Recessed Lighting
Hello BPN! We’re thinking about installing recessed lighting in our living room, which true to the Craftsman style does not have enough lighting. Anyone recently completed a recessed lighting project and have an electrician to recommend? Thank you!
Oct 9, 2020
Parent Replies
I had some installed last year by Russell Flood rflood722 [at] gmail.com, 925.752.3702. They weren't cheap but he did a good job, has all the right insurance, etc, and did a good job cleaning up afterwards. I believe everyone doing this kind of work is backed up with work since the pandemic so it may take a little bit to get in the queue.
My electrician recommended reflective LED strip lighting around the periphery of the ceiling, on top of the crown moulding. I can't find pictures that look exactly like what he's recommending, but it's something like this:
https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/how-to-install-elegant-cove-ligh…
https://www.dwell.com/home/contemporary-craftsman-in-charlotte-832fcabd…
https://www.fauxwoodbeams.com/blog/suspended-ceiling-beams-craftsman-st…
As a retired architect, I'm going to encourage you to not add recessed lighting to your living room, unless you are using recessed lighting designed as wall washers and locate them carefully to do just that for light colored walls. Recessed lighting is best for task lighting and generally lights the surface below it. Fine in a kitchen, etc., not so good if that is a living room floor or the furniture. The light will get absorbed by the surfaces and the room will feel dark. Consider fixtures that add ambient light to the room such as carefully chosen wall mounted sconces that illuminate the ceiling. The more light you get on the wall and ceiling surfaces, the brighter the space will read. Supplement with carefully placed floor and table lamps.
We added recessed lighting to our (small) Craftsman living room and it was the best thing we did. The room gets great natural light during the day, but at night it the room felt a little oppressive. The lights don’t feel at all harsh; the room now just feels evenly-lit. We used Jose Trinidad at Megaton Electric (I think that’s what his business is now called - when we used him he was with Tri Valley Electric). He’s meticulous and has fair prices.