Cove lighting is the default in Singapore renovations now, and most of it is done badly. Not because the strip is cheap — because the pocket is the wrong size and the driver is the wrong one. This is what to get right.
The four numbers
| Measurement | Target |
|---|---|
| Cove lip below slab | 150–220mm |
| Clear pocket depth | 60–80mm |
| Strip setback from lip | 30–45mm |
| Driver headroom | +20% over load |
Get these four right and the cove looks built-in. Get any of them wrong and it looks like a strip in a box. More on pocket depth here.
Choosing the strip
Two things matter, and neither is brightness.
Density. Standard strip is 320 LEDs per metre. In a deep cove viewed from across the room, that is usually fine. In a shallow cove, under a cabinet, or anywhere you see the strip at close range, you get visible dots and it looks cheap. A 480 LED/m COB strip gives a continuous line — no dots, no banding, at any viewing distance.
Colour rendering. Most strip sold in Singapore is Ra80. It works, but it renders colour badly, and deep reds go first — which is why timber looks flat and skin reads slightly grey under it. That is what R9 measures, and almost nobody publishes it. Here is what the difference looks like.
The KAYVA 480 Pro Strip is Ra95+ with R9 above 50, 480 LED/m COB, 12W/m, 24V. Tested on every batch and the numbers published.
How much strip do you need?
A typical Singapore HDB cove run:
| Room | Typical cove length |
|---|---|
| 4-room living room | 12–18m |
| Master bedroom | 8–12m |
| Common bedroom | 6–10m |
| Whole flat | 30–50m |
Measure the actual perimeter your carpenter is building. Do not estimate from floor area.
Colour temperature
2700K for living rooms and bedrooms — warm, hotel-like, and it is what most Singapore homes suit. 4000K if the space doubles as a study or work area.
Do not mix them in one continuous cove. You will see the join.
The driver — where most coves go wrong
Use a 24V constant-voltage driver, sized at your load plus 20%.
Driver wattage = 12W/m × metres × 1.2
| Cove length | Load | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| 10m | 120W | 200W |
| 20m | 240W | 2 × 200W |
| 40m | 480W | 3 × 200W |
A driver run at full capacity runs hot and fails early — usually sealed above a plastered ceiling where nobody can reach it. That is the component you cannot afford to cheap out on, because it is the one you cannot get to.
LED drivers are Controlled Goods in Singapore. They require a SAFETY Mark. The unbranded S$15 driver on a marketplace is not cheaper — it is not legal to supply here. Size yours properly.
Voltage drop on long runs
For anything over 6 metres, feed the strip from both ends or split it into segments with separate feeds. On a single feed, the far end of a long cove is visibly dimmer than the near end — and once the ceiling is closed, you live with it.
Dimming
The strip dims, but the driver does the dimming. So you need a dimmable 24V constant-voltage driver — the strip itself is a passive load with no electronics.
- Wall dimmer: pair a phase-cut dimmable 24V CV driver with a trailing-edge (ELV) wall dimmer. Leading-edge (TRIAC) dimmers commonly cause visible flicker on COB. This is the single most common complaint after a renovation and it is entirely avoidable.
- App or voice: add a 24V CV controller — Tuya, Aqara or any comparable brand. The strip does not care whose controller it is. Check it is rated for your total wattage and that it dims by high-frequency PWM.
The four mistakes
- Pocket too shallow. You see the strip. Nothing fixes this after the plaster is on.
- 320/m strip in a shallow cove. Visible dots. It reads as cheap even to people who cannot say why.
- Driver at 100% load, sealed in the ceiling. It will fail, and it will be expensive to reach.
- One feed on a 10m run. One end of your ceiling is dimmer than the other, forever.
Before the carpenter starts
- Mark the strip path before the false ceiling goes up.
- Put the driver somewhere ventilated and accessible.
- Bench-test the full run before anything is closed.
- Mains connection by a licensed electrician. The 24V side is safe to handle unpowered.
KAYVA 480 Pro Strip — Ra95+, R9>50, SDCM ≤5, 480 LED/m dotless COB, 24V, 20,000 hours at L70. We test 10 units out of every 100 we ship and publish the numbers.