There’s a lot of (digital) writing about the lighting of kitchens, dining rooms, living rooms, offices, bedrooms, etc. However, one area is often overlooked… the stairs. The lighting of stairs often takes second place, but the importance of good lighting for the stairs must not be underestimated.
Why stairway lighting is a must-have
A dark stairway is extremely dangerous. A single misstep can have a painful outcome. Stairway lighting improves safety and prevents accidents. This is why we recommend that even a small set of stairs – two or three steps – be well lit.
A tip: Buy LED lights for your stairs. These energy-efficient LEDs consume very little electricity, meaning they can be safely left on all night.
Types of stairway lighting
You can light your stairs in different ways. The manner you choose will depend on your personal taste as well as architectural constraints.
On the wall
Most stairs have lighting on a wall. 99% of all stairs are adjacent to at least one wall, which makes it very easy to provide wiring for lighting.
Recessed spots and surface mounted spots are very popular wall lighting for stairs. Such spots are quite subtle. Some models are almost invisible… until you reach the light that is.
A modern wooden stairway with stylish wall lighting from Modular Lighting.
Using downlighters to light stairs is a good idea.
Allow for height when installing spots. We recommend that you install these 15 to 20 cm above every third step. The light will spread sufficiently and evenly illuminate the entire stairway. If you want to install the spots at a lower height, you will most likely need to install more spots.
Sometimes, you may need to deviate from the ‘one spot per three steps’ rule for aesthetic reasons.
You don’t always have to use spots to light stairways from the wall. You can also look for a different solution. The examples shown below use an LED strip.
This luminous strip looks very futuristic.
On the railing
Are you looking for an invisible way to light your stairway? This might be something you like. LED strips can be easily built into handrails so that the source of lighting is not visible. In addition, the height of the handrail provides excellent light distribution and light on both sides of the stairway.
Stairway lighting in the handrail looks very stylish.
This is what lighting on the underside of handrail looks like.
On the ceiling
The last way to light a stairway is from the ceiling. This is only possible when there is no second stairway above the first stairway (this is important for wiring reasons). For example, install recessed spots or surface mounted downlights in the ceiling or use pendant lamps.
Please note: the above photos are custom-made projects, carried out by professional craftsmen. Not every option will be possible for every individual.
Do your stairs lead to a sloping-roof attic room? Don't be put off and turn that unused space into something beautiful. We are already sharing our top tips for lighting up your attic room with sloping roof. Because light means space!
Please bear in mind that Peeq only sells lighting and installation materials. Banisters are not part of our product range. The pictures above are only used for illustration purposes.