A well-designed home interior needs its recessed lighting to complete the style statement. Recessed lights are modern, well-equipped fixtures that go directly into the ceiling and shine a light on the interior and its design.
These lights are a definition of style, versatility, compatibility, and efficiency in one.
Recessed light fixtures are tiny as compared to any other fixture. The components define its functional aspects.
Parts of recessed light fixture
The efficiency and versatile, functional aspects of a recessed light fixture is entirely dependent on its parts. This light fixture goes altogether in the ceiling and what matters is the light that comes out of the fixture and how.
Housing
There are seven different types of housings, each suited for other specifications according to area and type of ceiling.
- IC rated: these housing can be in direct contact with insulation
- Non-IC rated: This housing can not be in contact with insulation
- Air-tight: reduces air-flow between the attic and room
- New construction: this housing is installed before the ceiling installation in newly built homes.
- Remodel housing: most used housing especially for remodel house/interior projects
- Shallow ceiling: with ceilings which have 2- 6 inches joists in between
- Sloped ceiling: sloped ceiling housing is technically used in sloped ceilings and or wall designs, which are slightly different in design.
Bulb
There are various bulbs used for different kinds of lighting requirements. But the most efficient and all-rounder option is LED. LED bulbs are super-efficient and available in a variety of shapes and designs. This design impact the uniformity of light spread or beam angle. The common bulb types are:
- Reflector
- Bulged reflector
- PAR (parabolic aluminized reflector)
- Ellipsoidal reflector
Trim
Usually, recessed lighting is used for general light requirements as well as light layering.
Light layering is specific to large spaces where other light fixtures are in use. Recessed lights are used for accent lighting, luminaire LED lighting, spotlighting, downlighting effects.
The trim is the outer visible component of the fixture that flushes with the ceiling and decides the fate of the light coming from the fixture. There are some trims available specific to these lighting effects, which are:
- Eyeball trim
- Pinhole trim
- Gimbal trim
- Shower trim
- Wall wash trim
There are several other kinds of trims, but these are the most commonly used trims.
Layout design for recessed lights
Recessed light is not just for visibility; its primary goal is to cover all expectations of a particular lighting design suited for a specific room, be it a kitchen, lounge, bedroom or shower. To achieve this, a lighting layout is quite necessary as it helps with deciding:
Total lumen requirement
A light layout help determines the brightness of lumens required to illuminate the entire place. This is the total lumen requirement, which helps determine the lumen output per fixture.
Number of fixtures
The number of fixtures is determined according to lumen output and ceiling design of the room, whether it can accommodate a certain number of fixtures.
Size of fixture
The fixture size relies on ceiling height mostly but also at times its function whether it is of use for general lighting, highlighting, task lighting.
Placement of fixture
The fixture placement, i.e. the distance between each fixture, is determined by the fixture’s size. For example, if a 4-inch recessed fixture is used, there must be 4 feet distance between each fixture.
The lights can be divided according to zones inside a room. If there is a corner dedicated to shelves, then recessed lights accent the shelves for enhanced visibility. For the study area, task lights can be used similarly to highlight art pieces, paintings, collectibles, etc.
For general lighting, recessed light fixtures can be layered with pendants or chandeliers.
Conclusion:
The appeal of recessed light fixtures has increased over the past few years due to these factors, which conclusively defines its versatility by improving homes’ lighting layout. These fixtures’ ability to regenerate the inviting aura of any space, old or modern, is remarkable. These lights are available in various designs for the very purpose of encapsulating both the lighting and aesthetic needs of any interior.
