Ah, the recessed mild debate – the supply of many impassioned inner arguments that I’ve had in EVERY SINGLE ROOM I’ve ever designed. Designers don’t like generic builder grade something, so there’s a degree of snobbery about these fundamental fixtures, inherent in speaking about them. However typically with out them, particularly in sure rooms throughout sure instances of the 12 months there may be frustration if you merely can’t see something. So after our first darkish PNW winter the place there isn’t a pure mild between 4 pm and eight am, the place we eat breakfast earlier than the solar comes up and begin dinner after sunset, I really feel like I’ve some perspective to share. So right here is the place I really used my recessed lights (and the place I remorse placing them as a result of I didn’t use them in any respect this 12 months). 

However first…the aim of recessed mild: 

Not each kind of lighting has the identical function – it’s not at all times simply to “brighten” or to “see higher”. No. The aim of a recessed mild, the explanation you’d put them in your room is certainly one of these items (or each):

1. To make a room shiny sufficient to execute a selected activity – i.e. cooking, cleansing, crafting, placing on make-up, and getting dressed.
2. To maintain the lights minimal – possible in a extra modern dwelling the place you need your eye to go to different extra architecturally attention-grabbing issues, not a ceiling fixture (this time).  

And earlier than I get too far into it, you must know that once I discuss recessed lighting I’m referring to the extra smooth/trendy 3″ or 4” spherical with the squared-off casing in white or black (if wooden or darkish ceiling). It’s what we’ve all through our first flooring and I feel they’re pretty to take a look at in each method. 

So let’s go room by room with my present opinions primarily based solely on my 43 years of my very own private expertise. Everyone seems to be totally different – however right here is my perspective.

The Kitchen

Yay or Nay? Private choice! (However, I’m at the moment a sure) 

That is unpopular with designers however y’all I exploit my recess lights in our kitchen loads – each for cooking and cleansing. I lean extra sensible this manner, most likely as a result of I cook dinner loads. Or possibly I’m simply used to it, however within the final 4 kitchens I’ve both had monitor or recessed lighting along with fairly fixtures. I used monitor lights each instances once we had uncovered wooden ceilings the place the monitor could possibly be put in and hidden alongside a classic beam, and recessed lights for a extra typical drywall ceiling. 

Final winter on the farm, I nonetheless used the sconces and pendants for morning mild within the kitchen as a result of it was too early for that degree of overhead. But when I’m following a recipe in a cookbook for dinner, I really need to have the ability to see effectively. I discover that whereas the sconces and pendants present a number of pretty mild, it’s not activity lighting and it’s not direct (they’re extra ambient) and simply not sufficient. I’d additionally wish to level out the plain that kitchens should be cleaned nightly after dinner, whereas loos will be cleaned throughout the day on the weekend, thus you want higher lighting to wash at night time. So, I’m a sure to recessed lighting within the kitchen simply to mild up your cooking areas. 

The Mudroom

Yay or Nay? Relies upon! (We didn’t this time).

Now, that is thought of a really utilitarian room which often folks suggest a number of overhead activity lighting (and I do, too). Now we have excessive ceilings in right here so we put in these 4 pendants which give greater than sufficient and I’ve by no means wished for extra lighting in right here. So we skipped them, however should you don’t have a number of overhead mild choices (like pendants or a number of semi-flush lights) then go for the recessed. I don’t love the look of 4-6 semi-flush lights (a development we’ve been seeing loads currently) however I do like spotlights and love a number of pendants as we did. 

The Dwelling Room

Yay or Nay? SKIP, until it’s additionally the children’ playroom

That is our fourth front room documented right here on the weblog and by no means have we had recessed lights in any of them nor wished we had. So I really feel assured in saying that typically, I don’t suppose you want them should you can put in ample overhead fixtures and sconces (and desk/flooring lamps). Since we’ve an uncovered ceiling within the farm front room we couldn’t actually put in recessed lighting in right here, so it wasn’t actually a debate. The aim of this room is often to hold/converse and that is at all times higher with recessed lights off, and ambient lights on. Nonetheless, in case your essential front room can be the place you collect round your espresso desk to play video games and do crafts then you definitely’ll most likely need them. We used them on a regular basis within the mountain home household room – the lamp mild wouldn’t do within the winter (and that room didn’t have a ton of afternoon pure mild). 

Bedrooms

Yay or nay? Relies upon! (we blended it up and my opinions are primarily based on a couple of components)

First off, this actually is dependent upon the period of the home. For classic homes attempt to keep away from recessed lighting and do ample overhead semi-flush, flush, and/or sconces. 

It’s my present opinion that you just want both a multi-bulb semi-flush or chandelier if in case you have the peak OR recessed lights however not each. You probably have a extra modern home, I feel throw them in – they received’t look bizarre because it’s extra interval applicable. 

We had them within the mountain home (Seventies) bedrooms (not the grasp) and so long as they’re dimmable they go unnoticed when not in use. We purposely needed to maintain the room clear and minimal and preferred the look of no lighting fixtures. 

Our farmhouse bed room ceiling was very asymmetrical so we didn’t put in an overhead mild (I would nonetheless swag an enormous Japanese lantern for ornamental causes as a result of we’ve the peak). Some other kind of sunshine fixture must come from a extremely awkward place in the midst of a beam with the intention to be centered which I don’t love, so we simply nixed it and put in recessed lights as a substitute. That’s all to say that I’ve a present concept: In the event you dress in your bed room you want respectable overhead mild – both a multi-bulb fixture or recessed lights. However should you don’t must dress/look within the mirror in your bed room or if in case you have a separate dressing closet then you definitely don’t want a ton of shiny lighting within the bed room. We not often activate our overhead lights within the bed room so I might have nixed them (however I don’t remorse having them an excessive amount of).

In our LA home bed room and our children’ rooms (a classic 100-year-old model dwelling) we didn’t put them in and I’m blissful we didn’t – HOWEVER, for all three of the farmhouse bedrooms we wanted extra overhead mild throughout the winter. I really am at the moment switching out our children’ semi-flush lights as a result of the only 40-watt bulb is simply not sufficient (and we might improve the wattage, however the fixtures are clear glass so seeing that white LED bulb doesn’t sound superior). We’re as a substitute placing in multi-light semi-flushes that look cool. However I’m glad we didn’t put in recessed because the classic home windows and doorways simply look higher with out the modern recessed lights in there. 

The place I didn’t put them in however want I had….

We didn’t put any overhead mild within the mountain home major bed room as a result of I didn’t need to disrupt the attractive wooden ceilings. We tried to handle overhead lighting by placing LED strip lights on TOP of the collar ties (the horizontal beams) which sadly flicker in a really annoying method (as a result of some LED + dimmers typically don’t work effectively but). Now, not having any overhead mild was high-quality within the bed room more often than not besides once I needed to attempt on outfits within the winter at night time (which was uncommon as that wasn’t our life-style to exit). We even have black monitor lighting initially meant for the closet sitting within the storage, however by no means put in (a really me factor to do/not do). Now what I ought to have carried out is put 4-6 small black recessed lights within the bed room (I actually just like the look of black recessed lights).

Bogs

Yay or nay? Private choice (skip should you can however closely is dependent upon sconces)

We didn’t put them within the child’s toilet and haven’t missed them for a second. We did put them in our toilet and have solely turned them on a few instances. However we’ve them in all of the mountain home loos and used them loads! The distinction is that on the mountain home, all of our sconces had been extra ornamental and gave off pretty low or directional (downward) lighting and we skipped all ceiling fixtures on function, to not carry your eye there. The period of the home was extra post-modern and that labored so effectively stylistically. Whereas on the farmhouse, a extra classic model dwelling, we selected sconces with actually nice mild (clear or opal glass) with related ceiling fixtures and so no, we did NOT want any of the recessed lights we put in (besides within the bathe). 

I want I hadn’t put the recessed lights within the self-importance space of our toilet – it disrupts the gorgeous tile in a nasty method. Had I recognized that the sconces would offer such good even makeup-applying shiny mild, I might by no means have put in these overhead fixtures. My unhealthy. 

Water Closet/Powder Room

Yay or nay? Private choice

You undoubtedly don’t NEED recessed lighting in your powder room or water closet, so it is a private choice. We didn’t put one in our powder room (just a bit cute semi-flush and a sconce) and it’s GREAT. We did, nevertheless, put one in our water closet in our toilet and I not often use it, choosing the dimmable sconce over the bathroom as a substitute. So no, I don’t suppose you want it however doesn’t damage and isn’t offensive (however if in case you have a vintage-style dwelling possibly skip). 

Bathe

Yay or nay? YES

Hear, even should you don’t flip the recessed mild on within the bathe you need one for cleansing in any other case it’s actually laborious to see within the corners. 

Stroll-In Closet

Yay or nay? ALWAYS

Certain, you possibly can go heavy on the sconces in right here or put in a semi/flush, however actually you simply want good recessed overhead lighting (and I choose this over the only fixture). I put away garments so typically at night time, so it’s not only for preparing. 

Pantry

Yay or nay? ALWAYS

You want to have the ability to inform the distinction between break up peas and inexperienced lentils, quinoa, and brown rice. We put a extremely cute mild fixture in our pantry, however for positive knew that we’d extra typically use the black recessed lights. I’m positive a multi-bulb or actually shiny semi-flush or flush might work, however I simply suppose that recessed works higher in right here. 

So like the whole lot there are some issues which might be advisable and are typically referred to as a “rule” however a lot of it’s a private choice, so I’d love to ask any/all of you to go away any anecdotal expertise within the feedback.

Opening Picture Credit: Photograph by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Mountain Home Reveal: Our Calm Scandinavian Grasp Bed room

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