Spacing, colour temperature, dimming and insulation clearances — how to plan a downlight layout that looks designed rather than dotted.
Spacing that flatters the room
A useful starting point is one 8–10W LED downlight per 1.5–2m² of floor area, kept roughly 600–900mm off walls so light washes the vertical surfaces rather than pooling in the middle of the floor.
Resist the urge to centre lights on the room. Aligning them to benches, islands and joinery almost always looks more intentional.
Colour temperature changes everything
For living areas and bedrooms, 3000K warm white is the safest premium choice. Kitchens and bathrooms can take 3500K–4000K where task visibility matters. Mixing temperatures within one sightline is the single most common mistake we are called in to fix.
Tri-colour fittings let you set the temperature at installation, which is handy when you are unsure.
Dimming, drivers and insulation
Flicker is nearly always a mismatch between the dimmer and the LED driver. A trailing-edge dimmer matched to the fitting, with the total load above the dimmer's minimum, solves it.
Fittings must also meet insulation clearance requirements. IC-rated fittings can be covered by insulation; non-rated ones cannot, and covering them is a genuine fire risk.
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