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Lighting Building a Home Design Dilemma

where to cull on lighting?

last year

My builder has advised that we need to cull almost half a dozen lights to stay under our PS amount. Just wondering how anyone else has resolved this issue.
We could happily get a sparky contact to reinstate the culled lights later but how do we set up for that?
We could just pay the extra to get it right, but maybe there are some lights we can do without so how do we know? Is there a rough guide on how far apart one needs their light spaced. I’m particularly concerned about aborting the ones in the living and dining area as there’s effectively an invisible hall to the kitchen through here - a main thoroughfare. Same goes for the one earmarked to go in the middle of the main hallway to the bedrooms. I’m sure it’s not the end of the world and we’d cope but it’s so hard to feel a place that hasn’t been built yet. Just trying to mitigate too much future regret.
Seeing Beacon tomorrow so I’m sure they’ll ‘shed light’ on this issue too. But they’ll also be after sales. So I’d appreciate any experiential feedback.

Comments (11)

bigreader
last year
In the bedrooms I have a fan with a light and get rid of all the downlights in there. They aren’t needed and are probably going to be in the wrong place. You can add bedside and desk lamps for task lighting once you are in. Many new houses over do down lights. I agree with the suggestion to consider your furniture placement.
swich5 thanked bigreader
Best Answer
Jacqueline French
last year
I am no expert but i am assuming you must be somewhere it is quite hot with all those ceiling fans! The two in the living dining area don’t quite work for me and are these going to be your main form of cooling??

I think you could forgo one downlight in the hallway and one or two in the kitchen/dining area. I would be trying to make them a bit more uniformed in this area but I’m sure Beacon will be all over it and my experience with them have been good. My main advice is pay for the dimmable lights as that is really functional
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swich5
Original Author
last year
For clarity, I'm mainly concerned with the green highlighted markings for downlight (started off blue). The large black 'X's are the ones builder is suggesting we cull if we want to stick to budget.

I'm having trouble attaching the floorplan with dimensions so a rough idea:

Whole house under faintly visible roofline is 16730 x 11400. Living and dining areas of concern are: 4050 x 3520 (longest living room walls), 3500 x 2800 (dining wall x kitchen island), hallways are both 1000 (some of hall already accounted for in kitchen island bench). The longer hallway is 6,710 long, entry hall is just less than 3760 before opening up to the dining, but there would be no lights until around the corner and well into half of the room.
swich5
Original Author
last year
Yes Jacqueline, we are in Qld, and at the moment, the humidity is stifling. Not much breeze til late afternoon for months and we're not going to have air con in for at least the first Summer. I get those fans don't work for you but builder hasn't batted an eyelid, ha ha! I must admit, I don't love obstructing the kitchen pendants but I have small kids and our dining table is a homework space, crafting bay, meeting point with friends for morning teas, etc, not just a dinner table, so it's imperative we have a fan somewhere in this space. We currently have the same layout of dining, living, kitchen and there is just one fan between the dining and living and it does absolutely nothing for anyone in either of those rooms (I currently have two pedestals blaring, ha ha!), so it was high on my list to amend...somehow!

As for the lights, I'm glad you have confidence in Beacon. I wasn't sure how much of their advice centres on design vs functional layout of lighting. I think your idea of many dimmers is great! I had requested it already for master and MPR (front lounge area) but wondered if I would be being pedantic seeing them elsewhere. But I think it would be great to be able to dim the lights in the living area as you're winding down for the evening, maybe reading a book or just creating some atmosphere.

Thanks for your input.
PRO
MB Design & Drafting
last year
Half a dozen lights is say around $600 labour + the light itself.

Defiantly seek some advice from a professional or some one who has a better knowledge of lighting. It looks like a fairly standard lighting plan too.... look good on paper but maybe not ideal once furniture is placed.
swich5
Original Author
last year
Thanks for the cost tip. I'll bear that in mind.
dreamer
last year
I agree with big reader, install fans with lights, remove other ceiling lights in bedrooms. These are not required. Task lighting is better.
swich5
Original Author
last year
Great idea guys! I’d completely forgotten we’d considered fan lights but then designer came up with this plan as his standard. If we substitute some downs in the bedrooms with fans, perhaps there’s less compromise needed in the living areas.
PRO
MMAD Architecture
last year
Fan lights are your best option for the bedrooms. I can count 11 downlights that can be removed in the bedrooms. You may want to keep a couple in the master bedroom for a point of difference but they're probably not necessary in a space that size just make sure they're located at the foot of the bed not above the bed (and especially not above your pillows) Downlights are meant as task lights but have become common in spaces that traditionally would make better use of space lighting such as living areas. If you haven't already specified it I'd suggest putting the living room and maybe the dining on dimmers. If the front room near the entry backing onto the garage is a study you may want to keep the downlights and locate them over where you're likely to place a desk. The other bonus with fan lights is they have a remote to operate the light meaning it can be operated from bed. Cheers
swich5
Original Author
last year
Thanks so much for this input MMAD Architecture!
brizcs
last year
Another point. It’s worth checking that the illumination from the downlights isn’t compromised by separate fans. Keep them well apart when they share a ceiling. Check how the light falls in the areas like the sitting and dining room. Important to avoid that flickering strobe effect you get when the lights are viewed from an angle through the moving blades of the fan. Really uncomfortable to read or chat under flashing lights, and not forgetting their seizure inducing potential. All the best with your build.
swich5 thanked brizcs

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