My FIL's new home only has ceiling fans with lights in the BRs and it is WAY too dark. Now, granted, he has stained plantation shutter that block a lot of natural light and he has the ceiling and walls painted the same med. toned color. But I feel like I can't really see anything when I go into those rooms. (Much like my current house! :) So we will be putting 4 cans plus a ceiling fan with lights in each bedroom. I'd rather have them and not need them than to need them and not have them!

How about putting a ceiling in the closet? Would solve your lighting problem and reduce dust in the closet. If you stick with recessed cans, maybe try to find one with a deep black baffle. Depending on where the bed is situated, it may eliminate the glare from seeing the actual lamp (bulb). The con is that depending on ceiling color, a black baffle may stick out in your ceiling. The other option to reduce glare is an alzak reflector. Also use a lamp with a narrow beam pattern; even narrow flood might be okay. I agree. I wouldn't want pendant rods blocking my view out the window. Are wall mounted lights an option? You may lose some closet space, but it would definitely solve your problem. Be mindful of placement and bulb type to reduce the chances of burning something. Hmm..wonder if it's against code. If you go this route, I would still have ceiling cans so you don't end up with a dark ceiling over the closet.

Hi kets, Photos of this space would help us give you better advice on what to do in your situation. But based on your initial description above, perhaps can lights (recessed lighting) as opposed to semi-flush mounts would work better in a long but narrow room. We hope this information will help you make a more informed decision on your home needs. Very Best, Tai Truong Elements of Design 3400 Medford Street Los Angeles, CA 90063 tai@lusivedecor.com www.elementsofdesign.com

I would do a nice ceiling fan without a light, four recessed lights in the tray, and no rope lights. As you say, use lamps for the additional lighting. This is exactly what we are doing in the master in our custom build. I am thinking about having the tray painted one shade darker than the walls on the same paint strip. I've seen this look in Pinterest and really like it. Good luck!