Recessed lighting has become the go-to for people who want a practical yet aesthetically pleasing way to light their spaces. When choosing recessed lighting, people are increasingly opting to use LED lights. They realize that the light bulb affects not only the final look but also the type and quality of the light provided. Even with options such as halogen, and CFL, LED lighting still takes the win.
Why? Energy efficiency! CFL has for long been seen as an energy-saving option as it saves up to 75% of what would go into lighting incandescent lights. LED lights boast of 90% savings, thus beating CFL and other lights by a wide margin. Additionally, they last longer and will give you great value for your money.
Let’s look at the various types of recessed lighting and what can work for your space:
Recessed Lighting Options
This low-profile lighting has slowly but surely made its way to the top in commercial and residential spaces. Other than the trim, most of the light lies within the wall or ceiling, creating an undeniable relaxed ambiance. It comes in various housing types, styles, and trims, allowing you to choose the best recessed lights for your space. We will cover your lighting options based on size, housing, trim, and style as follows:
Size of The Light
When installing LED lights in any room, you have to think about the room’s purpose. It is only with this that you can decide how many lumens you need in the space and how big the lights and spacing should be. Let’s consider some examples:
- Dining Areas: These spaces require moderate light to create a relaxed dining experience for the occupants. As such, work two-inch to 4-inch LED recessed lights with about 600 to 1000 lumens of light. By spacing the lights three to four feet from each other, you can achieve a uniform yet moderate light.
- Living Rooms: Lights ranging from two to three inches with lumens of 400 to 800 will work for these rooms. The spacing can be three to four feet between the lights, or less than this if you want a brighter space.
- Kitchens: Given how busy these spaces often are, recessed lights of three to four inches will work the magic. You will need more lumens in this case and should work with about 700 to 1200 per light. Spacing should range between two to three feet for increased illumination.
- Bathrooms: Lights ranging from two inches to 3.5 inches should be adequate to provide an illuminated yet ambient space. Aim for 700 to 1200 lumens per light with a spacing of two to three feet.
- Hallways: Two to 3.5-inch lights with lumens of 400 to 800 and three to four feet spacing should be enough.
- Accent Lights: These lights offer low ambient light, and you can work with two-inch lights with lumens of 200 to 400. You can adjust the lights as needed to create the ideal space for your needs.
Type of Housing
The housing is the part of the light you mount on the wall or ceiling before mounting the LED bulb. You install the trim outside the housing to complete the setup. For the housing, you can use:
- New Construction: As the name suggests, these are housings made with newly constructed homes in mind. They are built into the home, and you can add such housings when adding a new room.
- Remodel: With remodels getting a lot of traction, it follows that remodel housings would follow. These housings work into pre-built homes and enable you to alter the lighting setup.
- Insulation Contact (IC): Given that recessed lights emit heat into a recessed space, they can likely pose a fire hazard- this will not be the case with IC housing. It offers insulation and mitigates such safety risks.
- Non-Insulation Contact (Non-IC): If you do not use IC housing, you can also go for non-IC housing, ensuring it never touches your insulation. This type of housing requires at least three inches of space between it and the insulation.
- Airtight: This housing ensures that no air moves between the housing and the surrounding environment. Not only does this reduce safety hazards, but it also increases energy efficiency in the space.
- Shallow Ceiling: Most houses built back in the day do not have adequate space to house standard recessed lighting. These shallow ceiling housings make it possible to fit recessed light even in tight spaces.
- Slope Ceiling Housing: If you’re not dealing with a flat ceiling or wall, installation can be a tad tricky. Slope ceiling housings make the installation much more manageable.
Type of Trim
With recessed lighting, the trim is the only part you can see, and it’s crucial that you one that matches the overall style of your space. Also, think about the light’s purpose and whether the trim works with this. Your options include:
- Baffle Trim: Thanks to the ribbed interior on this trim, you do not get much glare from the bulb, making this an ideal option for people who want soft light.
- Open Trim: Without a ribbed interior, this is the best option for people who want bright lighting.
- Eyeball Trim: This trim works with adjustable light fixtures, enabling you to choose how much light you use in your space.
- Wall Wash Trim: This option comes with a shield to help you direct the light, making it ideal for spot lighting.
- Shower Trim: This trim can withstand high humidity and works for wet areas such as bathrooms and showers.
The Style of The Light
Finally, we get to the style! You’ll want to select a light that works with your interior décor instead of against it. You can go with:
- Modern Options: These add a sense of style to any room and come in neutral colors that add to the recessed light’s low-profile design.
- Contemporary Options: For a relaxed ambiance, you can work with these lights that often come in luxurious finishes.
- Traditional Options: Even with modern finishes boasting of sleekness, traditional ambient options still have a lot to offer.
Additionally, you can look into rustic and Victorian-style lights, which add a touch of elegance to spaces.
Having considered all these options, what’s your choice going to be?
