Recessed Lighting Applications

Homeowners and design savvy builders have come to appreciate the artistic value bestowed by the abundance of lighting fixture styles that can be incorporated to create uniform design schemes throughout homes and businesses. Recessed lighting has been around since the 1950s, but has recently been gaining popularity as an alternative to traditional light fixtures due its versatility. Recessed lighting is a significant component of the lighting design in many residential and commercial buildings, offering a visually pleasing while functional source of light that can be used in a variety of applications.

What is recessed lighting? Recessed light fixtures illuminate from just above the ceiling surface, rather than protruding down in full view. This flexible style of home lighting gives designers the opportunity to incorporate specific levels of lighting to achieve the desired ambiance while directing focus to the intended highlights of a room. Recessed lighting can be implemented as the sole light source for rooms and hallways, or can produce a broad spectrum ambience throughout an area that serves as a “backdrop” to other, more targeted sources of light.

Many decorative lighting arrangements, such as wall sconces and chandeliers, are artistically striking but often do not produce practical, functional lighting to meet the needs of a household or business. Recessed lighting can be used in combination with such lighting fixtures to provide a sheath of light throughout the room while highlighting intricate details of a decorative chandelier or sconce. Recessed lighting can also be used to illuminate an eye-catching design element of a room, such as wall art, an accent wall, a china cabinet or other piece of furniture.

Using the appropriate bulbs in a recessed lighting fixture is as important as the fixture itself. The size and voltage of a bulb will affect the amount and intensity of light that it produces. Recessed fixtures in a fairly small bathroom would not need to be the same diameter as fixtures designed to illuminate a larger room. On the other hand, a bathroom would likely necessitate a brighter (higher voltage) bulb to produce the desired level of visibility than a hallway whose primary purpose is to provide ambient, dim lighting to impart a softer effect.

Whether recessed lighting will be used in a bedroom for reading or in a kitchen to supply optimal illumination for cooking, the intended purpose of a room is a significant consideration in determining the type of lighting that should be implemented.

About the Author: John Billington is the president and CEO of Five Rivers Inc., a leading online provider of home lighting, bathroom lighting and decor. For more information, please visit www.fiverivers.com.