How many lumens do I need per room?

Multiply the room area in square feet by the target foot-candles for that room. Living rooms and bedrooms need about 10 to 20 foot-candles; kitchens, dining rooms and bathrooms about 30 to 40; home offices about 40 to 50. A 12 by 14 foot living room needs roughly 2,500 lumens of ambient light.

How many light fixtures does a room need?

Divide the total lumens your room needs by the output of each bulb (a standard bulb is about 800 lumens), then spread that light across layers: an overhead or pendant fixture, plus table or floor lamps for task lighting.

What light color temperature is best?

Warm white around 2700K suits living rooms and bedrooms for a calm, residential glow. Kitchens, bathrooms and home offices can use a slightly cooler tone, around 3000 to 4000K, for clearer task lighting.

Lighting Calculator

Enter your room and its size to estimate how much light it needs — total lumens, the right brightness level, and roughly how many bulbs or fixtures to plan for.

Room

Units

Room width

Room length

Total light needed

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Plan for about

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standard 800-lumen bulbs

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How to plan lighting for a room

Work out the total light first. A simple rule: multiply the room's area in square feet by its target brightness in foot-candles. Living rooms and bedrooms sit around 10–20 foot-candles; kitchens, dining rooms and bathrooms want roughly 30–40; a home office is happiest near 40–50.

Then split it into layers. Don't try to hit the number with one ceiling fixture. Combine ambient light (overhead or a pendant), task light (a table or floor lamp, under-cabinet strips), and a little accent light. Layered light is what makes a room feel warm rather than flat.

Mind the bulb colour. For living spaces and bedrooms, warm white around 2700K feels residential and calm; kitchens, bathrooms and offices can take a slightly cooler, brighter tone for tasks.