On 19/02/2020 10:04, newshound wrote:
On 19/02/2020 09:16, Anna Kettle wrote:
Memory lane ...
I first posted here before uk.d-i-y existed, when it was just a topic
in uk.misc
And then posted regularly on the newsgroup for several years as I was
doing up my medieval farmhouse in Suffolk. I still recognise a few
names from back then theskullster, R D S, Dave Plowman, John Rumm, The
Natural Philsopher all look familiar. Others too. Hello!

One of the things I always enjoyed about UK.d-i-y was the breadth of
independent thought and that has brought me back (to google groups
this time) with a question to punt in the air

What do you think of LED downlighters? As a design feature

I will nail my colours to the mast and say that I think they are
useful over kitchen worktops and in places like corridors and
cupboards. I totally dislike them in living rooms and bedrooms cos
when I recline back in a chair or in bed they are staring me straight
in the eye

Now this may just be me. I don't like looking at those filament bulbs
either and I always make my own lights obscure. Other people don't
seem to have an issue with them.

Or could it be that splattering a property with downlights is an easy
design option and no-one ever thinks about the aesthetics (what is
beautiful about rows of dots on a ceiling. Nothing) or the glare

I am looking at the wiring diagram of a barn conversion which we are
doing for sale and downlights are specified everywhere. I am trying to
decide whether I should scrub them, which would be cheaper and which I
think would be better. Or whether the fact that the property is for
sale makes a difference. Why stand out from the crowd?

What do you think?
Anna

Welcome back.

Totally agree with you about corridors, I transformed my gloomy hall
with a pair of the non-replaceable bulb time as recommended by John
Rumm. One of the things I like about them was that they have switchable
colour temperature, and I could not decide which would be best with the
existing decor.

For the kitchen, I have strip lights under the cupboards for the
worktops. One of these days I'd like to replace the existing 2Ds in the
ceiling probably with LED flat panels, to increase the light level.

I now have LED bulbs in the uplighters in my (low ceiling) cottage
living room although it would be good to have ones with more oomph.

One of the grand designs programs showed someone with an old
farmhouse that was demolished and rplaced with a new build.
He used old cow drinkers, polished up and used as up-lighters
by getting a sparky to fit halogen bulbs inside them.
A while ago I believe.

There are some fantastic 'car boot sales' in France where
you can pick up amazing old industrial lighting, and loads
more and repurpose it.

In the UK, old Coughtrie industrial lamps sell for silly money
on ebay.