It’s easy to overlook lighting. However, remember that it guides the mood and style of a room. Therefore, If you are considering updating the lighting in your home, one option you can’t afford to overlook is recessed lighting. This type of lighting is extremely versatile and can offer beauty as well as functionality. Let’s look at what recessed lighting is, where it looks best in the home, and a few things to consider before installing recessed lighting.
Recessed lighting is easy to miss, and that’s the whole point. These lights, also known as “can lights” or “downlights” are recessed into the ceiling. The bulbs may sit flush against the ceiling or peek just out of their fixtures. Recessed lighting can take on just about any lighting job in the house, depending on your needs. They can provide:
Here are some of the most common reasons San Diego homeowners choose recessed lighting.
If you have low ceilings, the last thing you want to do is hang a chandelier that will injure tall guests on the head. Instead of crowding your limited space, recessed lighting gives your ceiling a clean look and stays out of the way.
You don’t want to fill your hallways or a small office with lamps or bulky overhead lighting, especially if you also have low ceilings. Recessed lighting frees up your limited space.
Recessed lighting is often used as “task lighting.” That is, it can give you more light in areas of the house where you regularly work. Some of the most popular places to find recessed lighting are over kitchen countertops and workspaces.
Do you want to make sure all eyes immediately fall upon your collection of artworks, that gorgeous fireplace, a colored accent wall, or some other important area of your home? Recessed lighting can work as your spotlight in order to showcase the things that bring you the most pride.
Have we won you over on the many benefits of recessed lighting? Then it’s time to start thinking about the installation process. Before you even get started, you’ll need to consider a few things, including:
You have a lot of different choices when it comes to picking out the trim of your recessed light. Trim refers to the casing and outward facing portion of the light. Trim comes in different styles, including:
After you’ve chosen the style, you can pick out the finish. White trim will allow your lights to blend into your ceiling, or you can make a stylish statement by picking bronze, nickel, black, chrome, or even silver trim. Take into consideration the overall color scheme of the room before you make your choice. Keep in mind that changing trim is a big hassle, so pick a color you can live with for a long time.
When it comes time to actually begin the fixture installation process, you’ll need to determine whether to use remodel fixtures or new-construction fixtures. This simply refers to the type of support the lights will use. If you can run the wiring in the space above the ceiling, we recommend new-construction fixtures, which are less expensive than remodel fixtures and usually offer more trim models. If you don’t have access to the space above the ceiling, then you’ll have to use remodel fixtures, which are supported by pushing clips into the drywall or plaster of the ceiling.
Most San Diego homeowners choose fixtures between 4 inches and 7 inches in diameter. The size you pick will depend upon how much light you want in a room, the height of the ceiling, and how diffuse you want the light to be. It’s important to know that you’ll get more fixture choices if you pick a common fixture size, such as a 6-inch fixture.
Unless you feel comfortable boring holes through joists, splicing wires, and stripping cables, it’s probably best to leave the wiring to an electrician. Make sure to work closely with the electrician so that you can determine how you want to control your recessed lights. For example, do you want them all to come on with the flip of one switch, would you rather control them individually, or do you want them to come on as part of a whole room lighting system?
While it is possible for a dedicated and experienced DIYer to install recessed lighting, this is not a simple task. It will involve changing aspects of your ceiling, performing high level wiring, and reconstructing your ceiling once the install is done. We may be biased, but we think that if you want your San Diego home to look its best, then you should consider hiring an experienced and detail-oriented professional to install your recessed lighting. A remodeling and design agency like Kaminskiy can help you choose the right location, size, and trim for your recessed lighting and install it just right to add light and beauty to your home.
Call us today to schedule a lighting or remodeling consultation.
