How to Space Recessed Lights

Contractors and decorators often recommend to homeowners that the interior design of a room be focused on the placement of recessed lighting. Whether you are constructing a new home or renovating an old one, recessed lighting can be incorporated into nearly any decorating style. Aside from the aesthetic value, recessed lighting reduces glare. To create the most useful lighting patterns for an area, lighting fixtures should be placed strategically for maximum effect and benefit.

Instructions

1. Take advantage of accent lighting to highlight particular objects or features in a room by using higher-intensity illumination to draw attention to the area. Use a higher-wattage bulb to cast light over more area. Accent lights should be mounted a distance of 2 to 3 feet from the wall depending on the height of the ceiling. Mount fixtures 3 feet from the wall if the ceiling is higher than 8 feet. Installing lights farther from the wall make a room seem darker.

2. Eliminate shadows from work areas. Use task lighting to supplement the general lighting layout of a room. Recessed downlighting can prevent light from glaring over countertops and other small work areas. Space lights under kitchen cabinets about 3 to 4 feet apart to adequately light countertops.

3. Illuminate a wall with a lighting technique called wall washing to make a room appear larger. Consider the spacing of lighting fixtures to achieve the look you want. Divide the length of the wall by the appropriate spacing to determine the number of fixtures you will need. Depending on the wattage of the bulbs you use to light the area, you should space fixtures either 2 or 4 feet apart. For medium lighting, use 100 W bulbs, spacing fixtures every 2 feet. In other words, a wall that measures 12 feet in length needs six fixtures placed 2 feet apart. If you prefer brighter lighting, use three 150 W bulbs, spacing them 4 feet apart.

4. Install recessed lighting fixtures for general lighting about 6 to 8 feet apart when lighting a hallway or an entire room. Spacing fixtures farther apart will give the room a softer light. A single lighting fixture illuminates an area of space equal to the height of the ceiling. If the ceiling is 8 feet high, one fixture will light an area of approximately 8 feet.

5. Read and follow the manufacturer's instructions for installation. If you do the job yourself, have the lighting inspected by a certified electrical inspector upon completion to make certain that the lights have been properly installed.

Tips & Warnings

• Use low-voltage halogen lighting for work areas, which require brighter light. Use higher-wattage light fixtures in a room where the color of the walls is darker.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Lowe's Lighting Tips