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One of the great things about your home is that it’s unique. Decor, furniture, colour schemes – they won’t be the same in any 2 homes. This is what makes your home yours.

Whilst this is a very good thing, sometimes there are difficulties. Dealing with lighting rooms with low ceilings is just one of those, especially if you want to preserve its visual appeal. LED lights however, might just hold the answer.

There are loads of LED lights available on the market now, so the challenge of lighting awkward rooms, as well as saving money in the process, has never been easier.

For the most part, we see low ceilings in period properties and cottages, usually in combination with wooden beams. Having said that, it’s not uncommon to see them in modern houses too. It adds character and charm to the former, but for the latter they are more of an impracticality.

According the experts, the problem is finding fixtures that provide the right amount of light, without creating an obstruction. Your figures should allow a vertical distance of 6 feet 8 inches from the floor in order to prevent collisions.

Unfortunately, this means there isn’t any room for the more traditional, low-hanging luminaires and definitely no chandeliers. Unless you want your house guests to bump their heads, which won’t do them or your expensive fittings any favours.

A better idea would be to use flush or semi-flush fittings. These sit flat against the ceiling and create much more headroom. Even better is that there are loads to choose from, and they’re all compatible with LED lights.

One of the more stylish, discrete options are LED downlights. They come as either fully integrated units, or as a separate bulb and fixture combination, both of which recess into the ceiling.

Our standard LED downlights require 133mm of recess space, whereas our smaller short can downlights only need 80mm of recess space.

Circular holes are cut into the ceiling, into which the fittings are inserted. As older buildings can be a huge fire risk, it is hugely important to make sure all your fittings are fire rated, as they will protect fire spreading from floor to floor for up to 90 minutes.

As an added safety benefit, LEDs generate less heat, so are less likely to start fires too.

LED strip lights are quite a recent innovation, and are often overlooked when it comes to domestic design – despite the fact that they don’t just do the job, they look brilliant!

Their small and compact design makes them perfect (even our thickest strips are just 12mm), particularly against wooden beams where there isn’t much space.

Those who prefer traditional designs may be better off using wall sconces as an alternative to conventional luminaires. These help create the illusion of height by projecting light up the walls and across the ceilings.

A similar effect can also be achieved with floor standing lamps. These can be used in combination with Tiffany-style lamp shades and fabric drapes to create a nice bohemian feel. As LEDs remain cool, you won’t have to worry about unpleasant scorch marks either.

Remember to use bulbs with a wide beam angle too – at least 90^o – such as our 6W 27 SMD GU10 LED Spotlight. Using a narrow beam angle bulb in a room with a low ceiling will create too much glare.

By paying close care and attention, you’ll find that where your room once felt oppressive and claustrophobic, it now seems charming and comfortable. See what you can do with LED lights today!

For more advice on styling your rooms, give our team a call on 0116 321 4120, or send us an email to cs@wled.co.uk.

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