How To Layout Recessed Lighting in 4 Easy Steps - LightUp

How To Layout Recessed Lighting in 4 Easy Steps

Recessed lighting is a great way to upgrade lighting spaces for your business. Not only does it provide a clean and modern look, but it can also make your space appear larger and more organized. Additionally, recessed lighting options such as LED retrofits and bulbs can provide great task lighting for kitchens and blend seamlessly into the ceiling when not in use. With recessed lighting, you can use them for ambient lighting or focal point lighting. Review this guide to see why you should use recessed lighting for your next lighting project for your business.

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Adding Recessed Kitchen Lighting or Recessed Lighting into Living Areas

Recessed lights are generally meant to provide additional task lighting to supplement the light given off by other lighting fixtures. Use these tips as a guide to create the ideal level of brightness:

• Choose the right bulb - Opting for LED bulbs or retrofits can help you create the perfect level of brightness. LED bulbs are energy-efficient and long-lasting, while retrofits are a great way to convert existing recessed lighting to LED without having to replace the existing housing.
• Take advantage of dimmer switches - Dimmer switches allow you to adjust the brightness of your recessed lights to fit the mood of the room. Whether you are looking to create a cozy atmosphere or brighten up a room for a party, dimmer switches give you the control you need.
• Layer your lighting - Layering your lighting with recessed lights, decorative fixtures, and wall sconces can help create a warm, inviting atmosphere. You can also use recessed lighting to highlight architectural details or artwork.

Additional Tips for Planning Recessed Lighting or Can Lights

1. Sketch your recessed lighting ideas to figure out placement and spacing.

When considering recessed lighting, it is important to plan ahead and make a lighting plan. Measure the furniture and areas in the room where you spend the most time, such as near the coffee table or bookshelf. This can help you understand where light is needed in the room. Take note of any architectural features you'd like to highlight with recessed lights, such as a fireplace or stone wall. Once you have determined the best placement for your needs, sketch the placement of the recessed lighting on a blueprint. At this point, you can decide on what recessed lighting size and type you would like to use.

2. Choose a focal point (or not)

When it comes to recessed lighting, it's important to have a lighting plan. If you know a place that needs a recessed light directly above it, begin your plan with that as the starting point. For example, when planning kitchen recessed lighting, make sure to provide ample task lighting such as LED downlights directly above the stovetop, sink, and main food prep area for those specific tasks and work areas within the kitchen.

In living areas, you can use pot lights to focus light on a specific area, such as a reading chair. To do this, center the first recessed light exactly where you want it and space the rest of the lights around it. Fireplaces are another popular area for installing focal point lighting. Using an adjustable trim like gimbal recessed lighting above your fireplace will give you the ability to concentrate accent lighting on the mantel, highlighting family pictures or intricate stonework.

If you prefer even placement around the room, start with the first LED light in the center of the room and work outwards from there taking into account the dimensions of the room.

3. Follow the ceiling height rule of thumb.

To determine how far apart recessed lighting should be in bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms, divide the height of the ceiling by 2 and use that as your light spacing. For example, if a room has 8-foot high ceilings, recessed lighting should be spaced roughly 4 feet apart. Similarly, if the ceiling is 10 feet high, the lights should be spaced about 5 feet apart.

This rule should be used as a baseline, however, as other factors such as the brightness of the décor, the type and wattage of light bulbs, and the purpose of the recessed lights (including general or ambient lighting as well as task or accent lighting) should be taken into account.

Dimmable recessed lights also make it easy to control brightness levels with dimmers. Smart LED downlights and LED bulbs provide an additional element of control via mobile app or even voice control.

4. Avoid shadows in the corners.

Pay attention to recessed lighting spacing to prevent shadows from forming in the corners and to create a more inviting atmosphere. Generally, the proper distance from a wall for pot or can lights is approximately 3 feet to minimize shadows. When canless downlights are placed at the appropriate distance, they should make the room appear brighter and larger.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you plan a recessed lighting layout?

Planning a recessed lighting layout is an important step when installing recessed lighting. To create a successful lighting layout, it is important to consider the size of the room and the type of light you want to create. It is also important to calculate the wattage of the bulbs you will need, as well as the spacing of the lights. With careful planning, you can create a recessed lighting layout that will provide the right amount of light in the right places.

How do you determine the number of recessed lights needed in a room?

Calculating the number of recessed lights needed in a room can be a difficult task, as there are many factors to consider. These include the size of the room, the type of lighting you want to use, the level of illumination desired, and the layout of the recessed lights. By taking these factors into account, you can determine the proper number of recessed lights needed to create the desired lighting effect.

When you want style and function, recessed lighting is a great choice. There are a few things you need to know when buying this type of fixture for the first time.

The Basics

What is recessed lighting?

This type of lighting is placed directly in the ceiling with all the wiring and housing concealed with the visible part being typically circular (called can lights) in shape. It can be used strictly as ambient lighting or as task lighting, depending on the fixture and placement. This type of lighting can also be any type of fixture placed inside the ceiling, such as fluorescent or LED tube lighting found in most commercial and retail locations. Large, rectangular shaped recessed fixtures are used for general lighting. A recessed light has three parts to it called the housing, trim, and the lamp.

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Housing

The housing is essentially the anchor keeping the light secure. It contains all the wiring and internal workings of the fixture. This is the part placed on the interior of the ceiling and stays out of sight. Here are a few tips when purchasing the housing.

Check the voltage. When installing any type of lighting, you should verify that you have the right voltage for your needs. Recessed lighting comes in multiple voltages to make sure you get the right voltage, whether that is low voltage or line voltage.

Check for IC ratings if applicable. If you are placing fixtures in a ceiling with insulation, it is crucial to choose a housing that is rated to place in that environment. It can become a potential safety hazard to ignore the IC rating of any recessed fixture because the heat produced by the fixture may cause the insulation to start a fire. Always check your rating!

Structural features. The housing needs to be sturdy in order to support the fixture. You should choose high-quality materials that are sturdy yet lightweight such as aluminum housings.

Trim

Trim is the part that is visible once the light is properly installed. It helps to hide any space or visible housing parts. When installing rectangular recessed lighting, the trim will not be an issue since it is standard issue in design. However, for can lights, the trim is a crucial part of the design process. Here are a few things you need to know.

There are several types of trim available for can lights. From options called pinhole which make the lamp source smaller and more focused to reflector styles which help to maximize the illumination spread, the options for trim run a gamut of possible needs. Whether you want a standard baffle trim for a great value, an adjustable option for more control over light fall, or a decorative glass trim, there is an option for you on today’s market.

Make sure the style works. While trim is functional, it is also equally about style. Make sure you choose a trim that works for the overall decor and theme of the space to avoid it looking like an eyesore.

While you can purchase the housing and the trim sperate, there are also retrofit can lights on the market for those looking for even more ease of installation.

Lamp

There are four choices when choosing lamps for recessed lighting.

Incandescent is a low voltage lamp that gives a warm glow for ambiance lighting. They are least efficient in terms of wattage consumed to lumen output, but they are an attractive choice many people prefer for the appearance.

Halogen lamps offer a bright light source that is better than incandescent in terms of efficiency. However, they can get hot to the touch which may be a factor to consider.

Fluorescent is a staple for many reasons. They are affordable, provide pleasing light at varying specifications, and they last a long time. It can flicker when the lamp performance is reduced, and dimmable capabilities are still lagging behind LED.

LED is quickly becoming the go-to or lighting of all types. It offers the best return on energy consumed to lumen output, provides flicker-free lighting, and has superior dimmable capabilities. It is costlier than other lamps, but it will also last the longest.

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