Lighting Levels Explained: How Many Lux Does a Restaurant, Office, Shop or Home Need?
5 min reading time
How many lux do you need? Living room 150–200 lx, kitchen worktop 400–500 lx, office 300–500 lx (UGR≤19), restaurant 150–200 lx with 300–500 lx on tables, retail 500–750 lx, display windows up to 2,000 lx — plus CRI, colour temperature and glare targets, in simple tables.
In short: illuminance is measured in lux (lx) — the amount of light landing on a surface. Rules of thumb: living room 150–200 lx, kitchen worktop and desks 400–500 lx, office 300–500 lx, restaurant dining room 150–200 lx with 300–500 lx accents on tables and 500 lx at the bar, retail floor 500–750 lx, display window up to 1,500–2,000 lx. But lux is only half the story — colour rendering (CRI), colour temperature and glare control (UGR) matter just as much. Here is the full cheat-sheet we use when designing lighting for villas, hotels and restaurants.
A proper lighting spec is four numbers, not one
“How many lux” is the first question — but lux only defines brightness. A complete lighting requirement for any space is four figures together:
Illuminance (lx) — how much light falls on the surface that matters: the desk, the floor, the merchandise.
Colour rendering, CRI (Ra) — how honestly colours read: Ra 80 minimum, Ra 90+ for homes, restaurants and retail.
Colour temperature (K) — warm 2700–3000 K for homes and hospitality, neutral 3500–4000 K for offices and task areas.
UGR — the glare index: no higher than 19 in offices and over workstations, up to 22 in back-of-house areas.
Targets are always set for the working plane, not “the room on average”: in an office you measure on the desk (0.8 m above the floor), in retail — on the product, in a restaurant — on the tablecloth.
Converting lux into fixtures
A quick estimate before a full calculation: required luminous flux (lm) = area (m²) × target (lx) ÷ utilisation factor (typically 0.4–0.6 for residential).
Example: a 20 m² living room × 200 lx ÷ 0.5 ≈ 8,000 lm in total.
That is roughly 6–8 sources of 1,000–1,300 lm arranged in three layers of light.
For an exact answer we run a DIALux calculation — it accounts for reflections and room geometry.
Targets by space
Homes and villas
Residential light is built in layers, warm 2700–3000 K, CRI 90+:
Living room — 150–200 lx, reading zones — 300–500 lx locally
Here the spec is driven by visual work and eye comfort. The critical figure is UGR ≤ 19 — glare on screens tires people faster than a lack of brightness.
Desk / private office — 300–500 lx
Open plan — 400–500 lx, evenly distributed
Meeting room — 300–500 lx with dimming
Reception — 300 lx plus an accent on the logo wall
CRI Ra 80+, colour temperature 3500–4000 K
Restaurants and hotels
The hospitality paradox: the light should be low for atmosphere — but precisely placed. Ambient stays dim; the accents go on food and faces. CRI 90+ is non-negotiable: dishes must look delicious.
Dining room ambient — 150–200 lx
Tables — 300–500 lx, directional accents
Bar counter — 500 lx
Hotel lobby — 200–300 lx, warm scene-based lighting
Guest room — 100–200 lx ambient, 300 lx at task zones
2700–3000 K, CRI Ra 90+
Shops and showrooms
In retail, light sells: the brighter and more honestly the product is presented, the higher the conversion. These are the highest targets of all — and high CRI is mandatory so colours don’t lie.
Sales floor — 500–750 lx
Premium boutique — 300–500 lx ambient plus strong accents
Fitting room — 400–500 lx, CRI 95, warm light
Display window — 1,000–2,000 lx (3–5× brighter than the floor)
Product accents — 3× brighter than their surroundings
Five common mistakes
Specifying “per room” instead of per working plane — targets are always tied to a zone.
Chasing lux alone and ignoring CRI — bright light that distorts colour.
Ignoring UGR — glare tires the eyes faster than dimness.
One layer of light instead of three — ambient, task and accent cannot be replaced by a single chandelier.
No dimming — daytime targets and evening atmosphere need different brightness.
Who measures and who calculates
Actual illuminance is verified with a lux meter on the working plane. Design illuminance is calculated in DIALux before fixtures are purchased — the software accounts for geometry, wall reflectance and each fixture’s light distribution. A proper calculation protects the budget: you don’t buy fixtures you don’t need.
FAQ
How many lux does a living room need? 150–200 lx ambient, 300–500 lx in reading zones, 400–500 lx on kitchen worktops, 200–300 lx on the dining table, 100–150 lx in bedrooms with 300 lx at the headboard. Warm 2700–3000 K, CRI 90+, and dimming throughout.
What is the office standard? 300–500 lx at the desk and in open plan, 3500–4000 K, CRI Ra 80+, and critically UGR ≤ 19 above workstations.
How much light does a restaurant need? A dim 150–200 lx ambient, 300–500 lx directional accents on tables, 500 lx at the bar — warm 2700–3000 K and CRI 90+ so the food looks appetising.
What is CRI, and why isn’t lux enough? CRI (colour rendering index, Ra) shows how honestly a fixture renders colour. With low CRI even bright light turns food grey and fabrics dull. Minimum Ra 80; Ra 90+ for homes, restaurants and retail.
How do I work out the number of fixtures? Rough formula: luminous flux (lm) = area (m²) × target (lx) ÷ utilisation factor (0.4–0.6). A 20 m² living room at 200 lx needs ≈ 8,000 lm — about 6–8 sources in three layers. For a precise plan, ask for a DIALux calculation.
Need a lighting calculation for your project?
RODESIGNE designs and manufactures decorative and technical lighting for villas, hotels and restaurants — including DIALux illuminance calculations, fixture schedules and layout drawings. Send us your floor plan and we’ll tell you exactly how much light you need, with no wasted budget.
