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TLDR are a couple of aimable GU10s in the ceiling a good reading/working light, in addition to normal lights?
Just recently bought a 1960s house with a front-back long living room and pretty crap lighting in it- I'm renting an almost identical place and the 2 standard ceiling fixings even with powerful bulbs in are just not up to the job. I've been working round it with lamps but at the moment I have the carpet and parts of the floor up in the upstairs, and the downstairs ceiling needs decorating, so it's a perfect time to add more light.
At the very least I'm going to smack in a 3rd standard ceiling lamp more or less right between the two, which should cheer the room up and be good enough for almost everything, plus have plenty of room to add more light easily if need be.
But I got to thinking about downlighters, mostly for reading, or stuff like building lego on the floor in front of the fire (no there is no child in this house, this is for me!). I could throw a couple into the key bit of the ceiling very easily and use smart bulbs to switch them just when needed.
I've never had downlighters or really paid them any attention, so my question really is, do they make a useful work/reading light? Is the light pattern etc useful for that sort of thing? I sit in the same place pretty much all the time, like an old man, so aim isn't a problem.
Have these in my house. Easy to fit would recommend 5*
They just work not much more to say
They're very good but you should look at a "down lights per m² ceiling space" calculator. I've just put some in our casita, worked out at 24 lights in a 50m² space and it's about right. More would be too much, fewer would not work at least in the kitchen area.
Thanks Ox, I've seen that sort of guide/calculator but they seem like they're mostly for primary lighting, rather than making a supplemental/work light?
I find down lights are really annoying for stuff like reading. Too spotty and liable to casting shadows, especially if you are leaning over a surface to build Lego. Got them in our kitchen and they are crap even after changing the bulbs, we took them out of the bathroom and repaired the ceiling.
I've got a floor standing uplighter lamp that takes an R7 bulb, it's brilliant for this as it floodlights the white ceiling and gives you bright but diffused shadow free light across the whole room, we use it loads and in preference to the (not downlighter) main lights normally. It's also got a bendy reading light which is handy but doesn't tend to get used unless someone is doing cross stitch and needs ALL the light 🙂
Downlights are great, esp the modern stuff low energy led etc
But for your specific use case - not quite so great, they would have to be in exactly the right place to not be spotty, cast a shadow over your book / Lego wip. Reading is easily solved by use of an e-reader:) Lego not so much.
there’s a 3 lamp IKEA floor light we have that we all use for this kind of stuff. This https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/hektar-floor-lamp-with-3-spot-dark-grey-60393603/
also use an old work classic anglepoise for small work stuff.
don’t get me wrong downlights are great and can improve light quality in a room & if you can spring to hue bulbs you can adjust the light amazingly for concentrating work, relaxing etc.
I'd recommend floor-standing lights for reading and work.
Ceiling lights are just for vacuuming-type work where a bit of shadow doesn't matter as much and anything on the floor is an obstacle 🙂
Despite the Sunday supplement / back of Private Eye advertising and eye watering prices I would recommend a ‘Serious Readers’ light, or two. After using one at a relative’s house to read with I eventually got one for reading. Am aiming to get another to use at my Lego table someday.
intense, bright light with a very pleasing, slightly warm, spectrum. The one with dimming and variable focus is great. I’d recommend black finish over the ‘hospital’ cream/white finish. Seeing the latter in our living room it’s a bit institutional. My relatives have the black one and it looks like any old reading lamp.
if you’re intent on ceiling lights then lots of GU10 LEDs will be needed to eliminate shadow zones unless you have high ceilings. In which case lots will be needed to get the light intensity you’ll need.
OK thanks folks, that's more or less what I was worried about! I guess I'll lay in some wires to make it easy to add lights in future but leave off actually fitting any, and just see how it all works out once the room's built. Thanks!