When it comes to adding lights to your home, you have many options available to you. Hanging lights, pendant lights, rail lights, dome lights and even chandeliers can be fantastic ways of illuminating a space and offering a bit of style to any room that they’re placed in. However, there’s another option out there for people looking to install lights that are discreet but effective, eliminating the bulk of hanging lights or mounted lights without sacrificing the overall light quality: recessed lights. Want to know if recessed lighting will work for you? Let’s find out.
What is Recessed Lighting?
Essentially, recessed lighting is a versatile type of lighting fixture that’s installed in a recessed hole or cavity in your ceiling so that the entire light is placed within the cavity rather than on the ceiling’s surface. There are three main components to any recessed light: the housing, the trim and the bulb itself. The housing is similar to the body of a mounted light; housing is the portion of the recessed light that is hidden within the ceiling or wall and contains all of the necessary electrical connections and components. The trim is the visible portion of the recessed light, including the shell as well as the outer ring that surrounds it. The trim may include baffles, reflectors or shades. Finally, we also have the lightbulb itself, which can range in size and proportions depending on what recessed lighting option you choose.
Recessed lighting can serve many purposes in your home, especially depending on which type of housing you choose to install. Recessed lighting can provide general lighting, task lighting as well as accent lighting. If you have a gorgeous piece of wall art in your living room, recessed lighting can help illuminate it for all to see. It can also be used to light up kitchens and bathrooms, and with a dimmer switch, makes a nice choice for bedrooms and living rooms as well.
Where to Place & Install
One of the most important factors to consider when purchasing lighting for installation is the actual cavity or hole itself. If you won’t be able to create a cavity for the recessed light to fill, you won’t be able to install it. Recessed lighting is usually placed between ceiling joints, but with a little extra work, it can be installed anywhere in your home. These lights generally work best when installed into a wooden or plaster ceiling or wall and won’t work as well with concrete or brick options – you would be better off selecting a hanging light or mounted light option in these instances.
When installing recessed lighting for general lighting purposes, you’ll want to keep each light at least three feet away from the wall in order to prevent shadows that cause your ceilings to look lower. Recessed lights should also be placed a set distance away from each other in order to maximize lighting efficiency and create a uniform style. The general rule of thumb is to divide the height of your ceiling by two to get the distance that each light should be from one another. If you have a 10-foot-tall ceiling, each light should be spaced five feet apart.
When using recessed lighting as accent lighting or to illuminate areas of your home, you’ll want to either install lighting directly overhead or use angled housing that projects the light directly onto the surface you want lit up.
Factors to Consider When Buying
When investing in recessed lighting options, there are a few factors besides placement that you’ll want to consider before moving forward. Let’s take a look at a few of them that will help you narrow down your choices.
- The Appearance
Recessed lights are, by design, less visible than other lighting options on the market. As a result, you shouldn’t be choosing recessed lights if you want lighting fixtures that promote a particular aesthetic. However, the trim, shape and bulb itself can have a decorative effect. - The Cost
Installing recessed lighting can be expensive – you’ll need to install more recessed lights than other traditional lighting options due to the angle of the light itself. Each cavity that’s added to your ceiling or wall will also increase the overall cost, so it’s important to consider these factors before purchasing lights. - The Room Itself
What are the dimensions of your room? Are you looking for ambient lighting or accent lighting? Do you plan on using a dimmer? How well will recessed lighting illuminate your room? Go into installation with a plan and consider the end result before investing in lighting – you don’t want to end up disappointed.
The Anatomy of a Light
- The Housing
Recessed lighting housing sizes range from as little as 4 inches to as wide as 9, though standard housing tends to be somewhere between 4 and 6. Different sizes serve different purposes: 4- and 5-inch fixtures are great for providing overhead lighting and more direct lighting, 6-inch fixtures are perfect for general lighting purposes and 7- to 9-inch fixtures will provide a larger wash of light that can be effective when combined with other lighting fixtures. - The Trim
The trim is the decorative component of recessed lighting, and it comes in many unique styles including baffle trims, adjustable trims, reflector trims, square trims, pinhole trims and so on. Recessed lighting does not come in one standard shape and style, so when envisioning the end result, make sure to decide on a trim that suits your needs. - The Bulb
Recessed lighting light bulbs can sometimes be difficult to replace due to their height on your ceiling. Consider a light bulb that suits your needs, and whether you want to invest in bulbs that have a longer lifespan so that you won’t need to worry about them. LED bulbs can make a great choice depending on your end goal, but you’ll want to consider the color temperature before making a choice.
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Lead image design by Hendricks Churchill / Photo by John Gruen
