People have always enjoyed the ambient lighting provided by recessed lighting; however, it rarely was used for more than lighting staircases and hallways. In recent years, it has become more popular than ever. As a result, designers and homeowners are paying closer attention to the best uses for recessed lighting.
What is recessed lighting?
Recessed lighting is a popular and efficient way to illuminate your home. It's commonly used in kitchens and bathrooms but can also be used throughout the house. Recessed lighting fixtures are typically installed in the ceiling and provide light by placing a bulb inside a partially or entirely enclosed housing.Recessed lights can be either incandescent or fluorescent. Fluorescent recessed lights are generally more energy-efficient than incandescent ones because they produce more light per watt of energy consumed. However, many people prefer incandescent lights due to their lower cost and ease of use.Recessed lighting fixtures are available in a wide range of styles and sizes. Some have adjustable heads that allow you to aim the light where you want it, while others have fixed heads that cannot be adjusted. You should choose a fixture based on how much light you need and where you want that light to go.
The best uses for recessed lighting in your home
Recessed lighting is great for adding light to hard-to-reach places in your home. The good news is that it can be used in various ways. Here are the top three uses for recessed lighting:
Ambient Lighting
Recessed lighting can be a general light source in a room. It’s excellent for ambient lighting because it casts light throughout the room. This makes it ideal for large rooms that need more than just one or two lights to make them feel cozy and inviting. Recessed lights are also suitable for rooms with high ceilings because they can illuminate the entire space from top to bottom.
Spot Lighting
Recessed lights are excellent for spotlighting as well. They provide focused illumination on areas within a room so you can highlight particular objects or areas that need more attention. To highlight their contents, spotlights can be installed in recessed cans above cabinets and countertops. They can be installed along mantels or beams to create a decorative effect by highlighting architectural details such as moldings and beams while simultaneously providing functional tasks and lighting.
Accent Lighting
Accent lighting is another excellent use for recessed ceiling lights because they provide just enough lighting without taking over an entire room with bright white light like some other types of ceiling lights. Accent lighting allows you to highlight specific items such as artwork or furniture while still providing enough light so that people can see their way around at night without having to turn on all the overhead lights in a room just to walk over to an object.
Recessed lighting ideas
Recessed lighting is an excellent way to add light to a room. But it can also be a pain if you don't know how to use it properly. Here are some recessed lighting ideas that will help you get the most out of this versatile form of illumination.
Wash the wall with light, not the floor
Recessed lighting should wash over the walls with light, not the floors. This can be accomplished by installing lights at least 24 inches above the floor and angling them down, so they focus on the wall instead of on furniture or other items in the room. When installing recessed lights in a kitchen or dining room, it's best to install lights above eye level and aim them toward the ceiling, so they illuminate your face when sitting at the table.
Spotlight art and objects
If you have artwork or other decorations displayed on shelves or in niches near a recessed light, shine a spotlight directly onto it using another fixture at an angle toward your display piece. This will create dramatic shadows behind your favorite pieces that add depth and dimension to them — especially if multiple light sources do this for different items throughout your home!
Choose the right trim style.
The trim style you choose for your recessed lighting will give your ceiling a finished look. Trim styles can be flush or revealed and come in many different shapes and styles. They can be used to conceal the electrical junction box, or they can be used to highlight it by adding a decorative cover plate.
Test the bulb color and aim for warmth
The color of your bulbs will determine how warm or cold the light appears in your room. The warmer colors include soft yellow and amber, while cooler colors include blue and white. To achieve a balanced color temperature, use one bulb that emits a cool tone with one that emits a warm tone in each location where you want it installed (for example, if you have an overhead fixture with four bulbs, include two each of cool and warm bulbs). You can also opt for LED bulbs for even better color consistency across all locations.
Consider using dimmers throughout the room
Dimmers allow you to adjust the room's brightness, which is especially helpful if you have guests who prefer a dimmer light source when reading or working on projects. You also have more control over how much light each individual fixture emits.
Best Places to Install Recessed Troffer Fixtures
Recessed troffer fixtures are a great way to illuminate hallways, kitchens, and other areas in a home. They’re one of the few ceiling lights that can provide focused illumination and direct light. The best places to install recessed troffer fixtures are:
Living Rooms
Recessed troffer lighting fixtures are perfect for living rooms because they create a warm, inviting atmosphere and make it easier to see the entire room. Like television, you can also place them over a fireplace or other focal point. If you have multiple recessed lights in a room, they should all be wired together so they turn on and off simultaneously.
Hallways
Having recessed troffer lighting in your hallway will allow you to see where you're going and provide enough light to read by if needed. It's essential that the wattage or lumens of each fixture match so that the light level is consistent throughout the hallway.
Kitchens
Kitchens require more lighting than any other room in your home because there are so many items in this room that need to be illuminated: appliances, countertops, cabinets, and even food preparation areas such as sinks and dishwashers, which may or may not have built-in lights. Recessed troffers are perfect for illuminating these areas because they provide ample illumination without too much space.
Bathrooms
Recessed lighting is a great way to add ambient light to your bathroom, creating a soothing, relaxing atmosphere that makes it easier to get ready in the morning. You can also install them above your bathtub or shower to help you get dressed in the morning without having to turn on the overhead lights.
Bedrooms
Having recessed lights installed in your bedroom is essential for those late-night reading sessions or for those of us who like to binge-watch our favorite TV shows before bedtime.
Garages
Regarding garages, there are multiple ways you can use recessed lighting. If you have an open space in the garage where nobody parks their car, then installing recessed lighting can make it look more modern and give it a clean look overall.
The Benefits of Recessed Lighting
Recessed lighting offers several benefits:
It makes a room feel bigger
Recessed lighting can create the illusion of more space in your home. The light source is hidden behind the ceiling, so there are no obstructions on the ceiling surface. This allows you to use less wattage while still creating an effect that makes your room appear larger than it is.
Highlights key areas in your house
If you want to draw attention to a particular area or feature in your home, recessed lighting is an excellent choice for this purpose as well. For example, suppose you want to highlight artwork or a fireplace mantel. Recessed lights can help offset these features from other parts of a room by drawing them into shadow or highlighting them with reflected light from windows or mirrors nearby.
Creates uniform illumination in rooms
Recessed lights create soft, uniform light that illuminates an entire room evenly. This makes them great for use over dining tables and other places where you need even illumination. These lights also work well for hallways and other areas where you want consistent lighting without any hot spots or shadows.
It can be used as an alternative to overhead lights
If you have an older home with low ceilings or little natural light coming through your windows, then recessed lighting may be just what you need to brighten up your space. Recessed lights can be installed in any size room or area, including kitchens, bathrooms, and stairwells. They can also be installed outdoors under covered patios and decks to add light to those dark areas of your home.
Provides task lighting for reading and other activities
Recessed lights are perfect for task lighting scenarios because they provide concentrated light on specific areas of your home. Recessed lights can be installed anywhere in a room, including under cabinets, above counters, or around windows. They’re also available in various sizes, so you can choose one that perfectly matches your space's size.
Easy to install and maintain
Recessed lights are installed inside the ceiling using a special fixture that holds them in place securely so they won't fall out when the bulb burns out or if there's a power outage. The wiring is hidden inside the wall cavity, so no exposed wiring is visible outside your home or office building. This makes them easier to install than hanging pendant fixtures or track lighting, which require additional wiring installation work around windows and doors.
Low-voltage versions are energy-efficient
Recessed lights use just as much electricity as other bulbs, but they're more efficient. This is because they don't have to heat as much air as other types of bulbs do. As a result, you'll use less energy and save money on your electric bill.
What are Common Mistakes People Make when Installing Recessed Lighting?
Here are some common mistakes people make when installing recessed lighting:
Not measuring the area properly
Recessed lights are designed to fit in specific areas of your home. If you don't measure the space correctly, you could end up with recessed lights that don't fit or look right.
Not having enough wattage
The wattage of your light bulbs directly affects how much light they produce and how bright they will appear in your room. Having too few watts can make your room look dark and dingy; having too many can cause flickering and other problems.
Placing light bulbs too low or too high
Recessed lighting should be placed at least 2 feet above or below eye level so it won't shine directly into your eyes. Placing them too low or too high will make them unusable or cause glare from sunlight.
Not checking the box for instructions
Before installing recessed lights, ensure that each box has instructions on how to install them properly. If there aren't any instructions in the box, call the manufacturer and ask if you can get them online or by calling them directly. You need these instructions because they tell you how to mount the lights properly, so they don't fall out or get damaged during installation.
The Cost of Installing Recessed Lights
The average cost to install recessed lights ranges from $85 to $300 per light, but many variables can affect this price. The most common factors are:
Location - The cost of installing recessed lights will vary significantly depending on where you live and how far away from your home you need to hire an electrician to install them.
Size - The size of your room will also impact how much it costs to install recessed lighting. A large room with tall ceilings will require more time and effort than a small room with low ceilings because it is difficult for an electrician to reach high up into the ceiling and install recessed lights. Similarly, if you have cathedral or vaulted ceilings, this will increase the cost because more materials are needed for installation.
Recessed lighting has been used by home and business owners for decades. It provides a unique design element that is desired in many homes. Some people use it to brighten a dark corner or dimly lit entryway. Others like how it bounces off their rooms' walls, ceilings, and molding. Other people enjoy the way it looks on their ceiling. No matter what the reason, it is undeniable that recessed lights can be utilized to highlight or illuminate other fixtures or elements in your home with ease.
Our lighting experts at Shine Retrofits can talk you through our wide range of options and advise you on the best recessed lighting product for your space. Give us a call at 1-877-643-4534 anytime Monday through Friday, from 6 am to 6 pm, Mountain Standard Time.
People have always enjoyed the ambient lighting provided by recessed lighting; however, it rarely was used for more than lighting staircases and hallways. In recent years, it has become more popular than ever. As a result, designers and homeowners are paying closer attention to the best uses for recessed lighting.