Spotlight advice

[AllTheChaos]

I am having new lights in the bedrooms and on the landing, following an absolute disaster with the roof that has led to new ceiling being required (!) The electrician suggested those spotlights that sit almost flush with the ceiling, which I like, but I have no idea what to buy online, and can’t get to a lighting shop to go and actually look at things. Has anyone got any experience, and can recommend any lights / brands/ sites to buy from / what to avoid? Money is tight as battling insurance issues, so definitely need to keep costs down. I’ve seen lights ranging from £15 - £100+ each with no idea which would be best, or why. I’ve checked the website CEF (suggested by electrician) but it appears to presuppose a level of knowledge that I lack.

Do you really want spotlights in a bedroom and the landing or is the electrician pushing that idea?

I suspect the op meant downlights.

Could be wrong though.

I was guessing it was downlights as well but still wouldn't think they'd be nice in a bedroom or a landing. Unless I'm getting mixed up.

It's the modern way. I wasn't keen but with the eldest getting taller anything that helps headroom is of interest!

Think zoning for rooms where you might want to dim the light. E.g. for a room with 6 lights have 4 and 2 operated separately so you choose bright or more mellow.

We bought smart led spots recently which I can control via an app/alexa. Have them in the hall and kitchen. Its a novelty having set routines so the lights come on/off automatically, or I can turn them on/off if I'm not home. I have a great routine set up for when my dog needs a wee in the night, I tell Alexa the dog needs a wee and she turns on one light by the back door at 10% brightness and turns it off automatically 5 mins later, no fumbling around in the dark. I wouldn't recommend the ones I bought simply because getting to app set up was terrible as it hadn't been updated for modern phones.
Spots in a hallway can be nice, but I wouldn't put them in a bedroom. How often do you use the overhead light in a bedroom instead of side lamps? Is it a multi functional bedroom where someone studies that might need bright lights? Spots are bright so better for functional areas, or you could install a dimmer or get smart spots.

We have downlights in the bedrooms - on the top floor the ceilings are too low for anything else and on the middle floor we just have one in each corner of the room as background light or if we want it brighter, and then wall or table lamps for softer lighting. They are all 2700K bulbs (“very warm white”) and dimmable, so not harsh.

OP we have Aurora Enlight downlights which my builder suggested (and architect confirmed are decent). Would recommend. I would suggest you get dimmable fittings, dimmable bulbs and a trailing edge dimmer. Would also suggest another source of light eg bedside lamps for when you want something softer.

Thanks all! And apologies for the delay, it’s basically chaos in my life and house at the moment. Went for the Aurora lights someone recommended on here, builder confirmed they are a popular choice and people seem to really like them, so fingers crossed! Still don’t know if they should should be called spotlights or down lights mind you… I am one of those people who mostly just uses side lamps, for softer, dimmer lighting. I only put the main lights on for cleaning - so not very often!