Downlights (also known as recessed lights) and spotlights are kind of similar, infact they're so similar that they share a category page on our website.
To say they're so similar that they're interchangable wouldn't be fair, they both serve distinct purposes and appeal differently to different spaces with unique challenges and needs.
So we're going to take this oppurtunity, whilst we've got you here, to run through the similarities and differences between downlights and spotlights and try and get to the bottom of which one you should be adding to your shopping basket or popping in the search bar on Pinterest.
Firstly, downlights are designed and placed to throw light downwards.
It's a lightbulb set in a metal cylinder of pressed steel or cast aluminium and it'll have a decorative fascia that is held into the ceiling with spring or compression clips. It'll be installed either flush against the ceiling or recessed into the ceiling.
There's nothing stopping you from using downlights in every room of your house if you really want to, but they're most popular in kitchens and bathrooms because they're so widely available in fire-rated and ip-rated variations.
A downlight can also be LED integrated (no need for a bulb), or a bulb can be added. The choice in colour temperature of the bulb will depend on the desired ambience of the room in which they are installed - Cool and crisp, or warm and cosy?
Spotlights project a narrow, intense beam of light directly on to a spot of your choosing. Adjustable in any direction you want to highlight.
One of the biggest perks that spotlights have to offer is that they're one of the most adaptable lighting options available.
Bar spotlights and multiway spotlights are super versatile, they're fixed from one cable point but have multiple different light sources that can be directed all around the room as and when you need. Use the customisability to shine a little extra light on some of the brilliance in your home. Show off that family photo, that framed degree, maybe you even just want to make sure that new oven is always lit up and on display.
It's all about what you want to see the most.
Spotlights are fantastic choices if you're in the market for task lighting, too.
Downlights are installed into the ceiling (mounted on or recessed) concentrating the light in a downward direction, whilst a spotlight is fixed onto a wall or ceiling and can provide multiple light beams, allowing you to direct light directly onto a place or object.
If you're looking to have a space be well lit and a light fitting be as uninvasive as possible then it might be a downlight you're after.
If you're looking for the oppurtunity to make a little bit more of a statement and have your lighting work more aesthetically, then we'd recommend you start by browsing spotlights.
