Decorating a home can bring out the interior designer in anyone, but don’t let thoughts of furniture
fabrics divert your attention away from the importance of actually lighting your home. Choosing the
right lighting fixture is as important as deciding what color to paint your walls. Walking into a lighting
store or the lighting section of your local hardware store can be overwhelming at first, especially with all
of the bright lights literally putting you in the spotlight.
- CEILING LIGHTS
Ceiling lights are available in a variety of styles, including chandeliers, pendant lighting, track lighting,
ceiling fans with light fixtures, semi-flush mounts, and more. However, regardless of which type you
choose, all will protrude from the ceiling by several inches or several feet.
Positive aspects:
When it comes to traditional ceiling lights, you can make as big or as small of a statement as you want.
Because there is an entire half-sphere visible to both the room and you, they cast their light over a
larger area. You’ll only need one or two ceiling lights to light up the room, depending on the size of the
ceiling light and the room you’re illuminating. You’ll only need to cut a hole in your ceiling large enough
to accommodate wires. Ceiling lights are most effective in dining rooms, kitchen islands, bedrooms,
foyers, and patios.
Negative aspects:
It can detract from the room’s design by making the light the focal point. Having only one light in a room
can result in dark areas. However, using more than two or three of them in the same room makes the
room appear smaller. For guests who are tall, hanging ceiling lights can be dangerous. Ceiling lights are
ineffective in basements, water-intensive environments, narrow corridors, and rooms with low ceilings. - RECESSED LIGHTS
Recessed lights, also known as can lights, are metal light housings that are installed in the ceiling for a
sleek look that restores your ceiling. Their diameters typically range from 3″ to 6.”
Positive aspects:
The light itself is slim and barely visible. This opens up the ceiling space, making your room appear and
feel larger than it is. Can be used as a spotlight for displaying art pieces or small reading areas. The only
type of light that can be installed in water-stressed areas. When properly arranged, can illuminate the
entire room rather than just the center.
Negative aspects:
They have a single directional light to the ground, so you’ll need a lot of them to light up an entire room.
To fit the metal housing, a larger hole in your ceiling is required, which may result in air leaking through
the gaps between the wallboard and the light depending on how they are installed. The Spruce
recommends “air-tight recessed lighting or a sealed or IC-rated light that allows for close contact
insulation to cover the light” to solve this issue. Recessed lighting is not ideal for large rooms where
many of them must be installed or where you want your light to have an aesthetic effect.