The Nest

[ayazumi 0]

If you place dining table before the room corridor, will the living room be too squeezy? If you place a 2.6mtr sofa in the living room, there will not be enough space for dining table in the living room, unless you get less than 2.4mtr sofa, there might be some space left for walking

[May_dream1 14]

That's a good idea, can save some cost. But just four track lights near the window will it be bright enough? Maybe I am too greedy

you won't want the track lights to be shining on you when you are at the sofa. its not good for your eyes... and also, what do you usually do in the living room? if you are sitting there to watch tv, then i think would be bright enough. if you need to sit on the sofa to read, then might not be bright enough.

[Valerie Low 0]

If you place dining table before the room corridor, will the living room be too squeezy? If you place a 2.6mtr sofa in the living room, there will not be enough space for dining table in the living room, unless you get less than 2.4mtr sofa, there might be some space left for walking

Hi Aya, I'm planning to buy the Karlstad three-seater from IKEA which is 2.05m only. so there will be approx 1m of walking space in between the dining and the living. Hubby and I seldom spend our time in the living room, i think mostly it will just be for display and collect dust only LOL..

you won't want the track lights to be shining on you when you are at the sofa. its not good for your eyes... and also, what do you usually do in the living room? if you are sitting there to watch tv, then i think would be bright enough. if you need to sit on the sofa to read, then might not be bright enough.

Oh ya.. speaking about track lights shining on me while i'm at the sofa, isn't option 2 a better choice, since the track lights are behind the sofa.. then i can turn off the ones in front(which are above the tv). Or probably i don't need the one above the tv?

Edited March 26, 2012 by ValerieLow

[ayazumi 0]

How about one hanging light inbetween the TV and sofa, a hanging light for the dining, then track light at the back of the sofa?

[May_dream1 14]

Oh ya.. speaking about track lights shining on me while i'm at the sofa, isn't option 2 a better choice, since the track lights are behind the sofa.. then i can turn off the ones in front(which are above the tv). Or probably i don't need the one above the tv?

I don't knwo where you putting your sofa, your drawing only show dining table and tv. So i thought your sofa would be against the wall opposite the tv which you will be able to see once you walk in the main door.

You need to check whether there are enough space for you to have the track light and fan.. to me, ceiling fan is very important.... so if your sofa is not against the wall but halfway, then option 2 of track light behind sofa and a ceiling fan would be good. Then pendant lights for dining.... no need another track light against the TV lah. waste money!!!! and you don't spend a lot of time in living room too.

[Valerie Low 0]

Thanks for the replies. Based on your comments, I think a row of track lights will be sufficient. Yeah! Money saved!

Maybe i will get a floor lamp next to the sofa if i need to do some serious reading in the living.

[Valerie Low 0]

First Purchase

Finally we purchased the first item for the house! A lamp for the foyer.

Edited March 27, 2012 by ValerieLow

[NeoBY 1]

Thanks for the replies. Based on your comments, I think a row of track lights will be sufficient. Yeah! Money saved!

Maybe i will get a floor lamp next to the sofa if i need to do some serious reading in the living.

Hi Valerie, my contractor suggested I use track lights for living room instead of the conventional lights. Which I told was a good idea. So I went searching for track lights. I realized they arent cheap, especially those with LED bulbs. I also discovered that the track lights wont be able to light up the whole living room unless I get a lot and the lights are very glaring to the eyes. So I gave up track lights and went to using L box with downlights. The L box cost me 380 and downlights (2x18w ea) which I got very cheap from JB.

My opinion lah hor.

[Valerie Low 0]

Hi Valerie, my contractor suggested I use track lights for living room instead of the conventional lights. Which I told was a good idea. So I went searching for track lights. I realized they arent cheap, especially those with LED bulbs. I also discovered that the track lights wont be able to light up the whole living room unless I get a lot and the lights are very glaring to the eyes. So I gave up track lights and went to using L box with downlights. The L box cost me 380 and downlights (2x18w ea) which I got very cheap from JB.

My opinion lah hor.

Hi Neoby,

Last week, we visited one of the houses my contractor did in the past and I saw the owner using track lights for the entire living room, so i was trying the lights and they look okay to me. Reason being he didn't use LED lights which are glaring to the eyes, he uses energy saving bulb only. Which is quite cheap around $15-$20.

I also went to some shops in Jalan Besar to survey about the price. The track is about $15-$30 a meter depending on what type of track you choose. And the light holder is about $35 - $90. For the amount of lights i'm getting probably will cost less than $500, whereas the L-box and false ceiling will cost me about $900 not inclusive the cost of downlights.

[May_dream1 14]

Hi Neoby,

Last week, we visited one of the houses my contractor did in the past and I saw the owner using track lights for the entire living room, so i was trying the lights and they look okay to me. Reason being he didn't use LED lights which are glaring to the eyes, he uses energy saving bulb only. Which is quite cheap around $15-$20.

I also went to some shops in Jalan Besar to survey about the price. The track is about $15-$30 a meter depending on what type of track you choose. And the light holder is about $35 - $90. For the amount of lights i'm getting probably will cost less than $500, whereas the L-box and false ceiling will cost me about $900 not inclusive the cost of downlights.

L-box only without false ceiling will not be so ex.... just have L-box by the side, instead of whole false ceiling then it would not cost $900. if your contractor charging so much, then its just too expensive.

But, i think track lights are ok..... as long as you don't shine it into your eyes....

BTW, nice lamp you bought for your foyer!

[NeoBY 1]

Hi Neoby,

Last week, we visited one of the houses my contractor did in the past and I saw the owner using track lights for the entire living room, so i was trying the lights and they look okay to me. Reason being he didn't use LED lights which are glaring to the eyes, he uses energy saving bulb only. Which is quite cheap around $15-$20.

I also went to some shops in Jalan Besar to survey about the price. The track is about $15-$30 a meter depending on what type of track you choose. And the light holder is about $35 - $90. For the amount of lights i'm getting probably will cost less than $500, whereas the L-box and false ceiling will cost me about $900 not inclusive the cost of downlights.

I suggest you try Sim Lim Tower to check out the track lights as well. I think it's on the upper floors.

[ayazumi 0]

The housing for track light is not very expensive, but it is the bulb (depends what bulbs you are using) and the bulb holder that is expensive. We didn't research where to buy track lights will be cheaper, because we have already bought our lights from that particular shop, so no choice, got to exchange the lights in that shop, and we got the track lights from that shop.

There are cheaper track lights, but you have to look at the overall. We saw one track light, cheap cheap! BUT when the bulb blows, you need to change the whole bulb holder. The bulb is fixed to the holder, so you can't change the bulb only, you need to change the whole thing - bulb holder. The bulb holder itself costs $78 per piece, which is so expensive! One light bulb costs only $15-$2x. If you buy that type of cheap track light, the initial purchase is cheap, but on long-term, the track lights become very expensive. So be careful when you choose track lights.

We have also saw one track light that can only use halogen lights, you cannot use other light bulbs. Halogen bulbs are very warm, the heat come out from the bulb which feels like spot lights, which is only suitable for decorative purposes (shining on pictures), not for lighting the room. Though the track light looks modern, but we cannot stand the heat, and the lights hurt our eyes too.

[ayazumi 0]

I suggest you try Sim Lim Tower to check out the track lights as well. I think it's on the upper floors.

Don't go on Sundays. We went there last Sunday, only 1-2 shops opened on level 3. The other floors like maybe 5 shops opened only.

[NeoBY 1]

Don't go on Sundays. We went there last Sunday, only 1-2 shops opened on level 3. The other floors like maybe 5 shops opened only.

Us went on weekdays but end up never buy lah. Gave up on the idea. heee...I even find the downlights above the tv glaring so may be switching them off when watching tv prog.

[ayazumi 0]

Us went on weekdays but end up never buy lah. Gave up on the idea. heee...I even find the downlights above the tv glaring so may be switching them off when watching tv prog.

I don't like the idea to have lights above TV. I feel it too glaring and hurt the eyes too.