with such high ceilings I think you could find some really beautiful pendants.

Hi. In our previous home and our current one, we had two downlights over each of the beds, and a ceiling fan with light in the centre of each bedroom. We also used lamps for reading in bed. I wish I had thought to have pendants on the each side of the bed in master bedroom, though. I think they look so elegant. Were you thinking of a central pendant in each child's room? Depending on their ages and level of rambunctuiousness, you might consider the material, as kids can easily break say, a glass pendant. You could adjust the drop as appropriate. I sometimes hear people say that pendants are just a fad, but they have been around for a very long time, and I don't see that changing. And the good thing is you can always swap out a pendant as your tastes change. Best wishes with your Reno and extension. Very exciting times for you and your family. :)

We chose not to have a pendant in our master bedroom because we prefer a more even light, but both the kids have a dimmable pendant and downlights. Both chose funky lights from Ikea - not expensive and they look great. The kids really wanted pendants to style their rooms.

We all have a wall light by our beds as well - we were used to that - but it does mean that you have to be certain where the bed is going to be. I still haven't chosen ours and if I was to plan again, I think I might not have them.

My favourite lighting option is to have the main bedroom light/s two-wayed (or three wayed in the master) so that they can be turned on and off from the bed. I really missed this when we stayed in a rental while renovating. I like this because it helps me get up in the morning if I have the light on.

This was also a great option for my daughter who has a loft bed - she can climb up with the light on and turn it off from her bed. I wish I done the same for my other daughter because it is convenient not to have to stumble in the dark. Once again you have to be certain about bed placement for this option to be useful.

Hope this helps.

Use wall lights if possible. They can act as bedside lights, task lighting over a desk or picture, and add a decor item to the room.

Unless you have relatively high ceilings pendant lights/fans can be a nuisance/danger and spot lights are woeful over beds.

I really miss our dimmable pendant lights. The new house is all down lights and just too bright, even the lowest luminens. Depending on your childrens age and hyperactivity level, I found the down lights just revved up my little girl. We've now put in ceiling fans for cooling but also for alternative lighting

I'd put in a ceiling fan with a light instead of a pendant .

I also popped in two wall lights that's dimmable for the kids so they can read at night

Decided on wall lights as the beds cannot be moved to any other position in the room

If you go for down lights you will need to leave a gap around them of 100 mm between the recessed part and insulation so the insulation doesn't catch on fire. This also creates a problem with the thermal performance of your home because heat can move freely through the ceiling where there is no insulation. It can make a big difference even if there are only a few down lights. Also, down lights are very directional (send most of their light straight down) so you need to put more in to get the same effect. You could try track lights that attach to the ceiling instead. If you want a pendant go for something cheap and easy to replace if it is damaged by toys/clothes or whatever being thrown around. Ikea have lots. FYI dimmers don;t educe the power consumption, merely reduce the intensity of the light.

There are now IC-F 'abutted and covered' downlights which you can cover with insulation and also butt up to a concrete slab.

Our recent renovation has both downlights and pendants throughout the house including all bedrooms. Both electrician and builder recommended dimmable pendants as opposed to dimming the downlights as they are expensive to replace when they blow and by not placing dimmers on each light switch we saved a fortune. I love the ability to be able to choose our mood.

There are some interesting recommendations there and the professionals are correct in the new downlights rated for under insulation, but everything thats been talked about are FIXED options bar 1. A tracked system fixes a powered track to the ceiling the lights are then clipped into place in the track positioned and pointed to where you want the light, the cheapest option is a single circuit system, meaning they all come on with a single switch. However a 3 circuit system would give you switching options allowing 3 different circuits and the ability to also "Fix" a pendant to it as well. Ask at your local lighting store or a specialty lighting supplier .

Pendants!!! Make the most of your high ceilings...even though you are going for a more modern look you can still get modern pendants! They add character and are not as harsh as downlights. We have both in the main bedroom and dimmable downlights in the kids room but if I had it my way I would choose pendants everytime!