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Unsung Home Lighting Solutions: Recessed Light Fixtures

Recessed light fixtures are a sleek, functional, and unobtrusive means of providing focused spot or floodlighting for a wide variety of aesthetic and functional applications, indoors and out. Also known as ‘recessed cans’ because of the shape of their housing, recessed fixtures are installed upward into a hole cut in the ceiling, with the trim of the light set nearly flush with the finished ceiling; the ‘can,’ light socket, and wiring are hidden out of sight above the ceiling. A recessed fixture directs light primarily downward in a more focused fashion than, for example, hanging fixtures or a wide variety of uplights. Recessed lighting is great for illuminating specific areas of your home without adding light where it is not needed or desired.

For several good reasons, one of the most popular trends in recessed lighting is the installation of ‘integrated LED’ fixtures, and upgrading existing recessed lights to integrated LED technology.

Applications for Recessed Lighting

If you take a quick look around your home and others that you visit, you may be surprised at the number and variety of recessed lights located in many different rooms. Here’s a quick survey of some common residential applications for recessed lights:

• Kitchen countertop and cabinet areas
• Dining rooms and dinettes
• Over bathroom sinks, tubs, showers, and cabinets
• Living rooms, great rooms, and dens
• Recreation and entertainment areas
• Illumination for bay window seats and deep set windows
• Hallways and closets
• Bedrooms, home offices, and studies
• Mood and décor lighting
• Highlighting paintings, art pieces, and other interior design features
• Task lighting
• Outdoor entryways, sunrooms, and covered patios and walkways around the house

Recessed light fixtures are a popular option for bathroom lighting due to their unique ability to be installed directly above a shower or bathtub. Specific models are rated for areas in which water and moisture is common, making them ideal for bathrooms and other high-humidity locations. Because of their recessed nature, they stay high and out of the way, another benefit when there’s relatively low ceilings or when another type of fixture might be a hindrance. Recessed lights are a great fit for virtually any room in your home, as well as a variety of outdoor applications.

Upgrade Older Recessed Lights to Integrated LED Technology!

In homes with existing recessed lighting, upgrading these fixtures to integrated LED technology affords a range of benefits. Not to be confused with LED retrofit bulbs that screw into traditional light fixtures, integrated LED fixtures feature a permanent, long-life LED bulb (i.e. lamp). High on the list of benefits provided by integrated LED lights is significantly lower electrical consumption; most estimates indicate that LEDs use 70-90% less electricity to produce equivalent lighting. Depending on the specific product, integrated LED lamps have rated lifespans – with warranties to back them up – of anywhere from twenty-five to fifty thousand hours. This translates to 20-plus years of service from a single lamp! A broad range of quality dimming features and color options are also available from integrated LED fixtures.

Many reputable lighting manufacturers now offer LED upgrade kits for existing recessed fixtures that currently use conventional incandescent or compact fluorescent bulbs. A skilled, experienced electrician can install these kits properly and efficiently, keeping labor to perform a series of upgrades very reasonable.

Please contact me to discuss a lighting installation at my home!