This tab contains 3 sections:
A: Electrical plans, one for each floor; and
B: Types of lights (and where to buy them); and
C: Brief explanatory notes to the electrical plans.
A: ELECTRICAL PLANS
Download the ground floor bedrooms electrical plan here.
Download the first floor electrical plan here. This plan also shows the kitchen units (drawn to scale), including the electric cooker, fridge, dishwasher etc. Another plan of the kitchen units, prepared by the carpenter, is here.
The full set of 20 general plans, with dimensions, is here.
Please note the plans are large-scale plans, with good detail. To view them properly, please download them to your local drive. Best viewed on a large screen, or printed off on large-scale (e.g., A1) paper. If you take on the work, we can arrange to have several copies printed off for you, if needed.
B: TYPES OF LIGHTS AND WHERE TO BUY
Lights should be without powerpacks as the conduits are metal and surface mounted, especially on the brick walls. (They probably can be sunk into the rendered walls, but there will still be conduits generally, e.g., to ceiling lights in bathrooms, walk-in wardrobes, gym, larder etc.)
Note that house has a full-height ceiling, with no roof-space. Not only will conduits be exposed on any brick walls, but electrical cables will also be carried overhead in trays. Similarly, much of the plumbing will not be hidden away; so the electrical work has to be done in a way that looks neat and which, where possible, runs neatly alongside plumbing pipes and the heat exchanger pipes, as plenty of pipes will be exposed.
The effect will be more like a modern restaurant in a warehouse conversion, where pipework will be exposed. This means that conduits must be metal, not plastic, and the electrician, the plumber, the heat exchanger fitter, and the joiner keep each other in the loop continually about what they are planning to do, to avoid stuff having to be re-done later.
(Lights all from same supplier, Clanrye Lighting, Newry, unless specified otherwise):
1. Longitudinal LED strip lights embedded in bridge (not sure where to source):
2. Uplighters (buy here) (these are outdoor spec, they suit the inside of this house better – matches galvanising on girders):
3. Spotlights throughout (buy here):
4. 3 hanging lights over dining table (buy here):
5. Chandelier in entrance hall (simple triangle pendant being made by a friend).
6. Flexible wall-mounted reading lights above each bed – centre of head-board for bedrooms 2, 3 and 4, one at each side of headboard in main bedroom:
For sale here. Like the look of them. though very over-priced. See if can get similar quality for less £?
7. For bathrooms, larder, gym, walk-in wardrobes – need flush, ceiling-mounted lights, with good illumination, as follows:
7.1 Bathroom and walk-in wardrobes (buy here):
7.2 Larder (buy here):
7.3 Gym and Store room (buy here) (different supplier):
7.4 Utility room – plain industrial hanging bulb, something like this (not sure where to buy):
8. Recessed floor uplighters in ground floor corridor:
Electrician to advise – effect should be like laser beams going up, not widely-diffused. The following picture uses lights 3/4 way up the wall, which we don’t want, but the laser effect is good:
9. Coloured LEDs to fit inside kids’ slide (should be all the way down); and on stairs.
C: EXPLANATORY NOTES:
A quick note on what we’re aiming for (and what we don’t want):
House is modern / industrial. Barrel-roof shed in style; with double-height ceiling and exposed girders. Note that floors will be power-floated concrete. No skirting boards; no opportunities for concealed lighting or hidden strip-lights. Design aesthetic of rest of house is such that the source of the light should be obvious.
We grew up being blinded by big bulbs hanging from the middle of the ceiling and do not wish to repeat that : ) Goal is very subdued lighting throughout with specific reading / cooking etc spotlights, and, obviously, full brightness in bathrooms, walk in wardrobes, utility, gym, larder and office.
I grew up in an old farmhouse with gas mantles and the glow from open fires and there was this general soft light which was very welcoming. The new bungalow we moved into in the 70s had more amenities in every way but was too bright! I detest too-bright lights hanging down, flooding the place with featureless harsh light and dazzling everyone – not needed … we need a more intelligent use of lighting.
This pic is not in any way like our house architecturally, but the overall effect is good:
GENERAL COMMENTS
NB1: No wifi – data points as noted by various ‘DA’ markings on plans. Use good quality cabling (cat 7?) that will cope with future cable internet upgrades.
NB2: Some parts of house wired for speakers.
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
In all bedrooms, please note that:
- There are no main ceiling lights in bedrooms – just wall-mounted uplighters in bedrooms. See approximate locations on plan. (should they be half way up a wall or 3/4 way up?).
- Spotlamp (near top of wall or on ceiling), focussed on each desk. (Desk locations beside DAs.)
- Ground-mounted metal power sockets (like in an office) to match location of desk so that power points can be built into shelf under desk
- Couple of bright flat / flush ceiling lights in each walk-in wardrobe
- Flexible reading lights above beds, wall-mounted. 1 each above centre of headboard in bedrooms 2, 3 and 4; 2 in main bedroom, one each side.
In all bathrooms:
- Bright flat / flush ceiling lights in bathrooms (no uplighters)
- Backlit and heated mirror
- Coloured LED panel or recessed lights near bath
NB: There will be a heat exchanger – presume that each bathroom will need extractor fan unit anyway, therefore (presumably) extra power points (or cabling) for this in each of the 5 bathrooms.
Additional room-specific items as follows:
STORE
- Flat / flush ceiling lights, same outdoors ones as used in gym
- Had been spec for a beam vacuum; ignore this, not getting
STAIRS
- Power for LED lights embedded into stairs.
GUEST BATHROOM
- Flush bathroom light as main ensuite bathrooms
- Backlit and heated mirror
- Power point for electric hand dryer
DOWNSTAIRS DOOR
- Power point at door to allow for remote door monitoring system
FIRST FLOOR PLAN
BRIDGE
- LED longitudinal lights (uneven lengths, avoid regular white lines effect which would be too severe)
ENTRANCE FLOOR SPACE
- (Entrance floor space, i.e., the entire area before you go into the corridor proper) should be a continuation of the same materials (e.g. grey granite etc flags). Idea is to copy the Japanese who have a transition space where shoes are taken off and put in the cupboard under the bench to the right.)
- Delete first door into corridor; and have an underlight glass dividing line – glass bricks? With some kids’ drawings inside. Power point in floor needed for that.
- Chandelier
- NB from 2025, all phones will be VoIP – so need a BT type phone line + DA to left of door as you go in, for phone seat.
OFFICE
- Also need another BT type phone line + DA in office, as I will have a separate office phone (even a separate VoIP phone)
- Couple of uplighters (think these already in plan?) but also several spotlights trained on desk (as eyesight goes lol)
- Check that there are ground power sockets to match location of desk so that power points can be built into shelf under desk
- Couple of bright flat / flush ceiling lights in walk-in wardrobe
UPSTAIRS CORRIDOR
- 2 or 3 uplighters on wall opposite side from glass wall (think those already mentioned in plan)
MAIN DOOR
- Power point at door to allow for door monitoring system
SLIDE
- Power for LED lights embedded all the way down the slide.
GYM
- Will need 2 Internet points (for wall-mounted screens to plug into rower or exercise bike – virtual Tour de France etc) – leave locations provisional until I work out best use of space in what’s a small gym
- Flush / flat ceiling lights (no uplighters)
- External extractor fan
UTILITY
- Hanging, retro LED lights
LARDER
- Hanging, retro LED lights
LIVING / DINING AREA
- Internet point beside floor sockets (to cater for fact that kitchen tables inevitably become homework / work tables)
- Bank of spotlights just above horizontal window, trained on work surfaces of kitchen units
The New Shed 