Freelance engineering office for lighting design & planningNeeds first, then the luminaire
The industry initiative licht.de sums up the principle: lighting design starts with the question of how much light is needed, for what purpose and in which place; only then are lamps and luminaires selected [1]. In practice, this means taking the floor plan, drawing in the furniture and noting for each zone what happens there – cooking, reading, eating, arriving, relaxing.
The three layers of light
- Ambient light (general lighting): provides orientation and evens out strong differences in brightness between zones [1]. Typical solutions are ceiling luminaires, indirect coves or wall washers.
- Task light (zone lighting): brings light to where a visual task takes place – dining table, worktop, reading corner [1]. Pendant luminaires and adjustable spots are the tools here; the more flexible the aiming, the better the light hits its target.
- Accent light: highlights pictures, plants or architectural details and gives the room depth [1].
Room by room
| Room | Zones and typical solutions |
|---|---|
| Living room | Indirect ambient light, reading light by the armchair, accents on walls and shelves, all switchable and dimmable separately |
| Kitchen | Even light on the worktop without self-shadowing (under-cabinet lights), ambient light, pendants over the island if needed |
| Dining area | Pendant above the table that emphasises the area and provides glare-free, clearly visible light for eating, playing and working [1] |
| Bathroom | Wall lights to the left and right of the mirror for a shadow-free face, downlights in the shower area, soft light under furniture [1] |
| Hallway and stairs | Orientation light, step lighting, motion sensors with night-light mode |
Colour temperature to suit the use
Warm colour temperatures up to about 2,700 kelvin have a calming effect and suit cosy living situations; cooler colours above 3,300 kelvin are activating and suit areas where concentration is needed [2]. In a home this usually means warm white in living rooms and bedrooms, and slightly cooler or tunable white at workplaces.
Typical design mistakes
- Only one central ceiling light per room – flat, shadowy light.
- Luminaires fixed before the furniture layout – the dining table later does not sit under the pendant.
- Too few circuits and switches – lighting scenes are later only possible with considerable effort.
- Glaring spots in the line of sight from sofa or bed.
When a lighting designer pays off
At the latest when electrical planning and the building shell are due: cable routes, recess depths for downlights and controls can only be defined cost-effectively at this point. A lighting design with visualisation shows how rooms will look in the evening before the first hole is drilled.
Planning in seven steps
- Use analysis: who uses the room, when and for what?
- Furniture plan as the basis for all luminaire positions
- Lighting concept with ambient, zone and mood lighting
- Luminaire selection by light colour, colour rendering (Ra ≥ 90), glare control and dimmability
- Electrical plan with lighting circuits, switches, dimmers or bus system
- Visualisation of the evening effect before execution
- Sampling and fine-tuning of lighting scenes after moving in
Controls and lighting scenes
Lighting scenes are created from separately switchable and dimmable lighting circuits. Whether conventional dimmers, DALI or a smart-home system makes sense depends on the size of the house, the budget and the desired operation. What matters is that cable routes and switch positions are fixed before the shell is built – changing them later is expensive. Tips on light colour, colour rendering and glare can be found in the article Light colour, colour rendering, glare.
Frequently asked questions
How many luminaires does a living room need?
There is no fixed number. The zones are decisive: at least one light source for ambient light, one per activity area and one or two accent lights are a good starting point.
Is dimming important?
Yes. Dimmable and separately switchable circuits are the prerequisite for creating different moods with the same luminaires.
Which light colour suits the bedroom?
Warm-white, easily dimmable light around 2,700 K. For reading, a separately switchable, glare-free reading light is recommended.
Sources (in German)
Author: Paul Rostand Ndjeundoun, M.Sc. (Hons), Certified Lighting Expert (LiTG), Registered European Lighting Expert · As of November 2026. Standard values have been carefully researched but do not replace consulting the currently valid edition of the standard.