RESIDENTIAL ERGONOMIC LIGHTING - You'll find light levels are listed in lumens, which is light output. Light intensity levels may be listed in lux or foot-candles (fc). Lux measurements are roughly 10 times a foot-candle measurement, as a foot-candle is 1 lumen per square foot, and a lux is 1 lumen per square meter. Incandescent light bulbs are measured in watts and may not have the lumen measurement on the packaging; for a frame of reference, a 60-watt bulb produces 800 lumens. Fluorescent lights and LED lights may already be labeled in lumens. Keep in mind that the light is brightest at its source, so sitting far away from a light will not provide you with the lumens listed on the packaging. Dirt on a lamp can cut into the light output as much as 50 percent as well, so it makes a real difference to keep bulbs, glass globes, and shades cleaned.

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Residential Ergonomic Lighting

Ergonomic Lighting Levels by Room for Residential Spaces

by Chris Adams 

Ergonomics, as it relates to lighting, is basically having the right amount and location of lighting for what you're doing.

In the workplace, it can be making sure computer monitors don't have too much glare on them (to prevent eyestrain) or ensuring that people performing tasks that require precision and fine-detail work have lighting on a path that ensures that there are no shadows cast on what they're doing.

In the home, having ergonomic lighting can mean installing task lighting above kitchen counters or a workbench or making sure that hallways and stairways have enough lighting in them for safety.

Making Sense of Measurements

You'll find light levels are listed in lumens, which is light output.

Light intensity levels may be listed in lux or foot-candles (fc).

Lux measurements are roughly 10 times a foot-candle measurement, as a foot-candle is 1 lumen per square foot, and a lux is 1 lumen per square meter.

Incandescent light bulbs are measured in watts and may not have the lumen measurement on the packaging; for a frame of reference, a 60-watt bulb produces 800 lumens.

Fluorescent lights and LED lights may already be labeled in lumens.

Keep in mind that the light is brightest at its source, so sitting far away from a light will not provide you with the lumens listed on the packaging.

Dirt on a lamp can cut into the light output as much as 50 percent as well, so it makes a real difference to keep bulbs, glass globes, and shades cleaned.

Room Lighting Levels

Outdoors on a clear day, lighting is approximately 10,000 lux.

By a window inside, the available light is more like 1,000 lux.

In the center of a room, it can drop dramatically, even down to 25 to 50 lux, hence the need for both general and task lighting indoors.

A broad guide is to have general, or ambient, lighting in a passageway or a room where you don't perform concentrated visual tasks at 100–300 lux.

Raise the level of light for reading to 500–800 lux, and concentrate task lighting on your needed surface at 800 to 1,700 lux.

For example, in an adult's bedroom, you need lighting to be lower to wind down your body for sleep.

In contrast, a child's bedroom may be where he or she studies as well as sleeps, so both ambient and task lighting would be needed.

Similarly, in dining rooms, the ability to change the number of lumens through different types of lighting (ambient or over the center of the table) or dimmer switches can make the space more versatile, from an active area during the day to a relaxing space in the evening.

In the kitchen, pendant lights above islands and range hoods with lighting over the stove are additional ways to use task lighting.

The following is a list of minimum lighting levels for residential spaces.

Kitchen	General	300 lux
	Countertop	750 lux
Bedroom (adult)	General	100–300 lux
	Task	500 lux
Bedroom (child)	General	500 lux
	Task	800 lux
Bathroom	General	300 lux
	Shave/makeup	300–700 lux
Living room/den	General	300 lux
	Task	500 lux
Family room/home theater	General	300 lux
	Task	500 lux
	TV viewing	150 lux
Laundry/utility	General	200 lux
Dining room	General	200 lux
Hall, landing/stairway	General	100–500 lux
Home office	General	500 lux
	Task	800 lux
Workshop	General	800 lux
	Task	1,100 lux

Chris Adams

Human factors engineer and industrial designer

Human systems integration lead at Strata-G Solutions, Inc.

Experience

Chris Adams is a former writer for ThoughtCo who wrote about ergonomics for more than nine years. Ergonomics is the study of how humans effectively interact with their work environment. Chris has more than 11 years of experience working in the field of human factors and ergonomics. He was a human factors and systems engineer with Jacobs Engineering working on NASA's the Ares I and V rocket systems. Chris later became the lead of human-system integration for Strata-G Solutions, Inc. 

Chris specializes in furniture design and corporate identity and works as an independent consultant on various design projects. His work for ThoughtCo appears on many websites, newsletters, and books which focus on engineering spaces for human use.

Education

Chris Adams earned a Bachelor of Industrial Design (B.I.D.) in Industrial and Product Design from Auburn University in 1999.

ThoughtCo and Dotdash

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https://www.thoughtco.com/lighting-levels-by-room-1206643