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Sep 56 min read

How to Achieve Quality Lighting for a 4-Room BTO with a $1000 Budget

 

Things are getting expensive, don’t you think so?  With the rising property prices and cost of living in the Singapore of today, budgeting has become even more important when it comes to furnishing a new home. With so many components to consider, homeowners can easily be overwhelmed with the process if they skimp on their research and planning beforehand, especially if they opt for the DIY approach (i.e. not engaging an interior designer).


When it comes to planning for home lighting, budgeting is crucial because it helps ensure that you make the most of your financial resources while achieving your desired aesthetic and functionality. By setting a clear budget, you can prioritise lighting needs without overspending. It allows you to balance between your needs and wants clearly. In essence, a well-planned budget for lighting ensures that you enhance your living space effectively and efficiently.



Credits: @renoking 


At this point, a common question our clients will ask is this: how much should I set aside for lighting? Well, that is a tough question to answer as it depends on multiple factors. Mainly the size of the home, the level of comfort and quality one is looking for.


We will examine this by going through a small planning exercise, where we will break down the process of light planning for a typical 4-room BTO HDB flat. We will keep the budget within $1,000, and show that it can be feasibly done.



 

To begin, let us look at the common considerations for picking out lights in a home, and how each of them will affect the type of lighting you choose:


-          Is there a false ceiling?

Light fixtures can be categorized into two broad categories: recessed, and surface-mounted. Generally, you should pick recessed fixtures when you have a false ceiling, and surface-mounted ones when there is no false ceiling.


-          If there is no false ceiling, how many lighting points are there?

In the absence of a false ceiling, creating new lighting points will be costlier. Every surface-mounted fixture requires one lighting point. In cases where minimal lighting points is preferred, tracklights or bigger ceiling lamps are good options as these products only require one lighting point.


-          What is the function of the space?

Some fixtures produce light that is better suited for tasks, whereas some lights provides light effect that is ideal for a cosy ambience. For example, lights with a diffuser produce light that spreads out widely and provide better general illumination, making them a good choice for rooms meant for work/study.

 

With the above being the over-arching considerations, we will now section the BTO flat into several sections, and look at them individually. The most common configuration: false ceiling in the foyer, living room, and dining area, and the rest are concrete ceiling. Let’s assume that and see how we are able to keep within budget!

 



Foyer + Living

The living area is usually considered the main communal area of the house, which means the lights are likely to be used multiple times within a day. For areas like these, we recommend lights that are easy to maintain, e.g. bulb-based fixtures. And to create a warm and welcoming ambience, Halo spotlight is chosen as the recessed spotlights due to the well-designed curved-in feature that glows softly when light is switched on.


6x Halo Spotlight ($29) = $174


*Tip: Your contractor will ask you what depth for the false ceiling is required. The usual depth is between 10cm to 15cm. Check against our product listings to ensure that you have sufficient depth clearance in your false ceiling to install our spotlights.

 


 

Dining

Seeing the living area and dining space are one continuous space, we will stick with the same light fixture as the living room. The lights will be placed in a rectangular format, framing the dining table which will be placed in the middle of the space, serving to highlight this area as a visual interest point.


4x Halo Spotlight ($29) = $116

 

*Tip: As a rule of thumb, consider choosing the same light color temperature for spaces that are interconnected (i.e a living room that is linked to the open concept dining space) . This helps to maintain a sense of continuity in the space and make it feel more homely.


 


Kitchen

As preparation of food requires adequate illumination, the kitchen is a space where function needs are prioritised. The Buro tracklight comes with a diffuser lens, and is a perfect choice when the aim is to light a space up with as much functional light as possible while reducing unwanted shadows. Tracklights like these can be use on both concrete and false ceilings.


1 x 2m Tracklight Rail ($22) + 2 x Buro Tracklight ($59) = $140


*Tip: In this case here, the kitchen is relatively long and narrow (which is a common layout for newer HDBs), but limited with only one lighting point, this makes track system an extremely efficient choice, as the one lighting point is now used to power multiple lights.

 



Store & Yard

These are typically spaces where there is only 1 lighting point provided and to fully make use of the solo lighting point, a diffused ceiling lamp with strong wattage like the Hamburg is the most common choice for home-owners. With just 1 piece of Hamburg ceiling lamp, it can help to illuminate the space efficiently.


2x Hamburg Trimless Ceiling Lamp ($39) = $78


*Tip: If using an electric laundry rack, some may come with lights already, thus removing the need for a ceiling light in the service yard.

 



Bedroom 2 & 3

Common rooms serve a myriad of purposes, and these purposes tend to change over the years. A ceiling lamp that comes with smart functions like color temperature control or brightness control will allow you to adjust the lighting in these rooms and adapt them to your needs as they evolve. The design of Dali is purposefully minimal, perfect as the living space evolves.  


2x Dali Ceiling Lamp ($89) = $188


 

*Tip: As only 1 lighting point is provided for the common bedrooms, by making use of the existing electrical point (with a track system or a big ceiling lamp) you are able to light up the entire area without additional lighting point costs. This will help to save a lot on your budget,


 

Common Bath & Master Bath

For wet areas like the bathroom, we will suggest water-rated light fixtures like Aqua ceiling lamp to provides safety and longevity of the product. Aqua ceiling lamps are bulb-based, meaning you can replace the bulb on your own easily in the future, ensuring a fuss-free maintenance.


2x Aqua Ceiling Lamp ($55) = $110


 

*Tip: If you find that one ceiling light in the bath is insufficient, do consider adding cove lighting on the partition box (often found in newer HDB flats). This cove lighting can be used as an alternative night light option to create different type of ambience. 

 


 

Corridor

Most home-owners does not need the corridors to be brightly lit, as walkways are like gateway to their bedrooms. Hence, opting for a single surface mounted ceiling lamp like Elemental works perfectly well.  Elemental ceiling lamp’s light angle can be tilted, a perfect design to create point of interest by adding wall art or family photos.

1x Elemental Ceiling Lamp ($46) = $46





 

Master Bedroom

In the master bedroom, most people prefer a dim and cosy setting that allows them to wind down for the day and prepare themselves for a good night’s slumber. But what if you need brighter illumination (i.e for doing make up/work? Yeelight ceiling lamp is an all-in-1 type of light that can achieve countless lighting ambience with a touch through Yeelight phone app.  Convenient isn’t? We love the multi-color ambience light located seamlessly at the back of the light fixture, which emits soft and fun glow, adding a tint of playfulness to the bedroom.

1x Yeelight 400C Ceiling Lamp ($109) = $109




*Tip: Yeelight ceiling lamp is so customizable; you can set different lighting scenes through the app or link it to Google Home or Apple Home Kit and many more cool features for you to explore! Did we mentioned that it is also easy-change?



After adding up all the suggested lights for the entire home, the overall total adds up to $961.

In conclusion, It is possible to keep within the budget of $1000 without compromising too much on functionality and aesthetics. We have included lights that are useful specifically for every areas of the home and the trick is to understand your needs and find the perfect product from there!

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