Track lighting

Plan on three to four adjustable spots for a living room, and a short track above a kitchen worktop. A lighting track replaces a single source with several directional beams: you light a precise area instead of flooding the room, and the heads turn toward whatever needs to be seen.

Lighting track: which light and which effect in the room?

Several small, well-directed beams give a livelier light than a single central ceiling fixture. You get crisp bright zones, shadows you choose, and a ceiling that stays understated. This selection of track lights is almost entirely in aluminium, with an LED base on the vast majority of models and a few references with a replaceable bulb.

LED lighting track or GU10 base: what is the difference?

On most models the LEDs are integrated: nothing to change, a very slim assembly on the ceiling. That is the case with the Railio cylindrical spot and the Railena linear track. A few references work with a GU10 base, such as the Rostoressa tube in GU10, or with E27 like the Beltorora ball-joint spot: the bulb can then be replaced yourself, including with a smart version.

White lighting track or black lighting track?

Black and white cover most finishes, both in aluminium. A white ceiling and a soft room call for a white finish, such as the Amar and its warm light or the minimalist Tivoli. A dark ceiling, a graphic kitchen or a coloured wall call instead for black, along the lines of the Palla cylindrical head. The temperature then follows: warm white around 2700 to 3500 K for a cosy mood, neutral white from 3500 to 4500 K for a whiter rendering.

Adjustable lighting track: how do you direct the light?

You do not aim the spots at the floor. You turn them toward a wall, a worktop, a piece of furniture or a frame, and keep the ceiling as indirect lighting. A room lit only by vertical beams tires the eyes quickly, whereas a wall washed with light illuminates without glare.

Adjustable lighting track: cylindrical head or ball joint?

Cylindrical heads turn on one axis and cover most needs: they equip the Kaia model in neutral white, Amar, Palla and the Railena linear track and its diffuser. The ball joint, on the Beltorora ball-joint spot, offers more freedom of angle. Format also plays a part in discretion: from 4.4 cm wide on cylindrical heads to 33 cm long on elongated tracks.

Ceiling lighting track with dimmer: what it changes

Only some models accept a dimmer: it lets you lower the intensity in the evening without changing the bulb, whether the base is LED, E27 or GU10. If this matters to you, check it before confirming, because it is not available everywhere. For a wider comparison, browse the whole lighting range.

How do you lay out spots on the ceiling?

Draw the plan of the room seen from above, place the spots on a regular grid, keep the same spacing between points and from the walls, then aim each head toward what needs to be lit. The spacing depends on ceiling height and the desired effect, not on a single rule.

Ceiling spot layout: the steps

Draw the room and its furniture, mark the areas to be lit (worktop, sofa, wall, bookshelf), position the points on a grid, check that no spot falls in front of a beam or a detector, and only then drill. A layout on paper saves you from filling in a badly placed hole.

How do you lay out spots on the ceiling in a long room?

In a hallway or an elongated living room, you work in parallel rows rather than a single line. Keep the same grid from one end to the other, even if it means adding a point halfway, otherwise the eye immediately spots the imbalance. Compact formats such as the Aelia track in black or the elongated Galena track let you tighten the rows without cluttering the ceiling.

Living room ceiling spot layout: the plan to draw

In a living room, you light the uses rather than the centre of the room: sofa, coffee table, wall or bookshelf. You align the spots in one or two parallel rows, crossing the directions, and keep the same grid from one end to the other to avoid uneven patches on the ceiling.

Modern living room ceiling spot layout

A wall washed with light is a better choice than frontal lighting. Aim two heads at the wall behind the sofa, one at the bookshelf, one at the coffee table. The Fintan and its directional spots or the minimalist Tivoli cover this type of plan without taking over the ceiling.

One central track or parallel rows?

A single central track suits a small square room, provided you spread the heads out. Beyond that, two parallel rows give a more even light and avoid the dark hole in the middle. The elongated Galena track and the Brielle gold grille oval suit both approaches. For more composition ideas, see the other models to mount on a track.

What distance between two spots on the ceiling?

Two spots close together give an even light, two spots far apart create contrast and shadow zones. On a track with aligned spots, the spacing is set by the length of the support, which ranges from 11.5 to 33 cm depending on the model. Between two tracks, reproduce the same spacing everywhere.

Ceiling spot distance: the reference points

The general rule of spacing points at about one and a half times the height between floor and ceiling remains a guide, not a dogma: it aims for even light in a living room. Tighten the points above a worktop, where you want crispness, and spread them in a hallway, where you are mainly after a rhythm.

Avoiding shadow zones between two spots

Before drilling, check the actual width of the spots, from 2.5 to 5.2 cm depending on the model, and the length of the track. The longer the support, the more the beams cross and the more continuous the light, as on the Oska track with aligned spots.

Modern living room ceiling spot: which materials and colours?

Aluminium dominates by far, sometimes combined with steel or plastic on base models. Black and white cover most finishes, with a few touches of green, gold and gold honeycomb grilles. Shapes range from the tube to the round or oval spot.

Aluminium, steel or plastic: what it changes

Aluminium is light, does not rust and dissipates LED heat well, which explains its presence on almost every model. Steel and plastic appear on base references, where the structure holds a standard bulb. The Kaelan and its bronze reflectors in aluminium stays in this understated line.

White, black, gold: matching the finish to the ceiling

On a white ceiling, a white finish makes the light disappear, a black finish draws it. Gold grilles, as on the Lirien and its gold honeycomb grille, warm up a ceiling without changing the colour of the light. Identify the dominant style, modern or minimalist, before mixing ranges.

Lighting track for kitchen, hallway, entrance and dressing room: which rooms?

The living room and kitchen concentrate the uses. The kitchen needs adjustable spots above the worktop, the living room needs cross lighting. A few models also suit the hallway, the entrance and the dressing room, often with an E27 or GU10 base, so with a replaceable bulb.

Kitchen lighting track: lighting the worktop

Aim at the worktop and the wall units, not the centre of the room. A compact, adjustable format is enough, such as the Kaia model in neutral white or the Rostoressa tube in GU10. On a worktop, neutral white makes food and colours more readable than warm white.

Hallway, entrance and dressing room: which model is enough?

A few heads are enough: two or three points aimed at the door, a frame or a wardrobe. A discreet adjustable spot does the job, and the Beltorora ball-joint spot suits these small surfaces. The whole collection is IP20, reserved for dry rooms.

Can you install a lighting track in a bathroom?

No. This collection is entirely IP20, a rating intended for dry rooms: no model is protected against the humidity of a bathroom. For a damp room or an area close to a water point, you need a light whose protection rating is higher.

IP20: what this rating allows

IP20 means the light is protected against solid objects larger than 12.5 mm, but not against water splashes or condensation. It therefore belongs in a living room, a kitchen, a hallway, an entrance or a dressing room, not above a bathtub or a shower.

What solution for a damp room?

Look for a model whose protection rating is higher, in our full range of lights. The rest of the reference points do not change: light temperature suited to the room, direction toward the useful areas, format consistent with the volume.

How do you choose and order your lighting track without getting it wrong?

Check three things: the dimensions of the spot in relation to the ceiling, the base if the bulb needs to be replaceable, and the light temperature suited to the room. On the ordering side, payment is secure, delivery is tracked, returns are possible, and Designix customer service remains reachable.

Single-phase track or track spot kit: how do you tell them apart?

On a track, all the spots share the same power supply: that is what the term single-phase track refers to. A kit brings together the support and its spots, ready to install. If you are hesitating between the two approaches, browse our selection of track lights before deciding.

What to check before confirming

The width and length in relation to your ceiling, the base, the colour temperature, and the possible presence of a dimmer, available on only some models. One last point: on a coral wall or a coloured ceiling, a warm white makes the shade warmer than a neutral white.

To go further, compare with all the lights in the house and find the models mentioned: the Railio cylindrical spot, the minimalist Tivoli or the Fintan and its directional spots.

Frequently asked questions