Lighting a 8 × 18 ft living room
Total light needed
2,160lumens
144 ft² × 15 foot-candles
| Room area | 144ft² |
|---|---|
| Target light levelIES guidance for a living room | 15foot-candles |
| Total lumens | 2,160lm |
| Colour temperaturewarm, relaxed | 2700K |
| Bulbs (800 lm each) | 3bulbs |
| Recessed cans (4 ft spacing)240 lm each | 9fixtures |
- Room
- living room
- Width
- 8 ft
- Length
- 18 ft
Where 2,160 lumens comes from
Lighting is specified in foot-candles — lumens landing on each square foot of the surface you care about. A living room is worked to 15 foot-candles. Across 144 ft² that is 2,160 lumens in total.
Split it up
One fixture putting out 2,160 lumens and 9 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 2,160 lm fixture and 9 smaller ones add up the same but look completely different.