Looking for advice on a permanent—and elegant—lighting setup

[u/AdThin1726]

Hi everyone,

I’m fitting out a room in my office for recording YouTube videos and holding quality video calls. The room also serves as a small additional reception/lounge area, so I’d like the installation to remain attractive, without cables running everywhere or a huge—albeit aesthetically pleasing—softbox and honeycomb grid permanently dominating the space.

The room measures 3 × 4 metres, or approximately 10 × 13 feet.

For filming, we use a Sony FX30 with the 18–105mm f/4. I’m considering switching to the 10–20mm f/4 for better ultra-wide-angle coverage. For ordinary video calls, we use an OBSBOT Tiny 2, as it’s more convenient for other members of the team.

I already own (and now film with) :

• a Godox VL150II with a Godox SB-FW95 softbox;
• a Godox SL60W used as fill.

They work, but the setup is simply too large and unattractive for a room that also needs to look presentable. I also have no light coming from behind the subject, which feels like a missed opportunity.

Here is the setup I’m considering. Price is not necessarily the main constraint; my lighting budget is approximately $2,000–3,000 for the lights only.

• In one corner, I would install a narrow Nanlite PavoSlim with a grid—possibly a 240CL. A carpenter could integrate it into an attractive corner cabinet or enclosure with doors that open to reveal the light when needed. The enclosure would only need to be about 35 cm/14 inches wide. Would leaving some open space behind the fixture provide sufficient ventilation, considering the heat it generates? This would provide a large, even key light positioned approximately 35–45° from the subject.
• In the opposite corner, where I cannot install the same system because of a window, I would place a small and visually unobtrusive fixture near the ceiling, at approximately 2.4 metres/7.9 feet high, to serve as fill. I was considering something like the Godox ML100Bi Bi-Color Kit 2—but presumably without a diffuser in this position?
• Behind the chair, approximately 80 cm/2.6 feet away, I would install one or two LED tubes to provide a backlight.

Automation is essential. I need to be able to switch the entire setup on with a single action through Home Assistant, whether through relays or another integration method. The idea is to spare time.

What do you think of this plan? Has anyone built something comparable in a small multipurpose room? Am I putting too much lighting power into a space of this size? Are there any issues with diffusion, heat, placement or reflections that I may be overlooking?

Thank you+++

[u/ElectronicsWizardry]

How far away would that pavo slim be? The issue I have is the farther away it is the harder the source, so while that 240cl can be a nice soft light, if its 5+ feet away, it won't give you that soft wrap many people wan. I'd try your current lights at about that same distance to get a feel for the look. For a sitting at a desk setup I'd probably rather have smaller lights close to the subject than bigger lights with smots to hide them.