Linear Lights

Linear LED light ceiling fixtures are great for spreading a lot of light over an area. That said, it takes a little thought to ensure the light is distributed well.

Having an understanding of beam angle and spread will take you far. Many LED fixtures have a wide beam angle between 90 and 120 degrees which is great for general ambient illumination. For task lighting, you may want to have slightly narrower beams to focus light right where you want it.

Match the length of the fixture to the surface area itself. For example, a 600 millimetre fixture works well with compact worktops or small tables. Larger surfaces look best with larger fixtures measuring between 1200 and 1500 millimetres.

Where you position it also matters. Ceiling mounted linear lights need to be spaced evenly across the room in order to avoid gaps and shadows. Pendant lights should be cantered over whatever surface they are lighting. In long hallways, stagger the modern linear flush mount light fixtures to create a sense of rhythm.

One easy way to ensure you are always getting the right light level is to choose dimmable lights. Lights that dim give you the opportunity to control the brightnesses during different times of day.

Colour temperature, or CCT, is a metric that measures how cool or warm a light is perceived to be. Colour temperatures exist on a spectrum between 1,000 and 10,000 Kelvin units. Cool lights have higher Kelvin ratings, while warmer lights have lower ratings.

Warm white light between 2700K and 3000K creates an inviting, cosy atmosphere that makes it ideal for residential and hospitality-focused spaces. Neutral white light between 3500K and 4000K provides a nice balance between clarity and warmth. Finally, cool white light at 5000K and above provides high contrast illumination and is ideal for commercial environments.

General recommendations for different rooms include:

• 4000K neutral white lighting for kitchen islands and worktops
• 2700K to 3000K warm white light for relaxing dining areas
• 4000K neutral white light for home offices and hallways
• 4000K to 5000K for retail and commercial spaces

Whatever colour temperature you choose, be sure you do not mix warm and cool lights in the same space. This can cause visual clashing and can make the lights in the room less pleasant.

With a pendant light, there are things to consider that you wouldn’t have to worry about with a flush mount linear light fixture. A hanging LED linear ceiling light relies on a drop cable or rods to support it, and those come in different lengths.

It is important that you hang them at the right height for wherever you intend to place it. There are a few factors to consider when deciding how to hang your pendant light.

Ceiling height must be first taken into account; standard height ceilings should have a drop between 700 and 900 millimetres in length. Higher ceilings should have drops between 1.2 meters or more.

You should also be sure you are adding enough clearance over 750 millimetres and 850 millimetres. This ensures there is plenty of light spread without getting in the way.

For visual balance, pendants should be hung low enough to be able to define the space, but still high enough to avoid a feeling of intrusiveness. In multi-pendant setups, be sure there are consistent drop lengths and that you are spacing them symmetrically.

You will also need to decide if you want to use them for task or ambient lighting. Task lighting should be hung further down, closer to the area that you are doing activities. Ambient lighting can be hung higher up to diffuse light more thoroughly throughout the room.