Two downlight spots for bed instead of bedside lamps

Possom

Rather than have two lamps attached to the wall at the head of a double bed or have two bedside lamps, what would you think of the possibility of having two individual 11cm diameter dimmable rotational downlight spots set flush into the ceiling above the head?

Each could be positioned to beam to where one would hold a book/laptop/phone if sitting up in bed. With a separate switch on each side of the bed or a double switch in the middle.

I'm not sure I've seen this done before, but occurred to me that it might be neater than two lamps.

Ebe_Scrooge

It's perfectly do-able. In terms of wiring in the lights themselves, that's an easy job since you'll be working in the loft so no need to muck about with channeling cable runs, and you'll have plenty of existing light points to tap off. Of course you'll need to channel the wall down to the switches, but that's not a massive job. The only slight annoyance might be in getting them pointing exactly where you want them - you'll have to fiddle about up a ladder, and it's not easy to re-direct them mid-read :-). But I guess once they're set correctly, that's pretty much job done.

EssexExile

Ebe_Scrooge wrote: »

It's perfectly do-able. In terms of wiring in the lights themselves, that's an easy job since you'll be working in the loft so no need to muck about with channeling cable runs, and you'll have plenty of existing light points to tap off. Of course you'll need to channel the wall down to the switches, but that's not a massive job. The only slight annoyance might be in getting them pointing exactly where you want them - you'll have to fiddle about up a ladder, and it's not easy to re-direct them mid-read :-). But I guess once they're set correctly, that's pretty much job done.

A. Or use pull switches.

B. As long as you don't want to change position, ever.

DontTellMyMother

Further to this but a separate query: in our bedroom there are two 13A sockets, one at each side of the bed. Would it OK to get fixed down-lights that would normally be hard-wired and controlled by a switch on the wall? However, in our case they would be fixed to the wall just above the headboard of the bed and connected via 13A plugs to the bedside sockets. They would be switched on and off via the switches in the 13A wall sockets. OK, the cable would trail loose above the surface but this would be acceptable and it would avoid chasing out the plaster. It would also save space on what will have to be fairly small bedside tables.
DDMY

Possom

EssexExile wrote: »

B. As long as you don't want to change position, ever.

It's a small room, so the double bed can only ever go in one location.

markin

Won't the beam be too spread out to be useful as a reading lamp, without keeping awake the person next to you.

markin

DontTellMyMother wrote: »

Further to this but a separate query: in our bedroom there are two 13A sockets, one at each side of the bed. Would it OK to get fixed down-lights that would normally be hard-wired and controlled by a switch on the wall? However, in our case they would be fixed to the wall just above the headboard of the bed and connected via 13A plugs to the bedside sockets. They would be switched on and off via the switches in the 13A wall sockets. OK, the cable would trail loose above the surface but this would be acceptable and it would avoid chasing out the plaster. It would also save space on what will have to be fairly small bedside tables.
DDMY

Buy a Switched Cable like this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lamp-Holder-Switched-Cable-Fitted/dp/B01E8Z7MI0

Possom

markin wrote: »

Won't the beam be too spread out to be useful as a reading lamp, without keeping awake the person next to you.

Possible - I'm not sure.

The downlights have a 60 degree spread and are dimmable and can be rotated once positioned. Each have 2300 lumens (Lm) at maximum.

EssexExile

60° is quite a spread.

MX5huggy

The other person will be in the light as well , that might or might not matter.

Possom

I had initially thought about the two spots being close to each other on the ceiling, however on retrospect it would be better to have each one above the edge of each side of the bed, to give the maximum distance apart.

That combined with the fact that the spots are rotational once installed means the beam from each spot could be directed slightly away from the bed if required.