Basement Stairway Lighting Ideas: How to Light a Basement Stairwell

How can you light your basement stairwell? That is a question that many homeowners ask themselves when they are designing their home. The answer to this question may seem difficult, but by reading the following article, you will learn how to do just that! There are several ways to light a basement stairway and we will go over some of them in this article.

You might be asking: how do I light my basement stairs? Where should a stairwell light be placed? How do you lighten a dark basement stairway? This article will take you through how to tackle this problem easily whether its basement stairwell ceiling lighting or floor lighting. Whether is low profile or more obivous – we have ideas for you!

Basement Stairway Lighting Ideas

• The first way is by installing a dimmer switch on the stairway light. You may want to have two switches, one for each side of your stairs. This will allow you to control how bright or dark you want your basement stairwell lighting be at any given time and it also saves energy because less wattage is needed.
• The second way is by installing recessed lighting in the ceiling of your basement stairwell. This will make it appear brighter and wider as well, which can be a great decorative addition to any basement.
• Another option for light your basement stairs is with track lights. These are designed so that they install onto the side walls of your basement stairway. This means that the light illuminates both sides of your stairwell at once, which can be helpful when you are carrying items up or down the stairs.
• Another option is to invest in a dimmer switch for each wall sconce on either side of your basement stairs and install them one above the other with an additional overhead light. This can add a lot of light to your basement stairwell, which is helpful if you are trying to read while going up or down the stairs.
• Another option is to install an LED strip on either side of the wall that has a deco style sconce above it. This would give off very little heat and provide additional illumination for your basement stairwell.

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How to Light a Basement Stairwell

Here are the best lighting ideas for Basement Stairwell Lighting Fixtures for your basement stairway.

Lighting The Basement Stairway Door

A way to get light in the basement is by installing a light on the wall above the door going down into the basement. This will make it brighter when you walk down the stairs.

It can be hard to get the wire inside the wall. This is because there is not enough room for it if it is inside the door. The light needs to go on top of the door, and this means that you will need a surface mount light. It will show up outside the wall, but we usually find a way to cover it up by running it next to where you put the door casing.

One of the most popular styles for a light fixture that sits on the top edge of a basement door is an LED tube light. This can happen even if there is not enough space between the door casing and ceiling.

Basement Stairwall Lighting Wall Sconces

If you don’t have enough headroom for lights, then it might be worth using sconces to light your basement stairs. Sconces look good because they add both decorative and functional lighting.

It is best for the sconce to be close to the wall because it will not get bumped into as much and people won’t get hurt if they accidentally hit it.

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Basement Stairway Recessed Stair Lighting for Ground

A way to make your stairs safe in the dark is to add recessed lights. These lights are put into the walls and they give light on the stairways. The more recessed lights you install, the brighter your stairs will be. Some people install one light per step or every few steps while others install many of them. They can make it so that you can see where you are going without adding big fixtures where they won’t fit tight spaces.

Basement Stairwell Recessed Lighting for Ceiling

In low-ceilinged rooms, recessed lights can be good for stairways. Recessed lights are installed in the ceiling and stay flush with it, so you can have as much height in the room as possible and still have light. Different depths of recessed lights are available depending on how much space is in the framing above.

It is important to choose the right kind of recessed can lights for your ceiling. If you have a flat ceiling and stairs, standard lights will work great. If you have a sloped ceiling, then buy the housing that allows the light to shine straight down as you go down stairs. Sometimes this means that it will not be as flush with the ceiling.

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Basement Stairwell Low Profile Flush Mount Fixtures Lighting for Ceiling

If you don’t have room in your ceiling for recessed lighting, the next best option are low profile flush mount light fixtures. These are good for flat ceilings on stairs or landings. You can use these even if you don’t have a lot of headroom, as long as it is at least 7 feet.

What Makes Basement Stairway Lighting Difficult?

Figuring out lighting for basement stairways can be tricky. One reason is that, in older homes, the building code may not have required the same amount of space, or the basement was never planned to be a finished room.

When we are looking for good stairway lighting, the most common problem is low or limited headroom. This can be difficult because people are in tight spaces, and there isn’t much space for lighting.

Conclusion: Main Points

• Install the light on top of the door, so it shines outside.
• Use sconces if you have limited headroom or cannot install recessed lights anywhere in your basement stairwells.
• Recessed lighting fixtures can be installed flush with a ceiling for low profile ceilings and stairs that are not too sloped.
• Low Profile Flush Mount Fixtures work best if there is at least seven feet of headroom. They should only be used when installing these types of fixtures do not leave enough room between fixture and floor level to allow installation of other options such as LED tube lights or surface mount bulbs.
• Lighting The Basement Stairway Door: A way to get light in the basement stairwell is to install a light over the basement door. That way, when you open the door, there will be enough natural light for people who are coming into your basement and it can continue in other areas of your home as well.
• Install an LED tube lights along with one near the ceiling
• Do not use halogen bulbs because they emit heat
• Use surface mount or recessed fixtures instead if possible so that they do not produce heat – this includes LEDs

Andrew Orange, the owner of Orange Lighting qualified and worked as an interior designer in 1993 before specialising in lighting working on high profile projects based in London. Since starting Orange Lighting Ltd in 2003 he has been sharing his knowledge and unique teaching style mostly to his designer clients, offering practical real life advice born from running a busy consultancy and lighting supply business. Launching in 2020, his blog has evolved into Quick & Easy Lighting, curating some 25 years design experience into making the lighting choice and design process achievable and easy to understand for all.