How to Choose Recessed Lighting for your Home

Choosing recessed lighting for your home can be very difficult when done right.  In the next five posts I will go into great detail on selecting the right type of recessed downlighting for your space.  Recessed lighting can be a very effective light source yet literally unobtrusive.

What type of lighting function do you want to add to the space?

The first step in choosing recessed lighting is to figure out your lighting needs in the space you are working with.  The following definitions will be very useful. 

General or Ambient Lighting using Recessed Lighting

When you are trying to light a complete space you are usually performing general or ambient lighting with the recessed downlights that you choose.  This is done by installing the recessed lighting in a evenly balanced pattern in the ceiling to create uniform illumination.  Ceiling heights and the depth of the trim should be taken into consideration to produce glare-free lighting; I will share more of that information in another part of this series.  General lighting is best when used with a light dimmer.

General or Ambient Recessed Lighting is usually used in

• Living rooms
• Great Rooms
• Kitchens
• Bedrooms
• Foyers
• Hallways

Perform Task Lighting with Recessed Lighting

Task lighting is performed when you want to provide higher levels of light for activities such as food preparation, reading, grooming and many other specific tasks where increased light is needed.  These recessed fixtures should be centered uniformly over the work space.  The closer the recessed cans are the higher the light level of course.  General lighting is best when used with a light dimmer.

Recessed Task Lighting is usually used in

• Kitchens (over islands or food prep areas)
• Offices (over desks or bulletin boards)
• Bathrooms (to high light grooming spaces, showers and tubs)
• Bedrooms (used in reading spaces or sitting areas)

Accent Lighting is Easily Done with Recessed Downlights

Use a concentrated beam of light to high light specific objects or surfaces.  Accent lighting has the best effects when the object has a very high light level and the surrounding light levels are much lower.  Accent lighting is great when you want to high light wall hanging artwork, sculptures or entries.  General lighting is best when used with a light dimmer.

Accent Lighting is usually used in

• Dining Rooms (chandeliers and china)
• Living Rooms (Sculptures and artwork)
• Great Rooms (Sculptures, sitting areas, and artwork)
• Bedrooms (Special areas)

Wallwashing when using Recessed Lighting

Wall washing creates a uniform light on a wall to make that wall stand out and make the space seem expanded.  This is a unique lighting function that can be used to accent large areas, book cases and murals.  The recessed trims and housings should be evenly spaced 3 feet apart and 2 to 3 feet from the wall (depending on aperture size, explained later).  Specific wall washing trims should be used when performing this lighting function, (specified later) or a scalloped lighting effected will happen.

Recessed Wall washing is usually used in

• Living Rooms (wash specific walls to make the room seem larger)
• Great Rooms (wash a bookshelf or mural)
• Offices (wash a wall that has important info on it)
• Hallways (wash one or both walls for glare-free path lighting)

Grazing with Recessed Lighting

The Grazing lighting function is when recessed lighting is used to accent specific architectural features such as stone walls, heavy textured finishes and creative vertical surfaces.  Recessed fixtures should be spaced 2 to 3 feet apart and 6 to 9 inches from the wall.

Grazing is usually used on

• Fireplaces (to show the depth of the stone or brick)
• Exterior eaves (to graze the exterior texture of the home)

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