Recessed lighting layout for Family room - design

14 years ago

I am planning on installing recessed lighting in my

family room. Below is what I am currently planning.

Each dot on the grid is a recessed light.

Any suggestions? The room has 8ft ceilings and each

square on the graph paper represents 1 sqft.

Is it too much light?

Should I be worried about glare on the TV from the light in front of it?

The goal is to have comfortable overall lighting in the

room that you could read by yet the source is not right in your face (hence recessed). I will have a desk lamp at the desk for task lighting.

Any suggestions on what to use for the lights?

Something line voltage avaliable in Home depot ideally.

Thanks,

Mike

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

normclc
14 years ago
I think the spacing is perfect for the space.
I would use 5" recessed cans with clear alzak or black trims with 50par30 lamps with the frosted lens . such as the Satco "soft Par"
Stay away from white baffles, as they are "glare bombs".
midwifekim
14 years ago
We have recessed cans in the family room in our rental, and I hate them. Our architect had drawn our new home with tons of recessed lights- and we're changing them out for sconces and/or the old fashioned middle of the room flush mount. In our current situation, the cans are at the front edge of the couch and need to be turned off while watching TV- or I need to wear a visor because they blind me! They provide no ambiance, either. I suggest considering alternatives.
Related Discussions
Recessed lighting for family room
Q
Comments (4)
Scalloping is a function of the distance from the wall. Once installed, getting rid of that scallop is nearly impossible. If you don't want to use CFL's , I reccommend trying Satco's "soft par" lamps. which will provide a little more horizontal light, and soften the starkness of the halogen lamps, and perhaps lessen the scallop effect. By dimming your light bulbs, you will get a yellower light, and lenghten the life of your bulbs twofold
...See More
Advice needed and appreciated for Family Room layout and design
Q
Comments (20)
Morning! No, I wouldn't leave the yellow. You might want to post a pix looking into the kitchen since they share the same paint color. Go with a taupy tone... As for the drapes, I am ALWAYS pushing these but you cannot beat them for an expensive look (linen) lengths and price. I've used them for umpteen years in several homes and have the beige. The beige is a shade that also works with grayish beiges....I have that tone now. I never would use the tiebacks included....awful look. They also send iron on fusing so you can hem them to your length. They're probably the only drapes that come in extra long lengths (118") that won't break the bank or demand custom. Cut the tabs off, turn over the material, hem and use clip rings. Tabs are not a great look IMHO. I notice that online they don't have the beige ones at the 118" length but do the gray. I'm not sure why since I've bought them before. You might check into that. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20111974/ Witih the drapes right next to the stone pattern, I'd prob avoid any patterns....just too much going on. Save pattern for a rug and pillows.
...See More
Should I put recessed lights in my 1931 Tudor family room?
Q
Comments (23)
Thank you both for the sample photos! I suppose one upside of recessed lighting would be it would highlight the beautiful plaster crown molding in the room. I was at the home today, and the ceilings are 8' 3". The light fixture in my pictures above is 24 in long, I'm hoping it can be flush mounted thereby eliminating the length of the chain. As Jan noted, there should be no head - banging in the room. :) To Jan and others, if I do find an appropriate light for the ceiling in the family room, would I want to mimic the original ceiling medallion above the dining room light? Below I have attached a photo of the dining room light, I'm thinking a medallion in the family room would be too matchy-matchy or out of place. I have also attached other angles of the family room in question, and as I've noted in a different post, I plan on going very brown with the floors in this room. Thank you everyone!
...See More
Recessed lighting layout, oddly shaped living room.
Q
Comments (2)
Thanks Patricia, I'll upload a PDF with the room dimensions. As far as ditching the fan lights, I tend to agree with you. I hardly ever use the fan lights, it puts off very harsh light. I can't get rid of the fan though, I live near Houston and it gets hot here in the summer! I planned for the recessed lighting to be more for an accent and ambient lighting, just to brighten the room a little. I'm installing caseta dimmers and will probably have them dimmed to 20% or so most of the time and will probably have the ones near the kitchen off most of the time, which is why I'm splitting the lights into 2 circuits. I'm also toying with the idea of installing individual dimmers or relays to control each light individually. But when I have them all on at full brightness I don't want a bunch of shadows, so that's why I'm having trouble with the layout. I'm just not sure if I have enough lights and I also don't want my ceiling looking like a mini golf course, lol. I really prefer 3000K lights, I like how they are close to incandescent bulbs in color and the ones I have are 80 CRI which is average, but they look really good in my kitchen. There were existing 6" cans in the kitchen and I put surface mount halo led's in that are 3000K and the color in the room is very nice, to me. Edit: I added dimensions to the original PDF in the link in my first post. Thanks!
...See More
houseful
14 years ago
The idea is to have multiple sources for lighting. Our TV room will have recessed, sconces, lamps and remote control lighting on the ceiling fans. Most of the time we will have the sconces and lamps on, but we like the brightness of recessed when doing puzzles or playing cards.

Mike, I think overall it looks good. The one over the desk probably should be closer to the wall so your body won't cast a shadow when working.

Another consideration is whether or not you will be using fluorescent bulbs. I find them to be much brighter than I anticipated which is what brought me to this forum. I am wondering if the CFL's for can lights come in anything other than 65 watts.
houseful
14 years ago
Came back to tell you we just spent our second night with our new lights (no drywall yet) and decided it's much, much brighter than we need. One room is 12x24, 9 foot ceilings with six cans. The other is 12x24, 12 foot ceilings with 9 cans. We opted to rewire and put some on separate switches, rather than remove them.

Also, we built on a new addition 4 years ago and put just four cans in each bedroom. Our master is 17x17 and I realized last night that 4 is plenty. So if you still think you want that many, you may want to consider separate switches. Just FYI.

Another thing I realize is that I don't think your furniture layout is optimal for watching TV or conversation. Is that how you have it now?
crus1
11 years ago
Houseful,

i have a room that is also roughly 12 x 24. what is the light like with 6 cans vs 9 cans? I am trying to figure out what i need but don't want to over do or under do it. its our faimly room with a TV on the call and i will be putting them on dimmer switches.

Any info you can give would be appreciated!
David
11 years ago
You can omit the can in the center of the room and possibly the one next to the TV.

Related Stories

LIGHTING Get Your Home's Recessed Lighting Right

By Elements of Style

Learn the formula for how much light a room needs plus how to space downlights, use dimmers and more

Full Story

LIGHTING Recessed Lighting 101

By Lisa Frederick

Looking to brighten a drab, dim space? Recessed lighting may be your answer. Here's what you need to know

Full Story

BATHROOM DESIGN Room of the Day: New Layout, More Light Let Master Bathroom Breathe

By Becky Harris

A clever rearrangement, a new skylight and some borrowed space make all the difference in this room

Full Story

TRANSITIONAL STYLE Room of the Day: Multipurpose Space Grows Up for a Young Family

By Becky Harris

A designer revamps a New York living-dining room with light colors, flexible furnishings and sophisticated childproofing

Full Story

HOMES AROUND THE WORLD Houzz Tour: 2-Bedroom Apartment Gets a Clever Open-Plan Layout

By Lara Watson

Lighting, cabinetry and finishes help make this London home look roomier while adding function

Full Story

BATHROOM DESIGN Room of the Day: A Family Bath With Vintage Apothecary Style

By Becky Harris

A vintage mosaic tile floor inspires a timeless room with a new layout and 1930s appeal

Full Story

101

COLOR PALETTES Recessive Color: 8 Eye-Catching Niches, Nooks and Crannies

By Jennifer Ott Design

Create a focal point with a small chunk of a big hue

Full Story

DECORATING GUIDES Room of the Day: A Family Room That’s Up to the Challenge

By Jess McBride

An invitation to do a makeover inspires an interior designer to revitalize her family room with bold colors and prints

Full Story

DECORATING GUIDES My Houzz: Light Emerges in a Dark Victorian House

By Luisa Rollenhagen

A designer freshens up her family’s period home by opening rooms to sunlight and decorating it in light, bright colors

Full Story

BATHROOM DESIGN Recess Time: Boost Your Bathroom Storage With a Niche

By Tiffany Carboni

Carve out space behind the drywall to add shelves or cabinets, giving you more room for bathroom essentials and extras

Full Story

Recessed lighting layout for Family room - design

Comments (6)

normclc

midwifekim

Related Discussions

houseful

houseful

crus1

David

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US