Open-plan lighting: how to give each area its own light

Open space con aree illuminate in modo indipendente

An open-plan space is well lit when each zone has its own lighting: clear task lighting over the kitchen countertops, focused lighting over the dining table, and softer light sources throughout the living room, all on separate switches. A single pendant light in the center of the ceiling is never enough. It flattens the room and blurs the different functions. Below, you’ll find out how to map out the zones, how many light sources to plan for, how to calculate lumens, which lights to choose for each area, and what French electrical regulations require when you move or add a light point.

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In brief

  • Divide the space with light: the kitchen, dining area and living room have different needs, and each zone should be able to be switched on and adjusted independently.
  • Use three layers: diffuse ambient light, task lighting for activities, and accent lighting for depth and character.
  • Count the light sources: generally at least 5 for a small open-plan space and at least 7 for a larger one, without ever turning them all on at once.
  • Calculate the lumens: recommended lux × area in m². A 20 m² living room at 150 lux needs around 3,000 lumens, divided among several light sources.
  • In France, comply with NF C 15-100: no more than 8 light points per circuit and at least two lighting circuits. For electrical work, call a qualified electrician.

Contents

Map out the zones before choosing the lights

The first mistake people make in an open-plan space is choosing the light fixtures before deciding where the sofa, table and island will go. Lighting follows the furniture, never the other way around. Take a floor plan of the room, even a hand-drawn one, and mark the areas where you’ll actually spend time: where you cook, eat, read, watch TV and walk in.

Then look at the natural light. DesignMag suggests starting with the natural light and then distributing decorative and functional light sources throughout the different areas as part of a single, cohesive plan. The same article points out that a single light source makes a room feel smaller and monotonous: it’s the different light sources that define the corners and add movement.

In practice, the floor plan you’ve drawn becomes a map of your “invisible walls.” Where there are no walls separating the kitchen from the living room, light will tell the eye where one function ends and the other begins.

The three lighting levels of an open-plan space

A well-lit open-plan space layers three types of lighting. Berloni describes this layered approach as diffused ambient lighting, task lighting for activities, and decorative accent lighting that adds depth.

  1. Ambient lighting. This is the foundation: it lets you move around the space without tripping. Ceiling lights, spotlights, light diffused upward. It should be even, but not necessarily bright.
  2. Task lighting. This is light for getting things done: chopping vegetables, reading, working on a laptop. It focuses on a specific surface, such as a countertop, table, or reading chair.
  3. Accent lighting. This is the lighting that adds character: a wall sconce grazing a textured wall, a table lamp on a console, a small light on a bookcase. It adds depth and makes the evening feel cozy.

When all three layers work together, you can choose which ones to switch on each time. In the morning, you mainly need functional light in the kitchen. In the evening, on the sofa, two or three soft accents are enough to create a cocoon of light around you.

How many light points do you need, and where should you put them?

There’s no set number, but there is a good rule of thumb. Case & Interni recommends at least 5 light points for smaller open-plan spaces and at least 7 for larger ones, noting that you don’t need to turn them all on at the same time. This table will help you distribute them area by area.

Area Lighting function Typical light points Suitable lamps
Entryway and walkways Finding your way, welcoming guests 1 Ceiling light, wall sconce
Kitchen Practical, shadow-free lighting 2 or more Adjustable ceiling spotlights, under-cabinet lighting
Dining area Focused light over the table 1 Ceiling fixture with adjustable spotlights centered over the table
Living room Ambient and relaxing 2 o 3 Wall sconces, table lamps, cordless lamps
Reading or study nook Task lighting 1 Desk lamp, table lamp

A few guidelines for positioning them:

  • Center the light over the activity, not the room. The dining area light should go above the table, even if the table isn’t centered under the ceiling.
  • Avoid lighting from behind the person working. In the kitchen, a light source only behind you casts your shadow right onto the cutting board.
  • Think about outlets, not just ceiling lights. Table and bedside lamps add layers without any construction work. Rechargeable cordless lamps can be moved wherever needed, even far from outlets.
  • Let the ceiling breathe. Too many recessed spotlights make a space feel cold and flat. A few well-placed points and some lower light sources work better.

How much light is needed: calculating lumens

To avoid guesswork, use the formula Electricité EGB recommends for lighting plans: required lumens = recommended lux × area in m². In their example, a 20 m² living room with 150 lux of ambient light requires 3,000 lumens, divided among a 1,500 lm main light, two 400 lm wall lights, and a 700 lm table lamp.

Distributing lumens in a twenty-square-meter living room

The strength of this method is that it doesn’t rely on a single fixture for all the lighting. The same total, divided among four sources, gives you a softer, more flexible room.

Apply the formula to each area of your open-plan space, not to the entire floor area all at once. The kitchen needs more light on the work surfaces; the living room needs less light, but more evenly distributed. To learn more about calculating the lighting for the living area, find examples and figures in our guide on how many lumens a living room needs.

A tip on color temperature: choose a consistent shade throughout the open-plan space, because bulbs with very different color temperatures, seen together at a glance, create a disjointed effect. Warm light is the most inviting choice for the living area.

Kitchen: technical lighting without shadows

The kitchen is the most technical area of an open-plan space. Here, the light needs to be bright and direct, falling on the work surfaces, sink, and cooking area without your body casting a shadow over them.

Febal Casa recommends spotlights or pendant lights for the kitchen to illuminate work surfaces with direct, shadow-free light. Berloni also recommends LED strips or spotlights under the cabinets, a solution often integrated into the kitchen furniture itself.

How to think about it:

  • Adjustable ceiling spotlights, aimed toward the outer edge of the work surface rather than the center of the room: the light falls in front of you, not behind you.
  • Under-cabinet lighting, which brings light exactly where it’s needed without increasing the lighting throughout the whole room. That way, in the evening you can leave just the kitchen lights on while the living room stays dim.
  • Island or peninsula, to be treated as a work surface in its own right, with a dedicated light.

For a detailed layout, see our article on how to light a kitchen countertop without shadows.

Dining area: the table as an island of light

In an open-plan space, the dining area is often the most distinctive spot. A light centered over the table gives it an identity: it draws the eye, creates a warm pool of light around meals, and visually separates the table from the sofa, even if they are only a few meters apart.

Three practical rules:

  • Align the light fitting with the table, not the ceiling. If the electrical connection is off-center, an electrician can move it.
  • Focus the light on the surface. A ceiling light with adjustable spotlights lets you direct the beam onto the table, even when the light fitting is not perfectly centered.
  • Make it independent. The table light should switch on by itself: at dinner, turn on just this light and a couple of accents in the living room, and the space will immediately feel more intimate.

If the table also serves as a desk during the day, add a table lamp or desk lamp that you can put away or move in the evening.

Living room: layered lighting and indirect light

The living room suffers most when all the light comes from the ceiling. Strong light from above alone flattens the space and makes the evening feel static. The living room needs several layers: a highlighted wall, a bookcase, a reading spot, and a few carefully placed accents.

Febal Casa recommends wall sconces and adjustable chandeliers as sources of light that make the living room relaxing, while Berloni suggests small table lamps and a lamp beside the armchair.

Modern Farmhouse living room table lamp with USB port

How to create indirect lighting

Indirect light does not shine directly into your eyes: it is directed towards the ceiling or walls, which reflect it softly and evenly. It’s the secret to cozy evenings. Electricité EGB, for an evening in front of the TV, recommends upward-facing wall sconces or LED strips hidden in a cornice to reduce contrast with the screen and eye strain.

Practical ideas:

  • Wall sconces with an upward- or downward-facing beam beside the sofa or TV: they frame the wall and create a soft glow.
  • Table lamps with matte shades on a console or low cabinet: the light spills out softly and warms the corner.
  • Mushroom lamps on a shelf or side table: a sculptural accent that casts a pool of light.
  • Rechargeable cordless lamps, which you can move to the side table, bookshelf, or terrace depending on the evening.

L’reading nook

By the armchair, you need task lighting: a table or desk lamp with adjustable brightness, placed on a side table. The light falls on the page, leaving the rest of the room in shadow.

Lighting a modern apartment: styles that work together

In an open-plan space, you see all the lamps at a glance, so style matters as much as light. They don’t all have to match, but they should belong to the same family.

  • Scandinavian: light wood, fabric, soft shapes. Pairs well with white walls and natural textiles.
  • Minimalist: clean lines, matte metal, a few essential shapes. Perfect for lacquered kitchens and smooth surfaces.
  • Retro or industrial chic: black metal, glass, vintage details. Adds character to exposed brick and dark parquet floors.

A simple approach: choose a material or color that appears in every area, such as the matte black of the kitchen spotlights, echoed by the living room wall lights and the base of the table lamp. L’the overall look feels harmonious, even with different models.

Separate switches and adjustable brightness

An open-plan space changes function several times a day: breakfast, work, dinner, a movie. To keep up, each area needs to be controlled independently, with separate switches and adjustable brightness.

  • One switch per area: kitchen, dining area, living room. If possible, place a switch near each entrance to the area.
  • Dimmable lamps: dimming the lights in the evening transforms the atmosphere without changing the electrical installation.
  • Simple scenes: “kitchen” (full task lighting), “dinner” (table and two accent lights), “relax” (indirect lighting and table lamps only).

Table lamps, bedside lamps, and cordless lamps are the easiest way to add lighting scenes: they don’t require new circuits and you can switch them on whenever you like.

Electrical installations in France: what NF C 15-100 requires

If you add or move ceiling or wall light points, the installation in France must comply with standard NF C 15-100. According to Legrand’s summary of the standard, each lighting circuit requires an earth-connected protective conductor, a circuit breaker rated for a maximum of 16 A, and wires of at least 1.5 mm². A maximum of 8 light points can be connected to each circuit, and at least 2 lighting circuits are required (only one in a studio apartment).

The Promotelec guide to NF C 15-100 also stipulates that lighting circuits and socket circuits be distributed across at least two high-sensitivity residual-current devices (30 mA or less). That way, if one trips, you won’t be left completely in the dark. For the kitchen, Promotelec reminds us of the dedicated 2.5 mm² circuit for the six sockets and the prohibition on installing them above sinks and cooktops.

For an open-plan space, this has a practical consequence: separating the kitchen and living room onto different circuits is also the basis for controlling the lights separately. For any electrical work, Promotelec recommends hiring a qualified electrician, while table lamps, plug-in wall lights and cordless lamps can be added without modifying the wiring.

Our lamps for lighting open-plan spaces

To create the layers of light you need, our collection of lamps and wall lights includes wall lights, table lamps, bedside lamps, desk lamps, mushroom lamps and cordless lamps, with rechargeable LEDs and adjustable brightness on models that offer this feature, in Scandinavian, retro and minimalist styles.

Ceiling spotlight | Contemporary adjustable circular

For the kitchen and dining area, the adjustable circular spotlight ceiling light and the Nordic industrial-style spotlight ceiling light direct light where it’s needed. For the living room, the Modern Farmhouse table lamp with USB port adds a warm accent and lets you charge your phone beside the sofa. We ship quickly throughout the European Union and Canada, with a money-back guarantee and customer service available seven days a week.

Our perspective

When you write to us about an open-plan space, the question is almost always the same: “Which chandelier should I put in the center?” Our answer is almost always the same: none on its own. A large room comes to life when the light is brought down lower, comes from multiple points and heights, and each area has its own.

That’s why we believe so strongly in decorative lamps that can be placed on a surface, hung on the wall, or moved around. A wall light next to the sofa, a table lamp on the console, a cordless lamp on the coffee table: these are what turn a well-lit room into a welcoming one. And you can add them in an afternoon, without any construction work.

Our advice is to start with the evening. Imagine the moment when you want to feel most comfortable, on the sofa or at the table, and choose the two or three lights you’d like to have on then. The kitchen’s task lighting and spotlights come next, and are easier to adjust once you’ve decided on the atmosphere.

Simon

Frequently asked questions

How do you light a small open-plan space?

Use the same zoning approach, with fewer light sources: task lighting for the kitchen, a light over the table, and two accents in the living room. Choose wall lights and table lamps instead of bulky chandeliers, as they free up the ceiling and make the space feel airier. In a studio apartment, French regulations allow only one lighting circuit.

How many light sources are needed in an open-plan kitchen and living room?

As a rough guide, at least 5 for a small open-plan space and at least 7 for a large one. Distribute them by function: kitchen, dining, living room, reading, and walkways. They don’t all have to be on at the same time: their value lies in being able to combine them.

Can you separate the kitchen and living room using only lighting?

Yes, and it’s the easiest way to do it. Brighter, more direct light in the kitchen, a focused light over the table, and low, warm light sources in the living room create visual boundaries without walls. The result really works when each area has its own switch.

What kind of lighting should you choose for a modern apartment?

Consistent lighting in terms of color temperature, spread across multiple levels and using lamps with the same style, whether Scandinavian, minimalist, or retro. Choose dimmable models to shift from daylight to evening ambiance. A recurring material or color ties the different areas together.

Sources

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