5 Common Ceiling Types for No Central Light Design
by Penglight | Date: 15th Dec 2024
With the rising demand for refined living spaces today, ambient lighting with No central light fixture has become popular. It not only fulfills the basic lighting requirements but also creates a more comfortable and layered lighting ambiance. So, what kinds of ceiling types can be incorporated into the ‘No Central Light’ design?
Next, let’s discuss the common ceiling designs for No Central Light from the following perspectives.
What is No Central Lighting?
Before delving into common ceiling designs for ‘No central light’, it’s important to clarify what is No central light? And what are the primary types of lighting fixtures used for this purpose?
In our post “Why Choose No Central Light For Home?“, we’ve made the definition of No Central Lighting: No Central Lighting is a lighting design that utilizes multiple light sources to meet various lighting needs, creating a space with layered lighting that enhances the ambiance and atmosphere of the space.
In contrast to traditional lighting design, where a central light fixture like a ceiling light or pendant light primarily provides brightness, ‘No central light’ design employs specific localized lighting sources such as spotlights, recessed lights, track lights, linear lights, and other scattered light sources distributed throughout the space.
Through a combination of multiple light sources, No central light design can visually extend the space, creating a captivating interplay of light and shadow within the home ambiance. This technique adds depth, character, and a stylish touch to the overall space.
What Are the Types of No Central Light Fixture?
1. LED Spot Lights
Spotlights are typical examples of No central light fixtures, representing a modern style of lighting without strict constraints. Spotlights emit soft light, they’re capable of creating indoor lighting ambiances, can be used for localized illumination, and offer the flexibility to freely adjust angles, offering versatile and varied lighting effects.
2. LED Down Lights
LED down lights are lighting fixtures that are designed to be recessed into the ceiling or a surface, directing light downwards and providing a sleek and wide-distributed lighting solution. They are also commonly referred to as recessed lights or can lights. LED downlights consist of a housing, a trim, an LED light source, and a power supply. Learn more: LED Down Light vs LED Spot Light: What is the Difference?
3. LED Track Lights
In a strict sense, track lights are a type of spotlight. Besides traditional track light designs, the latest trend of magnetic track lights also falls into the track light category. Magnetic track lights, which fix the light sources magnetically, are currently a popular and user-friendly ‘No Central Light’ design. They come in embedded and surface-mounted styles, allowing for installation without the need for a suspended ceiling. Learn more: Magnetic Track Light and No Central Light, What’s the difference?
4. LED Strip Lights
Strip lights are typically concealed within ceilings, walls, or furniture surfaces, often used to outline space contours, achieving a “see the light, not the fixture” effect that enhances the quality of light in a space. This design approach adds a subtle touch of illumination, creating a sophisticated and modern ambiance while maintaining a clean and unobtrusive appearance.
5. Decorative Floor Lights
Floor lamps have a clear advantage in height compared to table lamps and offer the flexibility to adjust the lighting angle compared to pendant lights. They are a versatile lighting fixture that can meet various needs and find wide application across different areas. With their ability to provide ambient or task lighting while adding a decorative element to a space, floor lamps serve as practical and aesthetic lighting solutions that enhance the overall atmosphere of a room.
6. Wall Lights
Household wall lights usually sport a subdued design with a warm color temperature. Placed strategically throughout a space, they set a serene and peaceful mood. These lights not only serve functional purposes but also contribute to the room’s ambiance, lending an elegant and cozy atmosphere to the surroundings.
5 Common Ceiling Types for No Central Light Design
No central lighting fixture requires coordination with ceiling design. Typically, it can be divided into non-suspended ceiling solutions and suspended ceiling solutions. Non-suspended ceiling solutions are straightforward; they involve pre-allocated positions for surface-mounted light fixtures. So, what are the specific aspects of suspended ceiling solutions? Let’s keep reading.
- Large Flat Ceiling
A large flat ceiling refers to the flat ceiling design for the entire house with no decorative elements or layers, essentially resembling a flat panel added to the ceiling. The lighting layout mainly consists of magnetic track lights, recessed downlights, and recessed spotlights.
This flat ceiling feature is suitable for no central lighting design. Recessed spotlights and linear lights can seamlessly blend into the ceiling, creating a cohesive space when the ceiling is fully covered. This approach enhances the overall unity and coherence of the room, extending the visual perception and creating a sense of spaciousness.
- Suspended ceiling
A suspended ceiling is a design that features a border groove around the top surface, with the ceiling and vertical surfaces crafted to create inwardly recessed grooves. This design creates a suspended effect by installing linear lights or utilizing metal wires. The lighting mainly includes recessed downlights and magnetic track lights. Borders are left around the top surface where strip lights can be installed or left out.
The grooves surrounding the flat ceiling are fully suspended, separating the central flat ceiling from the surrounding ceiling, adding a more pronounced sense of style and depth. When combined with No central lighting design, this setup further accentuates the suspended appearance of the ceiling design.
- Tray Ceiling
Tray Ceiling design features a flat center surrounded by descending levels, often utilized for concealing pipelines and installing downlights and spotlights along the perimeter. This type of ceiling is one of the most classic and commonly used designs. Lighting fixtures typically include recessed spotlights along with surface-mounted downlights, complemented by linear fixtures.
This ceiling design creates a “lower perimeter, higher center” effect, adding depth to the space without compromising ceiling height. It effectively hides ventilation ducts, air conditioning pipes, and beams, while also enhancing the overall brightness of the ceiling.
- Single/Double-Sided Ceiling
Single/Double-Sided Ceiling refers to a design where there is no ceiling in the center, with partial ceiling installation on one or both sides of the top surface to conceal pipes, level surfaces, and diminish the visibility of beam structures. Lighting typically includes recessed spotlights combined with surface-mounted downlights, with the option to include strip lights or forego them.
The key feature of this ceiling design is its ability to maintain the main ceiling height while concealing specific pipelines. It enhances the spatial depth, creating an atmospheric ambiance when paired with lighting elements.
- Dual Eyelid Ceiling
The “Double Eyelid Ceiling” is constructed using two layers of double-layered gypsum boards as the foundational structure, encircling the entire space. Typically, there is a certain height difference between the two layers, creating an effect similar to “double eyelids.” Lighting primarily consists of recessed spotlights paired with surface-mounted downlights. At the stepped sections where the ceiling has double layers, strip lights can be incorporated or omitted. Compared to other partial ceiling designs, this style is not only easy to clean and prevents dust accumulation effectively but also boasts a sleek and high-quality appearance, making it one of the most popular ceiling designs today.
3 Things to Consider When Opting For No Central Light Design
1. Ceiling Height
Typically, in lighting designs of No Central Light that follow the principle of “light without visible fixtures,” the fixtures are often concealed, which inevitably reduces the overall or partial ceiling height.
This is especially significant in large flat ceilings and suspended ceilings, which are suitable for spaces with a height of ≥2.8m. For spaces with a height ranging from 2.6 to 2.8m, the option of implementing partial ceiling solutions should be considered.
2. Installation Distance
When opting for No central lighting design for any style of ceiling, it is crucial to consider the installation distance of the lighting fixtures to avoid unwanted shadows and reflections.
Typically, two essential installation distances to consider for lighting arrangements are the distance from the walls and the spacing between the lights.
- Distance from the Wall
The distance from the wall refers to the distance from the center (not the edge) of the light to the wall or any vertical surface like cabinets.
Generally, the distance from the wall for various types of lighting fixtures can be considered as follows:
Recessed and surface-mounted spotlights: 20-40cm, with optimal washing effects achieved around 25-30cm;
Track lights: 40-60cm, with around 45cm being ideal;
Linear spotlights: 40-60cm, with 50-60cm being optimal.
- Light Spacing
Light spacing refers to the distance between two light fixtures. Generally, consider the following distances between different types of lighting fixtures:
Recessed spotlights and track lights: 50-200cm;
Linear spotlights: 110-140cm.
The spacing between light fixtures depends largely on the actual site conditions and the desired lighting effects. Sometimes, mixing different light spacings can create a stronger design impact than a simple evenly spaced arrangement.
3. Budget Costs
Typically, the larger the surface area of the ceiling, the higher the cost will be. For instance, large flat ceilings and suspended ceilings will generally incur higher costs compared to partial ceiling designs like tray ceilings or double eyelid ceilings.
Moreover, there can be significant price variations between different types of lighting fixtures. Magnetic track lights, for example, tend to be much more expensive than regular spotlights or downlights.
Therefore, when selecting a ceiling design and a lighting layout of No Central Light Fixtures, it’s essential to consider not only the stylistic effects but also to take into account the overall budget costs to find the most optimal solution.
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