Recessed Lights, also known as high hats, are an easy way to make any space pop. They give off a subtle yet eye-catching vibe that makes your space look even more appealing. Adding a couple of these in your living room or any other room makes you look and feel like an interior designer. However, before you follow your gut and go with the first light that catches your eye, we would love to cover some key considerations:
What Recessed Lighting Options Do you Have?
More often than not, people install recessed lights in their ceilings. However, these lights can also work for other areas too. Please note that the variation in use also affects the body of the lights. For example, something suited for the outdoors will have more element protection compared to an indoor bulb. Let’s cover the most common installations:
- Ceiling recessed lights: These are the most common installations, and you will likely see these in homes. We will also focus on these in our case. Using LEPRO and other LED lights enables you to get the best of both worlds. The lights are not only bright and versatile, but they are also energy-saving. You win on the aesthetic front and win on the budget side.
- Wall recessed lights: When lighting pathways or smaller rooms, these lights are standard. They add an angled aspect in lighting and can work great for focusing on target focal points. For example, if you want people to focus on art on a wall, this would be a great way to accentuate the piece.
- Ground recessed lights: These lights are used inside the ground and are great ways to illuminate the outdoors. Picture 4-inch LED can lights shining upwards. This setting would be enough to have your guests gasping in delight. There’s no reason to light your pathways using boring lights when you have the option to make the outdoors pop.
These are but some of the installation options available. But as you know, with interior and exterior décor, creativity always takes the lead. You are free to decide how to use the lights. Keep in mind the environment in which you will use the bulb and figure out if you are making the right choice.
Where Can you use Recessed Lighting?
We have covered the installation options, but what rooms in your home can benefit from recessed lighting? In this case, we will focus on the purpose as follows:
- General Lighting: Suppose you want to create an ambiance; you will need recessed lighting that matches this need. Your light will need to produce enough lumens to create this effect. A dining room, for example, requires 600 to 1000 lumens of light when creating a moderate ambiance. When creating a low ambient light, you need lumens in the range of 400 to 800.
- Accent Lighting: This lighting targets a specific spot in the room and highlights it, taking focus from other parts of the room. It’s common to use this lighting when focusing on art. To make sure people can still see the focal point and the glare is not a deterrent, use a 30-degree angle. It’s enough to spotlight the area and not take away from its beauty.
- Wall Washing: Have you heard of this concept? Some people find direct lighting to be pretty harsh and prefer that the light moves down the wall. If you would like this effect, position the recessed lighting near a wall. The light will bounce off the wall into the room, creating a soft glow.
- For any of these lights, you can always try using a dimmer. It makes the light less harsh and allows you to determine how much light is in the room, creating the desired ambiance.
What Trim Options are Available?
Your trim choice will affect the overall look of the room. It can blend in with your current style or prove disruptive. Here are some aesthetics to consider:
- Seamlessness: The flangeless trim works for high-end finishes by sitting flush with the ceiling. You can barely notice its presence, and it creates a subtle finish to a room.
- Prominence: If you want a trim that stands out and is noticeable, you can work with a flanged option. It has a thin surface that sits on the ceiling.
- Modern: For homes with stylish looks, the square aperture trim works great. It has a square trim that sits on the ceiling and is noticeable to the people in the room.
- Traditional and Contemporary: For a timeless look that borrows classic vibes, a round aperture would be a good option. Like the square aperture, this too also has a thin surface sitting on the ceiling.
- Visual Depth: The bevel trim is much like the flangeless trim, only that this one sits on the ceiling. It creates the illusion of depth and is a great way to bring out the structural appeal of the house.
- Minimalist: Are you going for this vibe? You can choose a flat trim with a clean finish, adding to the overall look of the space.
How Should you Space the Lighting?
Understanding your spacing will put you in a better position to decide how many lights you will purchase. This decision ultimately comes down to the use of the room as follows:
- Living Room: Three to four feet. Ideally, the lights should have outputs of about 2700 to 3000 K (kelvins)
- Dining Area: Three to four feet with a color temperature of 2700 to 3000K
- Kitchen: Two to three feet with a color temperature of 2700 to 3000K
- Bathroom: Two to three feet with a color temperature of 3000 to 4000K
- Hallway: Three to four feet with a color temperature of 2700 to 3000K
Accent Lighting: Depends on your lighting needs. Typically requires a color temperature of 2700 to 3000K
Keep in mind that the brightness will ultimately depend on the spacing and the lumens per light. It’s advisable to use dimmable lights in areas where the lighting needs vary.
When choosing the bulbs for your recessed lighting, you are better off going with LED lights. They offer the color warmth of incandescent lights coupled with the high intensity of halogen lights. Moreover, they are highly energy-efficient and versatile!
