Browse Forums Lighting + Lighting Design 1 Jan 02, 2013 1:00 am I'm interested in hearing about what alternative lighting options people have used for living areas and still achieved a high quality modern and contemporary look (ie not dimmable LED downlights ) - pictures would be great - many thanks Re: Alternatives to downlights 2Jan 26, 2013 2:28 am Hi JulieR, Glad that this topic came up. It was common to add a false ceiling to house the down lights. The multiple down light locations in turn required multiple power points which increased the cost. Considering space, there is lost headroom. Our solution was to replace the false ceiling and down lights with chandlers, build in lights under the fan and wall lightings. you can see the photos and details through the links below http://hdbrenovation2009.blogspot.sg/20 ... tings.html http://hdbrenovation2009.blogspot.sg/20 ... -feel.html Re: Alternatives to downlights 3Jan 29, 2013 12:33 pm Are you after a surface mounted product or do you not like the way down lights distribute light. Re: Alternatives to downlights 4Apr 12, 2013 6:17 pm I'm glad I found your thread, Julie -- there seem to be a huge number of posts about downlights in this sub-forum, so it's nice to see someone bucking the trend! As a designer, I find lighting to be the most important thing in a house... it's possible to create wonderful spaces with the simplest lighting setups. Very few situations call for bright, overhead downlights (the kitchen is really the only place you should use these) -- but that doesn't stop almost everyone from using rows of the things across their loungeroom ceiling, like some sort of inverted airport runway...! There's two keys to successful lighting: layering and shadow. Layering involves various lights in the room that illuminate areas for their specific use: that is, a lamp on a side table, a spotlight illuminating a picture frame, a wall uplight to brighten the room without any harsh glare (if you can ever see a bare bulb or filament with the naked eye, you've done something wrong). Having multiple light sources allows you to change the mood as you see fit. Shadow is the other forgotten element. While the downlight brigade likes to light every single corner of the room, they forget that the human eye is drawn to bright areas -- and you can only get those with contrasting shadowed areas. There's nothing wrong with a dim backwall that can only be illuminated by a single lamp, or a comfy chair secreted in a shadowed alcove. Shadows can provide drama, texture, or even comfort. So toss the downlights. There's hundreds of online stores with beautiful lights. Get creative! My storybook home build: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=57987 11 23147 |