There are three types of lighting: 1) Task lighting; 2) ambient lighting; 3) feature lighting. You should analyze and plan for all of your living areas based on these types. Some areas only require one type. Other areas may benefit from more than one type. Up to you to decide how best to design your lighting and illumination. Good luck on your project.

Don't be stingy on your porch fixtures. These add to the overall appearance of the house.

Splurge: Kitchen, dining room ... yeah, the front porch too, though I hadn't thought of it that way

Skimp: Hallways, bedrooms, flood lights on the exterior corners

I'd say splurge on any of the public areas including places like the foyer and the powder room. Skimp on the private areas.

I splurged on dining room, foyer, over the island, and exterior lights.

Virgil--thank you for the advice! We'll have our electrical walk-through in a few weeks, but I'm hoping to have a better understanding prior to that meeting of where all of our recessed lighting should be (we only have 26 cans to cover 4000 sq ft!), so that I can make good decisions about the light fixtures. One of my frustrations in our prior home was not having enough lighting in the kitchen, living room, and MB closet. I really like bright spaces and am not a huge fan of having to turn on a lot of lamps to see well!

I regret all the ceiling holes for cans that I *never use*. I do use the cans in the back hall, bedroom hall and over the laundry sink. I use the kitchen cans only when washing the floor on a dark day. I never use the cans in LR, DR, Bkfst. Rm., MBR or MBA. There are daylight fluorescents in master closets.

I have sconces and exhaust fan/lights in bathrooms There are fixtures exterior, in the foyer, DR, Bkfst. Rm., over Kitchen Sink.

We do have a LOT of BIG windows and many pairs of French doors. I prefer lamps to light a room.

We eliminated all cans in our build except for:
- wall wash/accent lighting over the fireplace and a few large tapestries

- directed beams for seeing into closets in the front hall

- over the kitchen sink where a large window prohibited the use of (swinging) pendants.

But we were aiming for an energy-tight home that had old-world charm.

I also have no love of can lights.

I also love to see well and had a hatred of the lack of good lighting in my previous home. We have 25 can lights in our 1900 sft home, plus task and other lighting. We have daylight color LEDs and I love the amount of light I now have! I am so glad I didn't go cheap and end up with another dark home. Something to consider....we put hardwired downcast stair lights in various places (like by doors or potty) that are on a switch to use as nightlights. It was an idea we came up with, and never saw another house with them - but it is really nice.

Don't put can lights where ceilings are really tall, someone has to change the light bulbs when they burn out. Instead do wall lights and chandeliers. Otherwise I like can lights along with chandeliers and wall lights. Splurge on lights in the kitchen, dinining, living and entrance. Task lighting under kitchen cabinets. Exterior lights for the entrance and garage should be large.

Don't put any can lights over where someone might be seated. They cast unpleasant shadows that appear to age those they shine on. Indirect light from can lights is better than shinning directly downwards on someone (get directional can lights where needed to reflect off of surfaces or to accent art, fireplace etc. Spend some time reading what Randall Whitehead has to say about lighting design and in particular the use of can lights (or limited use of them).

Randall Whitehead

The only 'normal' room we have can lights in is the kitchen. We have 8 in there, and they do a good job of really lighting it up. We have light colored walls, and no upper cabinets though. Otherwise, they are mostly in halls and closets. Ceiling fan lights are basically to meet the requirement of having a light you can switch on when entering a room, but we rarely use them.

Our 'statement' fixtures are all antiques, scavenged from ebay and other antique sources, and re-wired for safety. Both bathrooms have white porcelain sconces, we have a wall sconce in a hall, and a hanging fixture in the foyer, all antique. I'm not sure if you can find a contractor willing to work with antique fixtures, though.

Our house is meant to look old, so we mostly use floor and table lamps, as that's what they would have used back then.