Recessed lighting is the perfect lighting solution to so many different lighting areas: bathroom, kitchen, porch, task lighting, ambient lighting, recessed lighting fits just about every situation! The odds are good that you’ll use recessed lighting in at least one area of your home. Whether you install the recessed lighting yourself or purchased a property that already had recessed lights installed by the previous owner, it’s important to know what your recessed lighting options are and what the best recessed lighting installation practices are so you can take full advantage of these subtle lighting fixtures.
What is Recessed Lighting?
Recessed lighting refers to a type of lighting fixture that installs into your wall or ceiling, so the fixture is flush to the ceiling. Unlike flush mounted fixtures, recessed lights are installed directly into the surface and extend minimally—if at all—from the surface.
Recessed lighting is an ideal lighting solution for rooms with low ceilings, areas with decorative fixtures that are meant to draw visual focus, large spaces that require even lighting, damp or wet locations where a hanging fixture may be unsafe (such as above a shower), etc. Because of this versatility, a lot of modern homes now feature recessed lighting in some capacity.
Parts of Recessed Lighting Fixtures
Each recessed light is made up of three main components: the housing, the trim, and the bulb.
The housing, also called electrical housing, is the mechanical pieces of the light itself that is installed into your ceiling to make the light function.
As with all electric fixtures, there are safety standards that apply to make sure your installation is safe to use in your space, and these should be discussed thoroughly with a licensed electrician before the installation is completed to make sure that the recessed light is safe to operate in your specific space. Whenever working with electricity, safety comes first!
The trim is the part of the recessed light that you will see. It adheres to the installation surface and protects the housing, allowing your recessed light to operate without interference.
There are several housings/trims that are made for use in wet and damp locations for bathroom or outdoor installation. The trim is also considered the decorative element of recessed lighting. While recessed lights are generally considered to be focused on function, not form, there are a wide variety of trim sizes, shapes, and finishes to help the recessed light match with your preferred lighting style!
Finally, the bulb is the light itself. In addition to standard incandescent bulbs, there are many LED recessed lighting options available on the market to boost efficiency in your lighting!
Bulbs are also available in different color temperatures that determine whether the light gives off a warm glow, a brighter white, or a light that mimics natural sunlight as closely as possible. Some recessed lighting fixtures feature integrated LED lighting, which means the bulb is built into the fixture itself. There are also LED retrofit kits available to make older recessed lighting fixtures compatible with LED lights.
You may also hear some people talk about casing when it comes to installing or updating recessed lights. This refers to the space in the ceiling or wall that the housing is placed within.
What to Consider for Your Lighting
Whenever purchasing lights for installation, you should consider the following mechanical details of the light fixtures and your space. As always, paying mind to these technical details can save you a lot of trouble (and time, and money) in the long run!
Lumens: Lumens are a measurement of how bright a bulb is. You should consider the placement and number of recessed lights in your space when considering how bright you want the fixture to be. Sometimes, less is more! You don’t want the space to be so bright that it is uncomfortable for your eyes.
Wattage: Wattage is a measurement of electric power. Low wattage lights, such as LEDs, are considered more power-efficient because they produce the same amount of light as other bulb types with fewer watts.
Size: Like many other lighting fixtures, recessed lights come in different sizes. The standard sizes are 4”, 5”, and 6”. 4” and 5” fixtures are great for providing overhead countertop lighting and task lighting, such as in kitchens or bathroom vanities. 6” recessed fixtures create a wider span of lighting that are best suited for general lighting purposes.
How to Tell if Your Recessed Lighting Components are Compatible
If you are installing the recessed lighting yourself, the best way to know if the trim and housing are compatible is to purchase them from the same manufacturer. Many manufacturers make their recessed lighting trims to be interchangeable with the recessed lighting housing for easy style selection.
If you want to be absolutely, 100% certain that all your recessed lighting components will work together, you can also purchase complete recessed lighting kits that come with everything you need to install your recessed light! These kits take care of all the guess work and give you a complete set from the get-go, so you can rest easy knowing that your housing, trim, and bulb will match.
If you aren’t sure whether your desired trim will work for your chosen housing or for the space you want to install it in, you can also give us a call and we’ll get the information about that specific model for you!
However, you may end up moving into a home that already has recessed lights installed and wish to change the style of trim on a recessed fixture that’s already installed. In this case, you’ll need to measure the diameter of the cut-out in inches (not including the trim itself). This will give you the size of the trim, which you can use while shopping for replacement trims to find a new trim that will most likely fit the pre-existing housing.
There’s no way to 100% guarantee that a trim found in this way will fit perfectly, but it is a good starting point. If you are using this method to replace the trim on several pre-installed recessed lights, we recommend buying one trim to test compatibility first. If it fits, then you can feel confident placing a larger order for the rest of the replacement trims, instead of having a whole bunch of trims that aren’t going to work for your remodel.
Updating Your Recessed Lighting
As previously mentioned, you may want to update your currently installed recessed lighting for a number of different reasons. To start with, you may want to convert to LED recessed lighting to save energy and money on your power bill. LED retrofit kits allow older recessed lighting fixtures to become compatible with LED lights, and there are several different models available to suit your needs. You may also want to update to more modern recessed lighting with Bluetooth compatibility. This recessed lighting option will allow you to use your recessed light as both a source of illumination and relaxation with a built-in speaker. Isn’t modern technology amazing?
When to Update Your Recessed Lighting
Recessed lights are made to be durable fixtures that last through the years. Because they are recessed into the wall or ceiling, they are oftentimes secure and rarely break down—though of course if they do break down, that’s also a good sign that you need to update.
In general, recessed lights are there to suit your style and lighting needs. If those change, then your recessed lighting should also change. Fortunately, it’s easy to update your recessed lighting.
How to Update Your Recessed Lighting
The process of updating your recessed lighting trim is quick and easy! Simply remove the old one and place the new one in the same space. Boom, done!
If you are changing out the housing, then you may need to consult with an electrician to make sure the housing of the new fixture will fit safely in the casing the old fixture was installed into. It never hurts to double-check when it comes to your safety.
Again, simply remove the trim, bulb, and housing of the old recessed light from the casing, and then replace it with the new recessed fixture. While the initial installation should be performed by a licensed professional, replacing recessed lights in pre-existing casing yourself is quick and easy!
Recessed Lighting Ideas by Room
Now that you have all the information about how to install recessed lights, let’s see what you can do with them! There’s a lot to consider when choosing recessed lighting, and there’s a recessed light out there for all your lighting and style needs.
Hallways and Staircases
A well-lit hallway or staircase can be an important safety feature in your home. However, hallways are often narrow spaces without much room to walk around—not the kind of place you’d want a bulky fixture or hanging pendant! Recess lighting provides the perfect way to light up a hallway and let you move easily through your home in the early morning or late evening.
Living Room
For ultra-modern and clean, chic look, you can use recessed lighting to illuminate your living room space.
Recessed lighting is also perfect for additional task lighting where you need it, like a reading nook!
Kitchen
Recessed lighting is perfect for the kitchen.
The kitchen is an area that needs a lot of light due to the amount of food preparation in the space. You definitely won’t want dim lighting when you’re chopping vegetables with a sharp knife! Recessed lighting provides excellent task lighting throughout the entire kitchen, with or without other decorative fixtures creating a cozy atmosphere for your family.
We’ve covered recessed lighting in the kitchen before in a previous blog post, How to Plan Your Kitchen Recessed Lighting!
Bedroom
In the bedroom, recessed lighting can be used to give you light exactly where you most need it, such as above desks, in closets, or over the area where you get ready for work in the morning or for bed at night.
Bathroom
Speaking of getting ready for work and/or bed, you can install recessed lighting right above your shower if you would prefer not to light up the entire bathroom while showering. Several recessed lights are wet-rated and damp-rated, meaning they can withstand the moisture of shower steam. This is also useful for smaller washrooms, where they can be combined with exhaust fans to double their functionality.
Want more tips on how to use recessed lighting in bathrooms? Read our blog post, Bathroom Recessed Lighting Tips, to learn more!
Outdoor
Several recessed lights are rated for outdoor usage and can be installed in your covered outdoor space. Recessed lighting is a great option for lighting your entryway, backyard patio, or porch. Adding recessed lighting can also be a great way to add security to your home, by lighting key areas.
Display Lighting
If you have a treasured collection or possession, you might want to highlight it with its own spotlight! Recessed lighting works excellently in hobby/game rooms and other areas of your home to highlight your most valued items, while also providing lighting to the surrounding area.
Still have some questions about how to find the perfect recessed lighting for your space?
Give us a call! Our trained product experts are happy to help.