Design guideline — not a CEC rule

Lumens Per Room Calculator

Figure out roughly how much total light a room actually needs, based on its size and purpose — then shop for fixtures with a real target in mind.

1. Room Details

Room Type

Room Length (ft)

Room Width (ft)

2. Recommended Lighting

— footcandles

RECOMMENDED TOTAL LUMENS

—

ROOM AREA

— sq ft

Rough fixture guide: Enter room dimensions to see a fixture estimate.

How this estimate is built

1 footcandle = 1 lumen per square foot, so recommended lumens = room area × the target footcandle level for that room type.
Task-heavy rooms (kitchens, bathrooms, offices) get a higher footcandle target than relaxed-use rooms (living rooms, bedrooms).
This is a general-lighting target — dedicated task lighting (under-cabinet, desk lamps) should be layered on top, not counted against this total.
Check your planned fixture count and wattage against our Pot Light Spacing Calculator.

Target brightness by room (IES-style guidance)

Multiply lux by floor area in m² to get total lumens needed.

Room	Target lux	Example: 3×4 m room
Kitchen counter	300–500	3,600–6,000 lm
Living room	100–150	1,200–1,800 lm
Bedroom	100–150	1,200–1,800 lm
Bathroom vanity	300–500	3,600–6,000 lm
Home office	300–500	3,600–6,000 lm
Hallway/stairs	100	1,200 lm

An 800 lm bulb ≈ 60 W incandescent. Layer ambient + task lighting rather than one bright source.

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