How do I light a low ceiling room? Recently a customer asked us this question. Since this is one question we get asked a lot, we decided to dedicate an entire post to it.
Here’s the thing. Creating a bright and airy atmosphere is very much possible, even if the ceiling height is not more than eight feet. In this post we’ll show you how you can get the desired effect without putting in too much effort or gutting your wallet.
Start with the basics
If you frequently browse Pinterest or Instagram, you may think almost everybody lives in a home with large windows through which natural light enters the space unhindered. That, however, is not the case for most people. Research shows standard ceiling height tops at eight feet.
Of course, you can consider moving into a home with a higher ceiling, but believe us, it is much easier to work with what you’ve got than to move elsewhere.
To achieve a well-lit space in a low-ceiling room, start with painting (or repainting) the ceiling with crisp white color. While flat white paint works well for typical height ceilings, a low ceiling benefits from a crisp shade of white.
Why is that so? You may well ask.
Well, higher-sheen shades of white help create a reflective surface which allows light to nicely bounce around the space. In return, this creates a much brighter atmosphere.
However, keep in mind the ceiling should have a uniform surface. That’s because the effect is quite dramatic, which means the greater the gloss, the more imperfections will get noticed.
You may want to consider a satin sheen if your ceiling is in pretty good shape. It works awesomely well in creating a bright atmosphere in a low-ceiling room.
Now that we’ve taken care of the basics, let’s check out the designer recommendations for lighting fixtures for low-ceiling rooms.
Try Recessed Lighting
Recessed lighting enjoys certain benefits over single fixtures. One, it creates a much brighter ambience. Two, it can mimic daylight. And three, it doesn’t take up any space overhead whatsoever. With today’s recessed lighting, you can easily create a seamless look which won’t be noticeable.
The best thing about recessed lighting is that it can give the feeling of natural lighting even when it’s not present. However, for that to happen, pay attention to the colour output of the lighting. Experts recommend looking for recessed lights having an output of 3000 to 4000K.
Consider a Flushmount
Contrary to what many people, overhead fixtures can work seamlessly well in low-ceiling rooms. However, a chandelier or a pendant is a big no-no for low-ceiling rooms. Instead, we recommend you consider flush mounts. They are a superb source of ambient lighting and helps add to the overall illumination of any space. They can easily lighten up even those dark spaces of your rooms. ‘
Flush mounts may conjure up images of out-of-date fixtures having frosted glass dome shades. However, you can easily create a modern look with flush mounts by opting for fixtures having faceted shades. This style works exceedingly well on two counts. One, it is much better looking than builder-grade flush mounts. Two, the larger glass panes are far more efficient when it comes to casting light around a room.
Adopt a layered approach
Do you know how designers create a brighter and more inviting atmosphere in a low-ceiling room? They do so by focusing on not just a single lighting element. Instead, they illuminate a space at different heights using multiple sources. This way they are effectively able to eliminate dark corners without having to increase the wattage of bulbs.
You too can create such an effect by positioning ambient lighting slightly above seated eye-level and standing eye-level. For this purpose, you can use either scones—which add light without taking ceiling space—or table lamps, which work seamlessly well—especially if you vary the height of your lamps—with low ceilings.
You can choose either of the two as per your taste.
Tweak the Floor Lamps
While all the above-mentioned tips are effective at lighting up a low-ceiling room, what if you don’t want to do so without any installation projects? In that case, experts recommend, you should consider tweaking your floor lamps. To brighten up the room, just make sure the light beam of your floor lamps point upward. That way your ceiling will give off a heightened appearance.
Well, that’s just about it on how to light a low ceiling room. Let us know which of these methods worked for you. If you want, you can use two or more of these hacks simultaneously. Before we wrap up this post, we would like to add that you should always purchase high-quality LED light bulbs. That is, LEDs with a CRI rating of 90 and above. Only these LED bulbs offer the most-balanced light, which helps create a perfect ambience in your rooms.