED strips under the wall units, whose light falls directly onto the workstation. They should be shielded at the front so that their light does not dazzle. Glare-free lights are usually integrated into the extractor hood above the stove.
Living room: Lighting with a lighting concept
The larger the room, the more creative you can get with the lighting design. Combine two to four types of secondary lighting with the basic lighting. For reading on the couch, you need bright light that ideally falls on the book from the side and from behind and illuminates the reading area without shadows. Floor lamps and floodlights with reading light or a pure reading light (floor lamp with swivel or articulated arm) are ideal for this.
Special attention should also be paid to the ambient lighting of televisions: The light here should only illuminate the adjacent wall, and the other light sources in the room should not cause any distracting reflections on the screen. Ceiling washlights in the corner or LED strips in the background of the TV are very suitable.
We present in the video “LED light for all rooms: Kiteo recessed spotlights, stripe, surface panel” we present the most important LED lights for a larger living room. The article “Installation of dimmable color LED spots” uses the example of a Kiteo luminaire to show what space an LED spotlight needs in the (suspended) ceiling today.
Bathroom lighting design: indirect lighting
Good indirect lighting should also be provided in the bathroom first. LED ceiling spotlights or recessed luminaires are recommended, as many moisture-resistant versions are also available (important: ensure protection class IP44 or IP45) and the light can therefore be placed above a shower. However, ceiling spotlights – whether with or without a suspended ceiling is of secondary importance – are also suitable.
If you are redecorating your bathroom and buying furniture with integrated lighting, be sure to pay attention to the light color! Cheap LED lights with very cold white light are often installed – and these cannot be removed from the order. And because this is the case, you then use the light on the mirror cabinet – and get annoyed every day because a pale, bluish face stares back at you.
Cold white LEDs in particular often look worse in the mirror than in reality (keyword: poor color rendering index!). On the other hand, colors that are too warm often do not provide enough sharpness of light. It is therefore essential to clarify this detail with the seller beforehand and to test the lighting before buying. LEDs with max. 4000 K or halogen lights with +3200 K behind a frosted screen or behind glass are often the better choice. The light from the integrated lamp should illuminate the mirror surface without shadows or glare!
Details can be found in the video “Lighting design in the luxury bathroom: shower and bathtub“.
Anyone setting up a mini spa at home should also provide a cozy lighting atmosphere – for example with dimmable, possibly swiveling recessed lights above the edge of the bathtub or a dimmable LED strip on the edge of the ceiling.
For an insight into a very well-equipped bathroom with perfect lighting, watch our video “Luxury bathroom with Kiteo Liquid“.
Bedroom lighting design: indirect and direct lighting
The same principle applies in the bedroom: indirect lighting and direct light in the form of wall lights (up/down spots or just down spots), with direct light below for reading and lights to create a pleasant atmosphere. If you wish, you can illuminate wardrobes from above or highlight the back or underside of the bed with a warm white LED strip. This creates an additional light source for romantic moments.
Children's room lighting design: Soft night light
Basic lighting (ceiling light), a reading light next to the bed and a desk light are important for schoolchildren. For smaller children and babies, basic lighting and a soft night light are usually sufficient. As far as possible, you should nevertheless think about the necessary connections (ceiling and wall outlets) at an early stage and plan (switchable) sockets (with integrated child safety lock).
Guest room lighting design: Good basic lighting
A guest room can be designed like a hotel room: with basic lighting and one or two bedside lamps so that the guest can operate the light from the bed. A night light in the socket also helps with orientation in unfamiliar surroundings.
Stairs and corridors: automatic light via presence detector
In rooms whose primary function is to connect other rooms or levels (corridors, staircases, galleries, entrance areas), one thing is paramount: you, your family and guests need to find their way! So don’t skimp on good lighting.
If you want to illuminate a staircase optimally, you will be well advised to use small recessed wall luminaires near the steps (in addition to the ambient lighting). However, wall luminaires at shoulder height that shine upwards and downwards can also be used.
There are also old buildings in which (spiral) staircases lead openly over several levels and in which a long pendant luminaire hangs down from a power connection on the ceiling. In this case, at least one light source (a pendant) should hang at the height of each level. Only high-voltage-based luminaires are usually suitable for this type of solution, as the cable lengths can then generally be individually extended by the electrician.
If you want to use the KNX push-button (see blog post Top 30 KNX push-buttons in comparison), install a KNX presence detector in the basic lighting of passageways. If luminaires are often switched on and off, you should generally ensure that they have a high switching resistance. LEDs generally have this and are advisable in combination with presence detectors (provided their light brightness/lumen value is sufficient for the room).
Study lighting design: Bright white-blue light
In places where we need to concentrate – for example when reading on the sofa, cooking in the kitchen, doing the office chores or sewing and crafting – we need high-contrast, bright and focused light. It should definitely have more white-blue components. Good LEDs with at least 3500 K (better 4000 K, but this also depends on the lighting technology) are suitable here.
The higher the K value, the whiter the light. At 6000 K (and that really is extremely white), the light emitted is referred to as daylight. But don’t be fooled, this is only about the light color, not the brightness or the color rendering properties of the light.
Our video “High-end LED lights for the study” shows LED ceiling spotlights that support the occupant/homeowner in their daily routine by changing the color temperature.
In addition to ambient lighting in the background, functional lighting is needed to illuminate usable areas optimally. Good task lighting for desks and kitchen worktops deserves a special focus. The light should shine onto the surface in such a way that you do not cast shadows on yourself. Adjustable desk luminaires with swivel-mounted luminaire heads are indispensable.
For all work surfaces, the under-cabinet luminaires, surface-mounted luminaires or LED strips should be positioned so that the light comes from above wherever possible and illuminates the surface evenly with its light beams. Lighting designers can calculate the optimum illumination for such work areas.
Outdoor areas and garden: Accent lighting
Lighting design for outdoor areas differs from indoor lighting in many areas. Whereas indoors there is a threefold division between ambient, secondary and accent lighting, this does not apply to outdoor lighting. Instead, outdoor luminaires primarily fulfill two functions: Providing orientation and creating atmosphere. Of course, it is particularly important that you also ensure that your outdoor lighting has the necessary outdoor IP protection, as otherwise your lamps could be damaged by rain or snow.
With the help of orientation lighting, you can ensure that both you and your guests enter the house safely. To do this, it is important to ensure good illumination of the entrance to the house with sensible path lighting.
For example, you can provide the necessary orientation with the help of bollard lights or outdoor wall lights with motion detectors that run along the entrance to the house.
But of course, the outdoor area can also be designed with light. Practical mobile table lamps and portable floor lamps are particularly suitable for solid patio lighting. Ideal for a barbecue evening with the family or an evening of soccer with friends.
Pool and swimming pool: mood lighting
There are houses and apartments that have a private swimming pool or an outdoor pool. To create an atmospheric mood, targeted lighting is very important. This can be provided by underwater lights in the pool itself or by recessed LED spotlights around the edge.
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