I commissioned a second plan. It has also turned out significantly better. I will now formulate my change requests overnight and tomorrow at 3 p.m. we will meet to discuss them. On Sunday the lighting planner will then finish everything so that it is submitted to the architect on time on Monday. I am very satisfied.
The following points I will still revise or question:
Outdoor area:
Here, two spots shining from the ground have now been planned at the front (garage), and otherwise with wall lights. I believe I don't like wall lights here that cast cones of light. Maybe like in the old design next to the kitchen window, but not under the porch, I think. And if spots are put there again, the question would be whether to place one from above and one from below or again everything uniformly with spots from above.
Guest WC:
Two spots seem undersized to me here. He says he deliberately planned it so that the rooms are not completely and evenly illuminated (design element), but in the bathrooms, we want it to be very bright, I think. I will probably commission another spot here; I also think I will provide a connection for a mirror light.
Hallway:
Where the previous lighting planner planned what I think were too many 16 light sources, now only 9 light sources seem too few to me. The front area near the front door, I think, will not be well lit here. And whether you need emotional/atmospheric lighting in the hallway or rather bright/functional, especially with children... I think the latter. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Four more spots should probably be added. Other opinions?
The four spots in front of the stairs are adjustable and he plans for them to shine into the basement stairwell (stainless steel railing installed). He has not planned stair lights in the basement for this. I am not quite sure what to think of that.
Wardrobe:
Seems good; I would not change anything.
Kitchen:
Also seems good to me, even though in this case more was planned than by the first lighting planner, who tended to always plan more (the three spots in front of the cooktop are extra here).
I actually find it okay. No more pendant lights at the dining areas at the peninsula. Instead, two light strips with integrated spots (the strips can be recessed in the ceiling if desired). The lighting planner says that more spots in this area would be too sterile; he thinks you absolutely have to use such strips or something else. No idea. I would have liked the suspended lights in the look of a film set here; unfortunately, my wife did not.
A wall light on the left wall might still do the kitchen good. But it eventually strains the budget. Should I provide a connection for such or do without? Your opinion is asked for.
Living room:
A huge improvement compared to the last plan! I am very satisfied with the result! I still cannot understand the three sets of three spots in the middle of the room in the last plan. Now it looks much tidier. The question is whether a bit more is needed here or there for proper illumination. But here, too, the lighting planner says he deliberately refrained from even illumination. From my point of view, that doesn't have to be the case, but I am a bit worried about the center of the room. What do you think? Otherwise, I am really very happy with it.
Office:
I spend a lot of time in the office. The previous plan was too sparse for me there. Now the office is just great. I just have to choose a suitable ceiling light; I do not like the one suggested. According to the lighting planner, it should be a light that illuminates the ceiling and does not shine its light directly into the room. I will have to pay attention to that when looking for alternatives.
Stair lighting upper floor:
Here we still have to see if instead of classic built-in lights in the wall, we might do something like shown in the attachment.
Upper floor hallway:
Previously, the arrangement of the spots was symmetrical. Now three pairs have been formed. You can see that asymmetry runs through with this lighting planner. You definitely don't have uniform lighting in the hallway here. The question is whether that is not more sensible in the hallway. I like the basic idea because it goes in the direction of emotion. But do I need this emotion in every area of the house? I would say no but on the other hand I am also a bit uncertain and would appreciate feedback/assessments.
Children's rooms:
I questioned whether a single ceiling focal light is really enough for the large children's rooms. He says if we take the type of light suggested, then yes. These are the lights in the attachment where two lights are shown in the photo, each having three levels. If that is the case, okay, but I have my doubts. On the other hand, you can counteract this with switchable sockets and appropriate lamps.
Parents area bedroom, wardrobe, WC:
Also significant gains compared to the preliminary draft, as in the living room and office! Really awesome! Three spot islands in the bedroom. Fits! At the bedside tables no classic bedside table lamps but pendant lights like those with wire frames shown in the attachment.
In the wardrobe, I think I would do without the drawn-in spots and instead take up the old lighting planner's idea of recessed ceiling lights like also shown in the attachment (also there in a wardrobe). The question would even be whether these lights could be interesting for other rooms as well. I am thinking of the office, even if then the lighting planner's requirement that the lamp should shine onto the ceiling would not be met.
He planned very small night lights in the wall (wardrobe and bathroom). These would be controlled via switches from the bedside table. Personally, I don't see that. Either I control the lighting in the dressing room by motion detectors and KNX so that they only dim up strongly at night when you go to the toilet, or I control the same via a switch. But extra night lights for this I find superfluous. Or? In the bathroom that would be an idea but I don't think it's absolutely necessary either since you can actually achieve everything you want with dimming.
The parents' bathroom is now somewhat more evenly lit. But here, too, I fear like in the guest bath that it may not be sufficiently illuminated. We want to be able to make the bathroom really bright. The question is whether that can be done with three wall lights and seven spots. My electrician said the bathtub would now be quite in the dark. I would definitely appreciate input from you for the bathroom as well. I will ask why apparently no mirror light has been planned here.
Children's bathroom:
Ditto parents bath. I find it funny that from the 3x 6-watt spots next to the toilet in the last plan, now only one remains. Question whether that is enough or if the truth here is perhaps somewhere in the middle.
Utility room:
Instead of a normal ceiling light, apparently a strip was planned here. I have to ask about that again tomorrow. A simple light needs to go there and that's it. Hardware-store quality will do—just like in the garage. When I think that the old lighting planner wanted to hang €199 lights in the garage, I fall off my chair.
Finally, the question remains: Dali yes or no:
My electrician, who is installing KNX for us, says that we would regret not going for Dali now. It offers us the necessary possibilities for scene programming and is worth the higher investment.
The lighting planner says he considers Dali over the top for a single-family house and that it is quite sufficient to switch single groups and not each spot individually.
Here I don't know what to commission. In any case, they will talk to each other, but I have to decide.
That’s all.
I hope I still get some input from you despite the time pressure. I will now study the manufacturer catalogs to go deeper into the individual products.
