Never Again Choose the Wrong Ceiling Light!

When buying a new home, most visits to the property are made during the day. Very often, it is only after you have moved in and turned the lights on that you realise how mediocre the current ceiling light fittings are.

Or maybe we have only ourselves to blame! Many people find choosing the right kind of ceiling light difficult – so there's a good chance that you, like many others, have made a bad choice at one point or another.

But no more. In this guide, we have put together five simple tips that will help ensure that you never again choose the wrong ceiling light. Follow our guide, and you'll have a better chance of installing ceiling lights that draw the eye for all the right reasons.

If you're about to move into a new home, pause before ripping out the old ceiling lights and swapping them for something more stylish. The key question to ask yourself is: am I going to put a dining table in here?

If the answer is yes, you can set the mood for the whole room with a low-hanging pendant light. Unlike regular ceiling lights, which hang at a level that allows people to walk safely under them, ceiling pendant lights intended for use over a dining table are often fitted much lower.

A great example is the Diyas Colorado 6 Light Rectangular Pendant French Gold/Crystal light, which brings a warm glow to wherever you need it. 

Low-hanging dining room lights are a kind of 'task' lighting: they bring light right down to the dining table where it is needed. Another popular type of task lighting is a kitchen island pendant – these offer both style and function and if you do have a kitchen island, you're missing a trick if you don't add a kitchen island pendant.

One of our favourites is this Ola from Masiero, but if you're on a smaller budget we have kitchen island lights at a variety of price points. One of our big favourites is the Ideal Lux Norma, which looks great in all kinds of kitchens.

In large or open-plan rooms, there will be multiple spaces within the main area. And a single overhead ceiling light and a lamp or two probably won't be sufficient. So to get the most out of your space, consider adding what's known as 'accent' lighting.

There are several different kinds of accent light. Track lighting, for example, is made up of several light fittings on a horizontal bar. Each light can usually be positioned individually – so you can have one that points to a kitchen worksurface and another pointing to a hob, for example.

Recessed lights are another kind of accent lighting. These are usually small and fit flush with the ceiling, where they shine straight down at whatever is beneath it.

People often ask us "how many lights do I need in my room?" and there's no set answer for this. But in a large open-plan kitchen/living room measuring 30ft x 20ft, as many as 15 different fittings is probably not too many.

That's because you choose lights for different things – to illuminate a dining area, to shed light on a kitchen worksurface, to highlight a piece of art and so on.

We regularly help clients to choose a great mixture of lights, and the results will often be a blend of recessed ceiling lights, pendant lights and also lights that are flush with the ceiling – such as this Schuller Argos 508030D fitting in chrome.

Whatever number of lights you settle on, you'll have ultimate control if some or all of these lights are dimmable.

Dimmable lights can be adjusted to the exact level of lighting you require – and your needs may change throughout the day. Dimmable kitchen lights, for example, may work best on full power when preparing food, and then at a low level when you've settled down in the living room.

To check if a fitting you like is dimmable, take a look at its specifications. And if you're still not sure, please contact our customer support team for help.