Guide to illuminate low ceilings

One of the biggest problems when lighting a room is the height of the ceiling. Rooms with low ceilings make for an inherently more complex lighting job, and not only because they limit the options when it comes to choosing the lights.

This time, we show you how to choose LED lamps for low ceilings and, at the end, we will tell you some tricks to make a room appear higher.

The problem of low ceilings

The fact that a house, a room or some part of it does not have a sufficiently high ceiling presents certain disadvantages when it comes to choosing the lighting system.

The most obvious problem is the limitation of the size of the lights. It is recommended that any element hanging from the ceiling be at least 2m high to avoid inconveniences, mainly hitting your head. In a standard 2.4m ceiling this leaves just 40cm to fit a lamp.

spaces with low furniture

We also have to take into account that the light dispersion will be lower. As we have already explained in other occasions, the illuminated area increases in proportion to the height.

Having a room with low height can also provide a feeling of oppression, since the space seems smaller. That is why, in addition to having an adequate light distribution, we must take care of those aspects that help us “raise” the ceiling.

How to choose a lamp for low ceilings?

Here are some guidelines on how to choose the most suitable light fitting to install on a low ceiling:

  • Be aware of the space we have available. As we have said, from two meters up to the ceiling, that is all the space we have for the light.
  • Go for recessed lighting. Downlights are ideal or, if we don’t want to complicate drilling holes in the ceiling, we can install ceiling lights that hardly take up any space.
  • Limit the pendant lamps only to the space above the dining table. In this manner, even if they are at a lower height, they will not get in the way.
  • Choose lights with a wide opening angle. This will distribute the light more evenly and avoid shadows.
  • Have additional sources of light. Wall lights or floor lamps are excellent for adding to the general lighting.
Walls with vertical lines wallpaper

7 tricks to make the ceiling of a room look higher

  • White and light colors will bring amplitude to the space. The most important thing to consider is that the ceiling should be a few shades lighter than the walls.
  • Use vertical designs on the walls. As with clothing, vertical lines will make the wall appear taller.
  • Place the curtains at the top of the ceiling, this creates a sense of height.
  • Hang pictures higher than usual. This is a simple and underused way to trick the eye and create a higher altitude, but avoid horizontal frames.
  • Use low height furniture. In this way, by giving protagonism to the furniture, we make the space seem much larger.
  • Place a mirror. By reflecting part of the room, it will multiply the visual space and create a feeling of spaciousness. It must be tall and narrow.
  • Less is more. If we clutter the space, it will seem even more compact.

As you can see, having a room with a lower ceiling than we would like is not necessarily a problem. Just follow a few guidelines when decorating, choose the right lighting and you will see how the space grows, albeit in an optical way.