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Ceiling lights for stairs and landing areas are just one of the ways you can add illumination to your stairwells. Stair riser lights, step lighting and wall lighting are other methods of illuminating these important parts of a house or building.
From LED step lights to LED wall lights to stair ceiling light fittings, this article will explore some staircase lighting ideas for you to consider. Alongside the stairs lighting ideas, we will also explore the importance of staircase lights and how to incorporate them into your space.
Why Do You Need to Light a Staircase?
Recessed LED wall lights, stair landing lighting and staircase lighting are just a few of the many stair lighting ideas you can consider, but all of them play an important role: illuminating a high traffic area in the space.
Stairs are a focal point in many homes and hotels, and with the right staircase lights ideas employed, you can make the most of them.
Besides using stairway lighting ideas for beautifying the space, lighting a stairwell can also enhance the overall safety and accessibility of the space. Dark spots and shadows may pose a risk to the safety of those who use it.
Ideas for Ways to Light a Staircase
Statement Stairwell Lighting Ideas
Make the most of all of that vertical space in a stairwell by adding dramatic lighting to it. One of the best ways to do this is to add a statement pendant that hangs from the ceiling or by adding a large chandelier. This can make the most use of the empty space while also making the stairs an artistic focal point.
Under Stair Lighting Ideas
If you want to enhance the staircase, you can start with some LED lighting ideas for the stairs themselves. Placing lights beneath the steps can create a soft glow that not only adds modern, minimalistic light but outlines each and every step to make them safer. Generally, strip lighting is best for this.
Stair Landing Lighting Ideas
The stair landing is just as important as the steps themselves. Make the landing a welcoming place to arrive at by adding wall lights, a ceiling light or some accent lighting to warm up the space. You can also use this opportunity to employ statement lights to further enhance the overall visual appeal of the stairs.
LED Light Ideas for Walls
Using low level wall lighting, you can bring ambient LED lights ideas to life on your staircase. Place the lights along each individual stair on the wall, or instead space them out over every other step. This will cast a glow across the steps, adding visual intrigue while also elevating the safety features of the stairs.
Stairway Ceiling Lighting Ideas
Along with the statement lights in larger staircases, you can add ambient light in other ways. Choose smaller ceiling lights to line the path above the stairs leading the way up and down. You could also opt for a solitary light above smaller staircases that shine light across the entire area.
How To Use Step Lights on a Staircase
There are three main ways that you can use step lighting on staircases: on the steps, on the wall and under the steps.
- ON THE STEPS. To provide your steps with subtle accents and a soft glow, on-step lighting is the way to go. You can install these lights along the tread of the steps to cast illumination along the entire step. Because the lights are focused so heavily on each individual step, you won’t have to worry about them impacting the overall brightness level of the stairwell or surrounding rooms.
- ON THE WALL. Installing lights along the wall of the staircase will provide a similar effect while adding more ambient light in dark stairwells. Placing them on the wall beside the steps will spread light out across the tops of the steps. Not only is this contemporary and visually appealing, but it will make the staircase more visible and therefore safer to walk on.
- UNDER THE STEPS. Similarly to on-step lighting, lights under the stairs will provide a subtle and modern glow. These are especially a good option for open or floating stairs with no riser between them. It is an attractive low-profile option for modern spaces.
How To Use a Pendant Light or Chandelier to Light a Stairwell
If you have a high stairwell, chances are there will be ample open vertical space to take advantage of. Adding modern pendant lighting can fill in some of that area while creating a dramatic statement to enhance the overall appearance of the staircase.
You can get a statement pendant that will light the area from above, which can improve the appearance of smaller staircases by making them seem taller and more spacious.
In larger stairwells, you could choose to hang more than one pendant light. Hang up clusters of similar lights arranged around each another to create a modern and artistic look. Get creative with the style of the fittings to turn your stairwell into a work of art.
Pendant lights are also well suited for use on stairwell landings. All of the empty space that is present in the stairwell can benefit from a pendant hanging from the ceiling to fill in some of that space while also illuminating it well.
Why LEDs Are the Best for Staircase Lighting
When considering your outdoor staircase lighting ideas, aesthetics aren’t the only thing to think about. This is true for any indoor stair lighting ideas you may have as well. You’ll need to consider the bulbs and illumination itself, not just the appearance of the fitting.
LED bulbs are considered to be the best option for lighting of all kinds, but this is especially true for stairwell lighting. LED light bulbs are low maintenance and will therefore not require you to constantly be down on the floor and the stairs to replace them. They are also long lasting, with an average minimum life of 20,000 hours, so you will have to buy fewer of them over time.
Thanks to their versatility in colour temperatures, you can choose cool or warm lights depending on what kind of staircase you are lighting and in what location. The brightness is something else you can choose, with LED lights coming in various lumen counts, so you can easily stay in control of the brightness.
LED lights are also famously well suited for the environment and output less heat, so you will also be doing your part to reduce environmental damage by using them.
What Are the Regulations for Commercial Stairwell Lighting?
Published in 1997, there are regulatory requirements in the UK that must be followed when installing stair lighting in commercial spaces. For instance, the guide specifies minimum illumination levels that are needed. The average illumination levels for an indoor staircase cap out around 20 lux, with a 5 lux minimum.
When it comes to indoor workplaces, BS EN 12464-1:2011 stipulates that the average illumination should be around 100 lux for employees to be able to walk up and down the stairs most safely.
Ideas For Stairwell Lighting
With the Halo Round 1 Watt Recessed LED Wall Light, you can illuminate the wall leading up the staircase, providing supplemental lighting. This sconce features a circular shape with openings on the side to allow the light to wash the wall in two “wings.” It outputs 70 lumens of 3200k warm white light, making it pleasant and ensuring it doesn’t blind you as you walk up the stairs.
The LSL001 Square 1 Watt Recessed LED Wall Light is a great choice for lighting the treads of a stairway. You can recess it into the wall down low by the tread and allow it to shine its long beam out across it. You can install this light on as many steps as you see fit without them being too much for the space. The silver-toned wall light outputs 70 lumens of 3200k warm white light.
Illuminate the wall in your stairwell and landing with the LSL008A Square 1 Watt Recessed LED Wall Light. The square-shaped wall light outputs 70 lumens of 3000k warm white LED light, which will wash the wall with light for safe passage. This creates a halo effect that provides subtle illumination and artistic flair.
Using the LSL707 3 Watt Recessed LED Wall Light With Movement Sensor, you can save energy while safely lighting a staircase. The light will only turn on when it senses people walking up or down, at which point it will shine a wide beam of light across the top of the step. It outputs 170 lumens of 3000k warm white illumination and has a sensor range of three meters.
Turn your stairwell into an artistic display with the LWA438 12 Watt LED Interior Wall Uplighter Fitting on the wall. The ultra-modern light fitting features a flat square shape upon which the LED bulbs rest. It shines light straight up and back onto the wall, washing it with 1000 lumens of 3000k warm white light in a soft fan shape. The sconces come in your choice of either black or white finishes.
Make a statement with your stairwell pendant lighting by hanging the LPL367 15 Watt Triple Hexagonal LED Pendant Light. The light features a unique honeycomb shape created by three adjacent hexagonal shades. Available in black, white or gray, the light complements any style of decor or paint colour. The statement fitting outputs 1200 lumens of 3000k warm white light.
