stair and bathroom lighting - ideas?

[newflatowner]

hi,

soon to get an electrician in for installing a cooker hood in kitchen, and have a few other things to do to - so thought i'd do all electric jobs in one go.

Therefore a couple of questions - considering asking them to put soft foot level lighting into staircase (maybe every other stair or so). Want to use LED lighting. Has anyone got any experience of this? good lighting products

On a fairly limited budget but want it to look smart and be recessed into the wall.

and does it generally look good? (rather than tacky)

Bathroom - want to change from horrific single pine/glass bubble ceiling light to downlighters. Are there any stylish (stainless steel fitting) low energy alternatives suitable for a bathroom?

Thanks heaps! I can do decorating (ish) - electrics is NOT my strong side and thought better left to the experts

 

[Space cat]

- considering asking them to put soft foot level lighting into staircase (maybe every other stair or so).

Personally, I would find it a bit off-putting to have alternate treads in darkness. If you're going to do this, make all of them the same.

does it generally look good? (rather than tacky)

What is and isn't 'tacky' is very much in the eye of the beholder. Fashion is so fickle. Think back to the sixties when flat surfaces were all the rage. How many panelled doors and spindled balustrades were covered over with hardboard? Or what about the current fad for baths with all the pipework exposed below? (Look carefully at the adverts for such bathrooms and you'll generally see a carefully placed towel hiding the plumbing. )

There are no right answers other than the universal design rule: form follows function. It's your staircase so do it how you want it.

 

[newflatowner]

lol - very true!! didn't think of that. thanks

 

[17thman]

hi, quick reply, if you have a flat, why are you considering stair lighting??

 

[FourFootMedia]

hi, quick reply, if you have a flat, why are you considering stair lighting??

Split level flats have stairs

 

[newflatowner]

yes not completely bonkers- guess right word is maisonette? is a split level flat with a rather boring straight staircase that's also a little dark and it's a concrete square box that's not really been done much with since the 70s. it's getting better slowly

 

[Space cat]

it's a concrete square box that's not really been done much with since the 70s

I think floor level lights for your stairs would go well in this kind of flat. Generally speaking, I'm not in favour of 'themes' (Listen up you morons; the 'right' shampoo bottle for your bathroom is the one ASDA are selling half price. ) but you wouldn't want to put floor level LED lighting into a 100 year old staircase with hand carved newels and spindles now would you!

Don't pay too much attention to anything you see in adverts for kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, etc. They only want to sell you stuff and their photo sets aren't for living in. How many times do you see a flat screen TV stuck high up on the wall as if it was a picture frame because 'it fills the space nicely'? And how long could you sit and watch it before you got a stiff neck? Just ask yourself how each bit of the flat is supposed to function and the form will, mostly, follow automatically. Example: Those lights are there to illuminate the stairs so it follows that you need one per tread.