Lighting a 10 × 10 ft hallway
Total light needed
800lumens
100 ft² × 8 foot-candles
| Room area | 100ft² |
|---|---|
| Target light levelIES guidance for a hallway | 8foot-candles |
| Total lumens | 800lm |
| Colour temperaturelow level, even spacing | 2700–3000K |
| Bulbs (800 lm each) | 1bulbs |
| Recessed cans (4 ft spacing)115 lm each | 7fixtures |
- Room
- hallway
- Width
- 10 ft
- Length
- 10 ft
Where 800 lumens comes from
Lighting is specified in foot-candles — lumens landing on each square foot of the surface you care about. A hallway is worked to 8 foot-candles. Across 100 ft² that is 800 lumens in total.
Split it up
One fixture putting out 800 lumens and 7 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
2700–3000K 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 800 lm fixture and 7 smaller ones add up the same but look completely different.