Bhg
  • Shop
  • News
  • Food
  • DIY
  • Garden
  • Renovating
  • Decorating
  • Health
  • TV
  • Hard to Find
Bhg
  • Shop
  • News
  • Food
  • DIY
  • Garden
  • Renovating
  • Decorating
  • Health
  • TV
  • Hard to Find
Subscribe
  1. Home
  2. DIY

How to choose the right ceiling lights for your home

A guide to the main types of overhead fittings. - by Better Homes and Gardens
  • 02 Mar 2021
How to choose the right ceiling lights for your home

Adding more illumination to your home can quickly change the mood and ambience of a space, but with so many styles of lights on offer it can be hard to narrow it down to one. 

When it comes to ceiling lights, this style has the designated duty of making sure a room is well-lit. However as it falls into the category of ambient lighting, it can light up a room with varying intensities with everything from down-lights to strip lights on offer. 

When deciding on what type of ceiling lights to invest in, consider how focused or diffuse you would like the light to be. Even though overhead lights typically fill an entire room, some styles can be directed to provide more intense illumination in a specific area.

Downlights

downlights in roof
Getty

This form of lighting has been one of the most popular choices in new homes constructed over the last decade or so. Down-lighting involves an array of multiple fittings recessed into the ceiling, so that the pools of light from them overlap for even illumination. The sockets often feature a gimbal which allows the light to be angled slightly in the most suitable direction. Formerly the domain of low-voltage halogen downlights, this field is rapidly becoming dominated by LED (light emitting diode) solutions shaped to be compatible with halogen light sockets.

Oyster lights

oyster lights
Getty

Often found in older properties, oyster lights are usually circular, low-profile fittings that are surface-mounted on the ceiling instead of being recessed. They use either round fluorescent tubes or arrays of classic-shaped light bulbs to provide wide-angle illumination, and are usually mounted in the centre of the room.

Strip lights

kitchen strip light
Getty

An inexpensive way to illuminate a large space such as a garage, strip lighting usually involves basic, utilitarian fittings that hold fluorescent tubes. But strip lights can be a classy solution as well: the fittings themselves can be concealed in ceiling alcoves or mounted under a bank of kitchen cabinets to provide rich, diffused light without compromising on style.

Batten-fix lights

baten fix lights
Getty

In its simplest form, a batten-fix light is nothing more than a surface-mounted socket for a classic light bulb. In practice, the socket usually features an integrated metal collar that holds a glass cloche to cover the bulb. This is another variety that is usually considered more traditional than modern, although there is an incredibly wide range of designs available -- including plenty that are right at home in the 21st century. Not all are compatible with CFLs (compact fluorescent lights), but fortunately there are globe-shaped LED solutions that fit them perfectly.

Pendants

hangling lights
Getty

Add ‘wow’ factor to a room using a stunning designer pendant. Available in an incredible range of shapes, styles and finishes, pendant lights can brighten a living space as much through their stunning appearance as through the glow they produce. Some pendants throw a relatively focussed pool of light, putting them more in the category of accent lighting.

Overhead fittings give you so many options for lighting up your life, you’re bound to find the perfect solution for illuminating any living space.

  • DIY
  • Decorating
  • Better Life

Treat yourself to a subscription-Save up to 25%

Plus, your chance to win

Subscribe Now
Treat yourself to a subscription

Treat yourself to a subscription-Save up to 25%

Plus, your chance to win

Subscribe Now
Treat yourself to a subscription

Recommended to you

YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR
Watch 6:32

YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR

{headline}

{headline}

The brightest outdoor lighting ideas to create your dream garden

The brightest outdoor lighting ideas to create your dream garden

All about skylights with Pete

All about skylights with Pete

4 types of indoor lighting for your home

4 types of indoor lighting for your home

Reader project: How to make glass pendant lamps with a Target bowl

Reader project: How to make glass pendant lamps with a Target bowl

{headline}

{headline}

11 creative bathroom lighting ideas

11 creative bathroom lighting ideas

12 affordable lights from Bunnings that look expensive

12 affordable lights from Bunnings that look expensive

Light up your life!

Light up your life!

{headline}

{headline}

Switch it up!

Switch it up!

 Designer lights

Designer lights

How to choose the best ceiling fans for your home

How to choose the best ceiling fans for your home

The best floor lamps to suit every design taste and style

The best floor lamps to suit every design taste and style

How to use smart coloured lighting to create stunning effects

How to use smart coloured lighting to create stunning effects

15 of the best bedroom lighting ideas

15 of the best bedroom lighting ideas

The one-of-a-kind indoor plant chandelier you need to buy now

The one-of-a-kind indoor plant chandelier you need to buy now

Bhg
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Bhg Magazine Subscribe
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

Brands

  • All Recipes
  • BHG Shop
  • Girlfriend
  • Home Beautiful
  • New Idea
  • New Idea Food
  • Practical Parenting

Our Network

  • marie claire
  • Beauty Crew
  • Who
  • Women's Weekly Food
  • Bounty Parents
  • That’s Life
  • Perth Now
  • The West Australian
  • 7Plus
  • 7mate
  • 7NEWS
  • 7Sport
  • Sunrise
  • Starts at 60
  • Hard to Find
© 2022 Are Media PTY LTD
All products are independently selected, tested or recommended by our team of experts.If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Get more from Better Homes and Gardens

Magazine Subscription Offer

Treat yourself to a subscription-Save up to 25%

Shop This Offer
Treat yourself to a subscription