Design the Best Recessed Lighting Layout

Whether you’re planning a bathroom, dining room or kitchen recessed lighting layout, a little planning and know-how can help you figure out how to place recessed lights. Here are a few simple steps for deciding how to lay out recessed lighting:

1. Determine which type of lights you need. This depends on the layout of the room and what activities you usually use it for.
2. Determine how many of each type of light you need and where to place them using the formula below.
3. Consider the dimensions of the room and sketch out your lighting plan.

The best type of recessed lighting fixtures for a room will ultimately depend on the function of the lights. Accent lighting and task lighting fixtures are small and used to illuminate small spaces, such as countertops and corners. Their main purpose is to provide focused brightness on a specific area. Wall-wash lighting is a special type of accent lighting that’s designed to shine directly on a wall. These can draw the eye to a fireplace, hanging wall art or an entire accent wall. General lighting is the most common type of recessed lighting, and it provides overall brightness in a room. The key to a successful lighting scheme is to coordinate the right mix of general, accent, task and wall-wash lighting to meet your design needs.

In addition to choosing the right recessed lights for a space, you should also consider the right type of housing.

• New-construction housing is designed for installations where you can access the ceiling.
• Remodel housing is intended for installations in which you can’t access the ceiling.
• Insulation-contact-rated housing, or IC-rated housing, should be used if the housing will touch the ceiling insulation.

There are two major factors that should inform the type and size of the recessed lighting trim you purchase:

1. The look you’re going for
2. The type of illumination you desire

The most used trim size is 6 inches. However, you can also purchase smaller trim if you prefer it to fit closer to the light bulb. In terms of trim style, for the greatest amount of illumination possible, opt for a reflector trim. If you want the fixture to shine in a particular direction, an eyeball-style trim is also available. And if you’re worried about too much glare, a baffle-style trim may be your best choice.

To determine the correct spacing for recessed lighting, it’s best to start with a simple calculator formula and then adjust according to the unique lighting challenges each room presents.

First, measure the height of the ceiling. Then divide that number by 2. This measurement will allow you to estimate the optimal distance you should leave between each light. As an example, if a room is 10 feet tall, you should leave approximately 5 feet between each fixture.

Although this formula is a good place to start, you’ll have to adjust depending on the room layout. For example, appropriate kitchen recessed lighting placement may require extra lighting over countertops, cooking and food-preparation areas, or dining areas. Also, when planning a lighting effect for a kitchen island, too much overhead lighting may cast shadows on surfaces that could be a hindrance when chopping or mixing foods for recipes. Hanging low task lighting from the ceiling and focusing the beams on the edge of the work surface can prevent shadows.

Planning a recessed lighting layout for a living room with a narrow, rectangular shape will present different challenges than a square-shaped room. When it comes to lighting corners, be sure that you plan your layout so that fixtures aren’t too close to the wall. This can create shadows in corners that can throw off your whole lighting effect.

When designing any lighting scheme, it helps to sketch a blueprint of the layout you want. To create one, first measure the dimensions of the room. Next, draw the room outline on a sheet of paper, marking the dimensions. Grid paper is the easiest material to use, plus it helps with precision. You can also draw grid lines with a straight edge on a piece of plain, white paper.

After you have an outline of the room, mark any areas that require a specific lighting effect, such as table tops and sitting areas, especially if you’re designing for a living room, dining room or kitchen. If you’re designing for a bathroom or dressing area, you’ll want to mark the location of mirrors or any other areas where you’ll need additional light to get ready.

When you determine the correct spacing for the room using the formula above, you can decide where to locate each lighting fixture on the blueprint. When positioning lights, it’s best to start with the center or main focal point of the room and work your way out toward the walls. From there, you can adjust the spacing as needed or add additional fixtures to make sure the most important areas will be well lit.

Using a recessed lighting kit, which includes a complete set of required materials for installation, can simplify your work.