A LIGHTFLUX RESIDENTIAL LIGHTING GUIDE

Catch lighting mistakes before the ceiling is cut.

100 Lighting Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make in Your Home

A downlight that reflects in your TV. A fixture that won’t fit the ceiling. A dimmer that makes the lights flicker. Know what to check before you approve the plan, order fixtures or start installation.

Get the guide See sample mistakes

100Lighting mistakes

10Practical chapters

Wrong / RightVisual comparisons

SEE INSIDE THE GUIDE

Spot the mistake.
See what to do instead.

Each example shows what goes wrong and gives you a specific check to make before the work moves ahead.

A downlight reflected as a bright spot in the television — Wrong

Repositioned downlights leave the television clear of bright reflections — Right

MISTAKE 22

A downlight reflected in the TV

Check the reflection from the sofa before fixing the ceiling light points.

A narrow beam lights only the centre of a wide artwork — Wrong

A broader light distribution covers the artwork more evenly — Right

MISTAKE 47

One tiny beam for a wide artwork

Match the beam spread and fixture quantity to the artwork size and mounting distance.

Overhead bathroom lighting casts shadows on the face — Wrong

Vertical mirror lighting lights the face more evenly — Right

MISTAKE 54

Lighting the mirror user from directly above

Use balanced vertical light near the mirror to soften shadows when grooming.

All 16 sample mistakes

Open any page to read the original example and the guide’s recommended fix.

MISTAKE 04

Finalising the false ceiling before checking available recess depth

MISTAKE 11

Choosing a 12 W downlight because it must be brighter than an 8 W one

MISTAKE 13

Ignoring beam angle while selecting the downlight

MISTAKE 15

Checking the visible trim but not the ceiling cutout

MISTAKE 17

Using a fixed downlight for an artwork or movable focal point

MISTAKE 19

Buying from a product photo with no reliable technical sheet

MISTAKE 22

Putting a downlight where it reflects in a television

MISTAKE 26

Making every part of the room equally bright

MISTAKE 47

Using one tiny beam for a wide artwork

MISTAKE 54

Putting a strong ceiling light directly above the bathroom mirror user

MISTAKE 58

Leaving the wardrobe interior dark because the bedroom is already bright

MISTAKE 66

Aiming a strip almost tangent to imperfect plaster

MISTAKE 74

Putting hot drivers in tightly packed joinery with no thermal plan

MISTAKE 80

Relying on an app as the only way to operate everyday lights

MISTAKE 88

Lighting a walkway beautifully but leaving steps and level changes unclear

MISTAKE 99

Keeping no record of what was actually installed

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Ten chapters.
One better-lit home.

Start where your project is today. Check the ceiling detail before it’s built, compare fixtures before ordering, and test the lighting while there’s still time to adjust it.

Before the first ceiling cut
Buying the wrong fixture
Glare, beams and perceived brightness
Colour and material appearance
Living, dining and artwork
Kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and stairs
Coves, LED strips and joinery
Drivers, dimming and switching
Façades, landscapes and wet areas
Installation, testing and future repairs

BUILT FOR REAL PROJECTS

Who is it for?

Homeowners

Know what to ask your designer, electrician or supplier before you sign off on the plan or buy a roomful of fixtures.

Interior designers

Check how light will fall on finishes, furniture and artwork before you finalise the fixture schedule or joinery details.

Architects

Catch coordination issues around ceiling depth, services, cutouts and driver access while the drawings can still change.

GET THE GUIDE

Review the lighting while changes are still easy.

Use the guide at your next drawing review, fixture purchase or site walkthrough. A few checks now can save an extra site visit, a replacement fitting or a ceiling repair later.

LIGHTFLUX · THE HOMEOWNER’S EDITION