Ceiling spotlights: how many you need, how far apart and how to choose them

Ceiling spotlights give even light without a chandelier hanging down into the room, but only if you choose them well: too few and dark patches remain, too many and the ceiling looks like Swiss cheese. Below you will learn when to choose recessed or surface-mounted spotlights, how many you need, how far apart to place them, which beam angle, which bulb and which IP rating for the bathroom, with data from the product specifications in our recessed spotlights collection.

Recessed or surface-mounted spotlight: which should you choose?

Choose a recessed spotlight if you have or are fitting a plasterboard suspended ceiling; choose a surface-mounted spotlight if the ceiling is concrete and you don't want to lower it.

• Recessed (in plasterboard): the body sits inside the ceiling and only the trim stays visible. Before you buy, compare the height in the specification with the void above the board: Maytoni DL2001 is 3.2 cm, Maytoni Round DL058 is 5.3 cm and Maytoni Wise DL057 is 7 cm. Cut the hole to the cut-out size in the product's technical drawing.
• Surface-mounted (on concrete or anywhere): fixed directly to the ceiling, with no suspended ceiling needed. Maytoni Artisan C080CL, a 5.4 × 10.8 cm cylinder with a GU10 bulb, costs 111.08 lei; the round Ideal Lux Look PL1 is Ø 6 cm and costs 152 lei. All are in our ceiling lights collection.
• On a track: if you want to move the spotlights later, read our guide to magnetic track lighting, which can be surface-mounted or recessed.

Practical tip: on concrete, surface-mounted spotlights connect to the existing junction box or a new cable run. If you are fitting a suspended ceiling anyway, plan the spotlight positions at the same time, so the electrician can leave the cable exactly where the holes will be.

How far apart should ceiling spotlights be?

Start with half the ceiling height between spotlights and at least 60 cm from the wall to the first row.

These rules come from the installation guide by manufacturer Kichler: divide the ceiling height by 2 to get the spacing between spotlights, don't exceed 6 feet (about 1.8 m) between them and start at least 2 feet (about 60 cm) from the walls. The same guide says that with dark floors you should place the spotlights closer together or choose spotlights with more lumens.

This is a starting rule, not a standard: with narrow beam angles the spotlights need to be closer together, so you don't end up with pools of light and shadow in between.

How many spotlights do you need in a living room?

Estimate: a 4 × 5 m living room with a 2.6 m ceiling needs 12 spotlights, in 3 rows of 4.

Estimate, with the maths: we used the Maytoni Round DL058 in black, 7 W, 450 lm, 60°, 3000 K, 215.62 lei.

• Spacing between spotlights: 2.6 m ÷ 2 = 1.3 m.
• Along the 5 m side: 5 − 2 × 0.6 = 3.8 m between the first and last spotlight; 3.8 ÷ 1.3 ≈ 2.9, so 3 gaps and 4 spotlights, about 1.27 m apart.
• Along the 4 m side: 4 − 2 × 0.6 = 2.8 m; 2.8 ÷ 1.3 ≈ 2.2, so 2 gaps and 3 rows, 1.4 m apart (under the 1.8 m limit).
• Total: 3 × 4 = 12 spotlights × 450 lm = 5,400 lm; 5,400 ÷ 20 m² = 270 lm/m².
• Power: 12 × 7 W = 84 W. Cost: 12 × 215.62 lei = 2,587.44 lei, plus EU delivery at €30 per order.

Lumens per m² are not lux measured at floor level (some light is lost), but they show how bright one plan is compared with another. If the living room also has a chandelier, floor lamp or wall lights, you can drop a row and put the spotlights on a separate circuit. To find out how much those 84 W use per month, see our guide how much electricity an LED bulb uses.

Which beam angle should you choose?

For general lighting choose 60° or more; for accent lighting on paintings, shelves or worktops choose 24–36°.

For square spotlights, besides DL093 there are Ideal Lux Samba square (recessed, GU10) and Ideal Lux Look PL1 square (surface-mounted). For black recessed spotlights, DL058 and DL057 come in black, as does Ideal Lux Infinity with a trim, 1,000 lm, 146 lei.

GU10 bulb or integrated LED?

With GU10 you can change the bulb whenever you like (different colour temperature, different output, a dimmable version); with an integrated LED you don't buy bulbs, but the light source is part of the fitting.

• GU10: the round Ideal Lux Samba costs 41.65 lei, with the bulb not included. A 7 W, 540 lm, 3000 K GU10 LED bulb costs 15 lei; if you want a dimmer, choose a 6 W, 430 lm dimmable GU10 bulb at 28 lei, and check that the dimmer is compatible. All bulbs are in our light bulbs collection.
• Integrated LED: the Maytoni specifications for DL058, DL057 and DL034 state that no separate bulb is needed. The output and beam angle are as specified, so you know from the outset how bright it will be.

Which spotlights should go in the bathroom?

In the bathroom choose spotlights rated IP44 or higher; above the bath or shower, IP65 is safer.

According to the guide by British manufacturer Crosswater, which summarises the British wiring regulations BS 7671, zone 1 is above the bath or shower tray up to 2.25 m from the floor and requires at least IP44, plus 30 mA RCD protection; zone 2 extends 60 cm around the bath, up to 2.25 m, and 60 cm around any tap, also with at least IP44. Installation should be carried out by a qualified electrician, who will confirm which fitting suits each position under the regulations that apply where you live.

• Maytoni Zoom DL034: IP65, 6 W, 470 lm, 60°, 3000 K, 300.56 lei; also available in black.
• Maytoni Okno DL055: IP44, 18 W, 1,400 lm, 100°, 4000 K, 274.43 lei, for general bathroom lighting.

IP20 spotlights (most living room models) are for dry rooms only, as their specifications state.

Which colour temperature should you choose?

3000 K for the living room, bedroom and hallway; 3000–4000 K for the kitchen and bathroom.

This recommendation comes from the guide by bulb manufacturer Feit Electric: 2700 K for bedrooms and living rooms, 3000 K also for living rooms and hallways, 3000–4000 K for kitchens and bathrooms. Most spotlights in our collection are 3000 K; Okno DL055 also comes in a 4000 K version. Keep the same colour temperature for all spotlights in a room, otherwise the difference shows on the ceiling.

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