Most hallways need one ceiling light shade for roughly every 2.5m to 3m of length. A short, square entrance hall usually needs just one, a typical terraced house hallway of 4m to 6m often looks best with two, and a long corridor in a larger home or flat may need three. Stairwells and landings count separately, because they are lit from different ceiling points and serve a different purpose.<\/p>\n
The spacing rule is a starting point rather than a law. Ceiling height, wall colour, natural light and the style of shade all affect the final number. We explain how to work it out below. If you are already comparing fittings, our range of ceiling light shades UK<\/a> homes choose for halls and landings includes pendants, flush fittings and lanterns in a range of sizes.<\/p>\n Hallways are usually long, narrow and short on daylight. They are also transitional spaces. You walk through them rather than sit in them, often carrying something, sometimes in a hurry, and occasionally at night. Good hallway lighting has to be even enough to move safely, warm enough to feel welcoming, and arranged so that there are no dark patches by the front door or at the foot of the stairs.<\/p>\n A single central fitting in a long hall tends to fail on two counts. It leaves the ends in shadow, and it creates a bright spot in the middle that makes the space feel more like a corridor. That is why the number of shades matters as much as the style.<\/p>\n Start with the full length of the hallway from the front door to the far end or the point where it opens into another room. Ignore the stairs for now.<\/p>\n Divide the length by around 2.5m to 3m. Round to the nearest whole number. This gives the number of ceiling shades that will light the hall evenly.<\/p>\nWhy hallways are tricky to light<\/h3>\n
Working out the number for your hallway<\/h3>\n
Measure the length<\/h3>\n
Divide by your spacing<\/h3>\n