How to manage glare in your home?

Glare is one of the most uncomfortable feelings light can create, but managed well it is also the cause of some of the most spectacular lighting effects we all enjoy from our decorative pendants and wall lights – because it is also “sparkle”.

How can that be?  Well, it’s important to understand what glare is, and what causes it so you can determine if you’re going to get glare or sparkle from a light fitting.

Glare is an uncomfortable visual sensation caused when a source of light is considerably brighter than its surrounding environment.  Simply put, it’s a bright light vs dull background situation. (To be accurate there are 3 types of glare, but here we’re going to focus on the glare most commonly foisted on unsuspecting home owners rather than a full exploration of the topic)

Contrast is a double edge sword when it comes to light. 

Without it our environment is bland, boring and flat. 

Yet, too much contrast and you’re squinting, covering your eyes and running for the hills.

So why are some lights glary and some not?  (Glare in homes is most commonly created by downlights, so we’re going to focus on them)

There’s a bunch of misleading marketing guff around this glare (some of the light fittings I’ve seen that are sold as “low glare” are 😱😱😱), but at it’s heart – glare comes down to how directly visible the light escaping the light fitting is to the naked eye.  If you can see directly into the source of the light (the LED chip), or if the light is being pushed through a small white diffuser, you are guaranteed to get glare.  No two ways about it.

Glare can also be created when a light is placed into a dark surface.  A dark ceiling or wall – or even just a ceiling made gloomy by the exclusive use of downlights everyehere - will make a light visually glary.

A white ceiling when the sun is down becomes a very dark surface – deep in shadow.  Turn on tiny little holes of bright light (standard downlights or those horrid diffuse pancake downlights) and you instantly have a grey shadowed surface broken up with intense bright spots. 

That’s Glare – and not the good kind.

Glary downlights every square meter across the ceiling.

If you’re going to insist on filling a ceiling with downlights, at least choose downlights where the source is hidden further back in the fitting, [meaning “low glare” design - see image below].  This will at least ensure you have decent light in the room, and your eyes are more likely to adapt to the source of light making you as comfortable as it’s possible to be living under a dozen or so spotlights aimed at the top of your head.

Standard Downlight Ultra Low Glare Downlight

The other way (and in my opinion, the better way) to manage the glare, is to balance the overall brightness of the surface the light is sitting in.  If you turn on a bunch of lamps, pushing light up to the ceiling, then the downlights are suddenly LESS glary – because the ceiling is brighter and so the contrast between the 2 surfaces is reduced.

Simple. And something you can easily do in a rental.

When we’re completing a lighting design, we use controlled contrast to create brighter light to features we want to draw attention to, in balance with the rest of the room so it’s a comfortable and exciting experience.  And we use beautiful decorative lights to accessorise our homes – many of which are "glary” – but the sparkle of light bursting forth from a beautiful object can be one of the most visually exciting experiences in a home.  It’s important that it’s not too bright though – or you’ll end up in the bad glare zone.

Many people never turn on the downlights in their homes, choosing instead to light indirectly from table and floor lamps – a choice that is at its heart one of contrast and glare management.  We all instinctively avoid glare, it’s a self-preservation response. 

Unfortunately too many people end up with glary awful light at home because currently, doing “what is normally done” when it comes to light in a home (cheapo downlights everywhere) will, unfortunately, always result in an uncomfortable glary home. 

Creating the right lit environment in your home requires consideration, careful fitting selection and a trained eye to balance your contrast so you have a lively exciting and welcoming home to enjoy everyday.

As architectural lighting designers specialising in lighting homes, we know how to balance your light, get rid of the standard “ceiling full” of downlights and transform your home with beautiful light.