KelvinPlanHow much light each room needs, and what colour it should be.

Lighting a 14 × 26 ft bedroom

Total light needed
5,460lumens
364 ft² × 15 foot-candles
Room area364ft²
Target light levelIES guidance for a bedroom15foot-candles
Total lumens5,460lm
Colour temperaturewarm, low glare2700K
Bulbs (800 lm each)7bulbs
Recessed cans (4 ft spacing)238 lm each23fixtures
Room
bedroom
Width
14 ft
Length
26 ft

Where 5,460 lumens comes from

Lighting is specified in foot-candles — lumens landing on each square foot of the surface you care about. A bedroom is worked to 15 foot-candles. Across 364 ft² that is 5,460 lumens in total.

Split it up

One fixture putting out 5,460 lumens and 23 fixtures adding up to the same number light a room very differently. A single source throws hard shadows and glare; several spread the light and make the room feel larger. Aim for layers — ambient, task, and something low for the evening.

Colour temperature

2700K suits this room. Warmer light reads as relaxed and is what you want where people wind down; cooler light keeps edges and colours crisp, which matters where there is work to do.

Notes

  • Foot-candles are lumens per square foot at the work surface. Ceilings above 9 ft, dark walls or dark flooring all eat light — add roughly 10% per extra foot of ceiling height.
  • Spread the total across several fixtures rather than one bright source. One 5,460 lm fixture and 23 smaller ones add up the same but look completely different.

Nearby sizes