Recessed lighting offers many advantages to a home lighting solution, including a clean look that makes your space appear larger and more organized. Learn more about how recessed lighting options, including smart downlights utilizing LED retrofits or bulbs, can help modernize your home. Recessed kitchen lighting can provide excellent task lighting that can complement decorative island and cabinet lights while seamlessly blending into the ceiling when not in use, increasing your satisfaction with your living space.

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Add recessed kitchen lighting and living room recessed lighting

Recessed lights are often used to provide additional task lighting to complement the light from decorative lighting fixtures and ceiling fans in rooms throughout the home. Follow these tips to create your ideal brightness level:

1. Sketch out your recessed lighting ideas.

The old adage "measure twice, cut once" applies to recessed lighting. Before you choose recessed kitchen lighting or options for your living room or bedroom, it helps to know where you want your lights to be.

First, measure the furniture in the room and note the areas where you're likely to spend the most time, such as near the coffee table, bookshelf, or gaming table. This can help you understand where in the space you need light the most.

You can also pay attention to any architectural elements that you want to highlight with recessed lights, such as fireplaces, display cases, or architectural stone walls.

Once you find the best location for your needs, use the blueprint to sketch in the ceiling recessed lighting location. You can also decide at this point on the size and type of recessed lighting you want, including smart downlight options.

2. Select a focal point (or not)

If you know of a place that needs recessed lights directly above it, that should be the starting point for your recessed lighting plan. Recessed lighting in the kitchen? Make sure there is adequate task lighting, such as LED downlights, directly above the stove, sink, and main food preparation areas.

Planning to install pot lights in the living room? Just be sure to shine them on specific reading chairs that you already know need extra lighting. To focus light on a specific area, center the first recessed light exactly where you want it, and space the rest of it around it (see tip #3 for spacing).

Fireplaces are another popular place to install focal lighting. Installing gimbaled recessed lighting above the fireplace allows you to focus accent lighting on the mantel to showcase those family photos or intricate fireplace stonework.

If you prefer an even placement around the room, place your first LED light in the center of the room and go from there.

3. Follow the ceiling height rule of thumb.

To determine how far apart recessed lighting should be in the bedroom, kitchen, and living room, divide the height of the ceiling by 2 and use that as your light spacing. Ceiling recessed lighting placement can sometimes be tricky, but a good rule of thumb is that if the room has an 8-foot ceiling, recessed lighting should be spaced about 4 feet apart. Likewise, if it's 10 feet tall, allow about 5 feet of space between fixtures.

However, please use this rule as a baseline. How close or far apart the lights are will depend on several factors, including:

- The brightness level of the room decoration

- Bulb type and wattage

- Purpose of the recessed light (general, task or accent lighting)

Dimmable recessed lights make it easy to control brightness levels with a dimmer. Smart LED downlights and LED bulbs can provide an additional element of control through mobile apps or even voice control.

4. Avoid shadows in corners.

Pay attention to recessed lighting spacing to prevent shadows in corners that can spoil the mood. This also reduces the effect of the ceiling visually.

For example, a suitable pot or can light should be placed about 3 feet from the wall to minimize unsightly shadows. When reflected off a wall at the right distance, a canless downlight should make a room appear brighter and larger.