One way to light the place is one one side of the wall, install an Ikea LACK wall shelf. Comes in 2 sizes. 110cm and 190cm. Use as many as needed for one wall. Usually in living room, the whole length above tv as long as the air con is not there. Install it 1 feet down from ceiling. Instead of wall mounted lights, use T5 fluoroscent which can be connected in series without wires. They light up real nice and throw a soft indrect lighting making the place cosy.

Only draw back is the dust that accumulates which has to be wiped once in a while. I do it when changing lights or every 6-9months.

Another way is to use floor lamp lighting. Get those from Ikea. What I've done is to buy two and sacrifice two poles from one of them to make it taller ie about 7 feet or more. The remaining lamp with single pole is used as besdie table lamp or desk lamp. Many ways around.

One thing about downlight is they are directed lighting with the ballast heating up the ceiling space. Over time the heat has nowhere to escape and naturally flow downwards from the plaster ceiling board. After 6-8hours operation, turn it off before going to bed and after that you get the idea how hot and stuffy it can get.

Give and take la.

This post has been edited by halcyon27: Nov 9 2012, 02:10 PM

Example shown above is what is called trough lighting. Softer and cosier look.

Some hide the length of a beam with a trough and illuminate on either side of the beam. Ex entrance and living room.

Cleaning it is something else cos out of sight and out of mind. But with the Dyson DC31 handheld vacuum, it's a minor problem.

Also, check out the TV Cabinet thread. Some of their photos are quite inspiring as to how they also do lighting.

Good luck and happy designing.

This post has been edited by halcyon27: Nov 9 2012, 02:40 PM

It's usually called a light trough. A box suggests enclosing cover at the top. But yes why not enclose it? Keeps the dust minimal, insect and cicak s!@# away. also.

This one is open like what is seen in shopping mall, offices, hotels.

Only problem with most I've seen is it's hidden to high up so the light has not enough throw. Probably it's meant to accent a little of the ceiling and the top wall downwards.

This post has been edited by halcyon27: Nov 9 2012, 03:40 PM

To illustrate what I mentioned above here's a picture of the Lack wall mounted shelf. Here's two pieces: a 110cm + 190cm for the study.


Closeup on the T5 below:


The below is living room: 3 x 110cm + 1x190cm.

Yes I admint it's dusty. I plan to make custom shelf glass and place on them after cleaning so that only the glass needs to be cleaned instead of the shelf. directly.

T5 connector for the living room:

To illustrate what I mentioned above here's a picture of the Lack wall mounted shelf. Here's two pieces: a 110cm + 190cm for the study.


Closeup on the T5 below. T5 is powered by connection point for old wall-mounted lamp. This model from Horizon Malaysia uses a long tube wire flexi-connector :


HorizoN T5 lamps used for the study:



The below is living room: 3 x 110cm + 1x190cm.

Yes I admit it's dusty. I plan to make custom shelf glass and place on them after cleaning so that only the glass needs to be cleaned instead of the shelf. directly.

Rigid plastic connector for China made T5 used in the living room:

---

Added on November 9, 2012, 8:18 pmSorry for the double post. The ceiling here is 9ft.

This post has been edited by halcyon27: Nov 9 2012, 08:18 PM

Very cosy. Light is yellow hued warm white (2700K). If too yellow than there's not too white not too yellow (4000K) or for older folks who cannot stand yellow then the standard blueish cool daylight (6000-6500K). The mobile phone camera doesn't do justice as it will either make it too yellow or too subdued due to white balance adjustment.

All the numbered K are color temperature. Most lightbulb packaging will state what it is. T5 are commonly warm white or cool daylight. Cool white (4000K) which is in between the too yellow or too blueish white is the Goldilocks. Not too yellow, not too blue...just nice. I have yet to come across cool white T5 (4000K) though I am sure they are around.

---

Added on November 10, 2012, 9:27 amI don't bother until spring cleaning time. Like I said out of sight out of mind. Planning to cut custom size 3/8" glass shelf to cover since a 110cm can take 5-15kg max according to the instruction manual. The 190 up to 25kg. All these is as long as it is drilled on concrete or clay bricks (not sand bricks).


This post has been edited by halcyon27: Nov 10 2012, 09:27 AM

No it doesn't like crowd over the light. It's just build up around the surface. But better on the glass than on the surface.

Yes. No, it doesn't fly around. It's the rather clumpy kind. Also, it's not 1" thick. It's just covering the surface even after a year.

This post has been edited by halcyon27: Nov 10 2012, 02:20 PM

This is my second implementation of the "light shelf". I used it first in my old condo unit with 2x110cm. Only needed 2x28W T5 and a 1x14W T5 to run along the whole length. Ceiling height in the condo was 8.5 ft.