Take Your Kitchen Lighting from Drab to Dazzling with Recessed Lights

Is your kitchen lighting making you feel like you're cooking in a cave? Dim, yellow overhead lights leave many kitchens feeling gloomy and outdated. The good news is that it's easy to take your kitchen lighting from drab to dazzling with recessed lighting.

Recessed lights, also called can lights, are lighting fixtures that are installed into your ceiling or wall. The trim and bulb sit flush with the surface, creating clean, streamlined lighting that can completely transform the look and feel of your kitchen.

Designing a Recessed Lighting Plan

The key to gorgeous recessed lighting is planning the layout ahead of time. Here are some tips:

• Consider the size of your kitchen and ceiling height. In general, plan for one recessed light for every 4-6 square feet of ceiling.
• Determine which areas need bright, focused task lighting, like over the sink and stove, and which need wide, ambient flood lighting along the perimeter.
• Space lights evenly for uniform coverage. Focus lights over key workstations and islands.
• Mix wide beam and narrow spot lights. Wide floods provide ambient lighting while spots highlight task areas.

Creating a lighting plan will ensure all your kitchen surfaces and tasks are covered. Your designer can help tailor the plan to your specific kitchen layout.

Choosing Fixtures and Bulbs

Once you have a plan, it's time to select the recessed lighting fixtures and bulbs. Key factors to consider include:

• Housing - For covered ceilings, choose IC-rated housings. For exposed ceilings, non-IC housings will suffice.
• Trims - Adjustable trims let you direct the beam spread. Baffles prevent glare.
• LED bulbs - Energy-efficient and long-lasting. Choose warm or neutral white light.
• Dimmable - Allows you to control ambiance with dimmer switches.

Newer, budget-friendly options like wafer lights and retrofit kits make recessed lighting attainable for any kitchen remodel.

Proper Installation

Recessed lighting requires careful installation to look and function at its best:

• For new construction, install housings and wiring during the rough-in stage.
• Hire a licensed electrician, especially for retrofit jobs with finished ceilings.
• Meet insulation requirements with proper IC housings to prevent overheating.
• Connect to junction boxes above the ceiling with UL-approved wiring.
• Cut holes precisely for each housing and use retaining clips to secure.
• Attach trims and lamp holders. Install bulbs properly to avoid damage.

With attention to design, fixtures, and installation, your new recessed lighting will look clean, professional, and integrated.

Using Dimmers and Lighting Controls

Recessed lighting paired with today's lighting controls opens up an exciting world of options to personalize your kitchen's lighting.

• Use dimmers to adjust light levels for cooking, dining, or entertaining.
• Preset control panels can trigger lighting "scenes" at the touch of a button.
• Occupancy sensors automatically turn lights on and off as you enter and exit the kitchen.
• Smart lighting apps let you control lights remotely from your smartphone.

Experiment with different scenes, from a bright cooking mode to a dimmed dining setting. Controls make it easy to set the perfect mood.

With strategic placement, flattering light color, and handy controls, recessed lighting can utterly transform your once-dreary kitchen into a dazzling space. Your kitchen will look cleaner, brighter, and more attractive than ever before.

Just imagine preparing your favorite dish under inviting, task-focused lighting. Or entertaining guests with stunning accent lighting showing off your kitchen's best features. Recessed lighting takes your kitchen from functional to fabulous!

So don't settle for dingy and dated lighting that dampens your cooking enthusiasm. With recessed lights, you can easily and affordably take your kitchen lighting from drab to dazzling.