01
Plan · Brightness
Room lumens planner
Turn room dimensions and an adjustable target illuminance into a transparent lumen range and fixture count.
Open toolIssue 01Residential lightOpen tools
A visual lighting workbench
Make lightanswer to the room.
Plan brightness, beam shape, ceiling rhythm, pendant scale, and energy with free tools that keep every assumption in view.
6working planners
0sign-ups required
Localcalculations stay in-browser
Study 01 Light on limewash · AI-generated visual study
The workbench
Six questions.
Measured answers.
Start at any point, then carry the result into the next planning decision. Every calculator shows its formula, assumptions, and limits.
02
Shape · Optics
Beam spread calculator
See how beam angle and throw distance change the approximate diameter and footprint of a pool of light.
Open tool03
Plan · Ceiling
Recessed light layout planner
Build an even, measured ceiling grid from room size, desired spacing, and a clear wall offset.
Open tool04
Scale · Proportion
Pendant height planner
Translate ceiling, table, clearance, and fixture dimensions into a practical drop and cord or stem length.
Open tool05
Cost · Energy
LED running cost calculator
Use the wattage on the label, your schedule, and your local electricity price to estimate energy and cost.
Open tool06
Choose · Label
Bulb spec comparator
Compare two real labels by brightness, energy, efficacy, rated life, and an editable five-year ownership estimate.
Open tool
The Glow & Gauge position
A neat grid is not a lighting plan.
Rooms are read through vertical surfaces, contrast, faces, work planes, and the order in which the eye meets them. The ceiling is only one layer.
- 01Measure what is real.
Finished room, actual fixture label, real mounting distance.
- 02Expose the assumption.
Target, loss factor, spacing, rate, and clearance stay editable.
- 03Verify what math cannot see.
Photometry, glare, material, sightline, structure, and code.
Field notes
Read the light,
not the marketing.
PlanLumens, lux, and watts are three different questions
Brightness, light on a surface, and energy use belong in separate columns. Once they are separated, a lighting plan becomes much easier to read.
ShapeBeam angle without the guesswork
A beam-angle number becomes useful only when it meets a mounting distance, a surface, and the fixture’s real photometric distribution.
FeelColor temperature is not a paint chip
Kelvin is a compact description of white-light appearance—not a complete prediction of how a room, material, or person will look.
90%
Why this work matters
LED is already inside most homes. Choosing well is the next problem.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported in 2026 that 90% of U.S. households use LEDs and 63% use them for most or all indoor lighting. That scale deserves better everyday planning tools.
Read the EIA reportStart with one room