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How to Properly Light Rooms with Sloped Ceilings

Sloped Ceiling Lighting
Movable wall lights are ideal for sloped ceilings. Photo: Getty Images / onurdongel
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March 20, 2024, 5:22 am | Read time: 2 minutes

Proper lighting is essential in a home. With sloped ceilings, achieving this can be challenging, often making spaces feel dark and cramped. Therefore, it’s important to choose the right light sources to effectively illuminate these areas.

If you live in an attic apartment, you might be familiar with the problem: The rooms can quickly feel dark and cramped due to the sloped ceilings. The right lighting can help. However, it’s not as easy to implement as it might be in a regular apartment without sloped ceilings. Here’s what to consider when lighting a room with a sloped ceiling.

Pay Attention to Cables and Heights

Floor lamps are a nice way to bring light into corners. However, with sloped ceilings, this type of lighting isn’t always possible, as the lamp might simply be too tall and could hit the low ceiling. If the height works, you also need to pay attention to cable management, according to the industry initiative “licht.de”.

Since you often have to place the lamps at a slight distance due to the lower ceiling height, the connection between the outlet and the light source can easily become a tripping hazard.

Also interesting: How to Best Utilize Rooms with Sloped Ceilings

Wall Lights and Spots

Recessed spots can be an alternative. However, if you want to install them later in a rental apartment, you must first ask your landlord—because it requires an intervention in the building structure, experts say. The spot then disappears into the ceiling.

Wall lights also require little space. Directed against the slope, they can even visually expand the room with indirect light. A mix of direct and indirect light can generally create a cozier atmosphere.

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Cables, Rods, or Rails

Lights on cable and rod systems or power rails are also an option if lighting the room with sloped ceilings is otherwise difficult.

The advantage: The spotlights are often adjustable and can illuminate the entire room. Linear systems can be routed around corners or mounted on walls. These systems usually only need one power connection.

Light Coves for Indirect Lighting

Light coves are another way to properly illuminate rooms with sloped ceilings. Light coves are backlit grooves—created by suspended ceilings. This method can beautifully highlight and illuminate the corners.

With material from dpa

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of MYHOMEBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@myhomebook.de.

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