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Downlight Lighting Tips

Bring a sophisticated, modern look to your home with strategically placed downlights that provide practical illumination and help you create a welcoming ambience in your kitchen, bedroom or living areas. Understanding how downlights work and the different types of downlight technology available will help you make the right choices for your space.

  • Downlights are ideal as general lighting or task lighting. When used to illuminate work areas, it’s important to position your downlights correctly so as to eliminate shadows. In the kitchen, position them in front of you, so they don’t cast an annoying shadow on the work surface. To make shaving or applying makeup easy in the bathroom, the downlights should be installed over the basin, not behind you to avoid casting a shadow over your face.

  • Downlights with dimmers are an excellent idea as you can alter the mood of the room instantly. Alternatively, put banks of downlights on separate switches to enable you to control the lighting ambience and energy usage.

  • All integrated LED downlights are IC-4 rated, meaning they can be abutted and covered by insulation. This prevents thermal loss and saves energy while also eliminating the risk of a fire. Moreover, all our LED downlights come with a 5-year warranty for additional peace of mind.

  • Choosing the right colour for your downlight can be daunting. You may want a warm white in your bedroom or cool white in your kitchen. With our range of tri- colour/colour switch and colour shift products, the choice has never been easier. Tri-colour or colour switching lighting allows you to select your own colour temperature via the switch on top of the downlight. However, you must choose the colour temperature before your electrician installs the downlight into the ceiling. As for colour shifting downlights, you can easily shift between colours using your light switch or smart device at any time.

  • What about SMD Surface Mount Diode (SMD) and Chip On Board (COB) downlights? How do you choose the right type? Choose SMD downlights if you want a wide spread of light, suitable for larger areas and great for delivering a higher level of lumens/light with a lower wattage. Choose COB downlights if you need more crisp, focused light. COBs provide a better light source by utilising reflectors. Also, a COB only has one LED chip, as opposed to an SMD which has a LED chip array.

  • When choosing downlights, consider low glare options. A glary downlight can cause eye strain and can distract from the task at hand. A low glare or glare-free downlight prevents harsh pops of light on the ceiling.

  • For more flexibility and an architectural look, go with gimbal downlights which allow you to move the light frame to focus on different areas like favourite artworks on the wall.

  • One more thing to consider when selecting your downlights is the Colour Rendering Index (CRI). CRI is the measure of the ability of a light source to reveal the colours of objects as they actually appear. The higher the CRI (closer to 100), the more natural the colours appear. A majority of our LEDLux and MFL By Masson downlights have a CRI of 90+ providing exceptional colour rendering and a natural light to your space.

  • Architectural in design, the MFL by Masson Accent and Titan Downlights feature interchangeable reflectors or beam angles to create unique lighting designs for your space. 

  • Live near the beach? Explore stainless steel downlight options to protect your lights from the harsh coastal conditions.

Downlight TipsDownlight Tips

Browse our website or visit any of our stores to explore our extensive variety of downlights. We’re sure you’ll find one that suits your interior, budget and purpose. If you need professional advice, our experts are always on hand to help.