LED Lighting Upgrades, Brighter Rooms and Lower Running Costs
If you are still running halogens in a Mosman living room or a St Ives kitchen, you are paying more than you need to and adding heat where you do not want it. A well planned LED upgrade lifts the look of your home, trims running costs, and gives you far better control over mood and task lighting.
Why LEDs make sense in our area
LEDs use far less energy than halogens and last much longer. They also run cooler, which your ceiling cavities will thank you for in summer on the Beaches. In older North Shore homes with low ceilings or dark corners, quality LEDs give you higher brightness at a comfortable colour temperature without glare.
Colour that suits the room
Pick colour temperature by activity, not by trend.
Warm 2700 to 3000 K for bedrooms and lounge rooms where you relax
Neutral 3500 to 4000 K for kitchens, studies, and laundries where you need clarity
Cool 5000 K for garages and some work benches where contrast matters
If in doubt, choose warm for living and neutral for task areas. Keep one consistent tone per room so colours render naturally in photos and on walls.
Dimming without flicker
Flicker and strobing usually come from a mismatch between the lamp driver and the dimmer. We pair dimmable fittings with compatible dimmers and test the low end so the light actually gets softer rather than dropping out. If you have an older universal dimmer, we can replace it with a modern trailing edge unit that plays nicely with quality LED drivers.
Downlight spacing that looks intentional
A quick rule for many homes is to space downlights roughly the same number of metres as the ceiling height in metres. For example, with a 2.7 metre ceiling, start near 2.5 to 2.7 metres between fittings, then adjust for benches, walkways, and seating. Keep fittings off the centre of ceilings in small bedrooms and light the walls a little to make the room feel larger.
Retrofitting halogens vs new fittings
You can retrofit LED lamps into existing downlight cans, but the best result usually comes from a full fitting swap. Modern low glare downlights have better optics, a neat trim, and a driver that suits dimming. Where there is insulation, we select the correct downlight rating and follow the manufacturer instructions so the fitting and insulation get along safely.
Feature lighting that works with downlights
Use pendants for islands and dining tables, but stop the downlights from fighting the pendant. We remove or relocate conflicting fittings and add a simple two circuit plan so you can run pendants on their own for dinner and bring in the downlights only when you need more task light.
Outdoors and bathrooms
Use fittings with the right protection rating for coastal air and moisture. On balconies from Fairlight to Collaroy, choose corrosion resistant finishes and stainless hardware. In bathrooms, a soft neutral colour temperature helps mirrors and tiles look true and avoids harsh shadows.
Common mistakes we fix
Too many cool white fittings that make paint colours look cold
Random downlight grids that create scallops on walls and hot spots on the floor
Flicker from driver and dimmer mismatch
Old transformers left in place that waste power and make noise
How we deliver a tidy LED refresh
We walk the rooms with you, agree on colour and dimming, protect surfaces, install and label the new fittings, and take away old lamps. You get a simple run sheet that explains which switch controls what and how to get the best look at night.
Thinking of a refresh? Book a quick lighting check. We will plan a simple upgrade that makes your home brighter and more efficient without a full renovation.
