What downlights to use in a contemporary home?

In the past week, I’ve received an unusually large number of emails about downlights.

Many readers have asked what downlights we used in our home, if they’re warm or cold LEDs, the exact K value of the globes, if they’re matte or gloss and so much more.

Seems there’s a lot of choice when it comes to downlights and it can all get a bit overwhelming so I’m answering all your questions in this article!

Related article: How to design a lighting plan for your home: Learn the 3 types of lighting
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What downlights to use

For our home, my husband imported the lights directly from overseas. As we were building the two houses, we needed a large quantity of lights and he already had contacts… So the downlights choice was very simple for me — hubby showed me a picture of a downlight and asked if I liked it, which I did, and then he took care of the rest.

That means unfortunately I can’t give you the details of where to buy the downlights we used but I have found a couple of others that come close and I can give you the details about globes etc.

What downlights we used in our home

We used 3000k warm white LED bulbs. The light feels natural and homely. It doesn’t look yellow at all which is what one reader asked. You can buy 4000k cool globes but I find bluish light feels a bit clinical.

The downlights are rimless recessed lights in a satin white metal finish. As I mentioned my husband sourced our downlights directly from overseas but below I’ve found some similar options.

Where to buy similar downlights

If you love the recessed look of our downlights, here are some close alternatives.

Lampada dimmable downlight $79.95

Lampada downlight

Brightgreen LED recessed warm light downlight $84.95 each (sold as set of 6 or more)

Brightgreen LED downlight What downlights to use

Before you decide what downlights to use, it’s important to remember the lighting tips from our lighting expert who recommends limiting the number of ceiling lights and using a mix of lighting solutions including wall lights and lamps.

Do you have any more questions about our lights that I didn’t answer? Ask them in the comments below and I’ll answer them for you!

More lighting advice and inspo

Gina Beschorner
Gina is an Interior Designer and the Editor of Style Curator, an award-winning interiors blog all about helping you create a more stylish home. She is passionate about sharing her love of design, architecture, decorating and homewares. Having recently finished the build of her dream home, she's now tackling the never ending job of styling it. When she's not blogging or working with interior styling clients, you'll find her running after her 2 children or getting her hands messy in a creative project. Subscribe to our e-newsletter for weekly highlights!

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