HDB Lighting Guide: 4 Top Tips to Set the Right Lighting Your Home

HDB Lighting Guide: 4 Top Tips to Set the Right Lighting Your Home

Wondering how many watts you need to light an HDB room? With more people working from home, many HDB owners have been looking for lighting guides to brighten up their homes. The right lighting environment can go a long way in providing comfort and encouraging productivity, especially if there’s access to natural light.

But not every HDB flat has floor-to-ceiling windows to let the natural light in.

That’s why this HDB lighting guide will help to point out what you need to brighten your home without overheating the space. And yes, we answer the question: how many watts does it take to light a room?

HDB Lighting Guide: 4 Home Lighting Questions Answered

1. LED or Fluorescent Lights?

LED bulbs are considered much more environmentally friendly than regular, incandescent bulbs. In the past, energy-efficient lighting came mostly in the form of fluorescent lightbulbs which were cosmetically quite different from incandescent lights. However, LED bulbs these days look very much like incandescent bulbs and are thus preferred.

To the consumer, the main difference is that LED bulbs cost significantly more at the point of purchase. However, as they consume up to 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs, they last much longer and can result in overall cost savings in the long run. Besides using LED bulbs, many residents have also begun incorporating LED strip lighting into their cupboards and working spaces to light up their tables and focus on the work at hand.

If you need a nudge in the right direction from this HDB lighting guide, the government is making sure all light bulbs being sold in Singapore from 2023 onwards are as energy-efficient as LED bulbs, making it easier for households to make greener lighting choices.

2. White or Warm Light?

Warm or yellow light tends to be more gentle in appearance and can make your home look cosier, but has the disadvantage of making it harder to see, particularly at night. You may wish to consider using warm lights in spaces meant for relaxation, such as the bedroom and living room, as well as in transitory areas like the hallway.

White or blue light, on the other hand, tends to look brighter and harsher. It is usually referred to as cool lighting and can be suitable for interiors designed in a cool or contemporary style. White light tends to make it easier to concentrate or do close work as it energises through its hues, and is thus suitable for spaces like the home office.

So for a lighting guide to brighten your HDB with different lights, cool energising white lights are usually used above head during the day time to encourage productivity while warm lighting is used at eye level on tables or floor lighting in the later hours to promote relaxation.

3. How Many Watts to Light a Room?

The brightness of your lights is determined by the wattage and the lumens of the bulbs. Wattage refers to the amount of electricity used to power the bulb, while lumens refers to the degree of brightness. The price of bulbs tends to increase with wattage, which typically ranges from 6W to 24W.

To figure out how many watts it takes to light up a room, the wattage you need will vary depending on the spaces in your home, with a higher wattage being suitable for areas in which close work like reading or cooking is being carried out.

The number of watts to light up the room also considers the size of your rooms vis a vis the lights, as larger rooms might require higher wattage to be fully illuminated. You might wish to opt for a high wattage of, say, 24W in your home office and kitchen. On the other hand, you can safely opt for a lower wattage of 12W to 18W in areas like the bathroom or bedroom. For areas that people do not linger in such as hallways or nightlights, 6W might be sufficient.

Our HDB lighting guide tip for this: you can use various types of lighting fixtures all around the room to light up the space in a more natural and inviting way, as opposed to harsher wattage bulbs in fewer spots.

4. How to Choose the Right Lighting Fixtures?

Room in your house	What type of lighting fixtures should you choose?
Bedroom	Ambient and recessed lighting can be a subtle way to provide gentle lighting while keeping lightbulbs hidden from view. A chandelier can add a touch of kitsch to a walk-in wardrobe, while wall lights can create an intimate and cosy atmosphere in the bedroom.
Kitchen	Task lighting can provide intense illumination
Study or office	Halogen spot lighting, LED strips or simply a powerful desk lamp are practical ways to make reading and writing easier
Living room	Pendant lamps suspended from the ceiling can offer the chance to anchor your interior’s look and become the centrepiece of your living room. Another striking choice is the arc lamp, which can really stand out in a spacious living room

Lighting can also be used for purely decorative purposes. For instance, you might wish to install halogen spot lighting around a photo wall or built-in lighting for a display cabinet. For best results, it is advisable to have an in-depth discussion with your interior designer or contractor on lighting options before finalising your renovations, rather than simply going with whatever is suggested.

The ambience of your home is greatly affected by the type of lighting you choose, so it is worthwhile to pay special attention to the lighting styles and fixtures being incorporated into your home at the renovation stage. Thereafter, if you wish to adjust the lighting effects, you can experiment with warm and white lights and adjust the wattage until you have created your ideal ambience.

Need Help Lighting Up Your HDB Home? Contact Sendhelper!

Not sure how to install your LED strips or fit in the right bulbs for your lighting fixtures at home? Fret not, for you can get help from services like Sendhelper.

Sendhelper is a home services brand provider that can aid you in managing your home. Not only can you find a handyman to help with installing your lights or replacing your lighting trunking at home, but there’s also a plethora of certified professionals to provide home services such as elderly care and even cleaning services.

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