No matter how well-designed your home, bad lighting can really kill the mood.
A while back, Remodelista reader John Gibson wrote asking us to elucidate this “useful but often so badly applied tool.” One of our favorite designers, New York architect Oliver Freundlich, told us he is known in his office as the Lighting Dictator and would be happy to guide us.
Recessed lighting goes a long way in a tiny apartment: See Living Large in 675 Square Feet, Brooklyn Edition. The goal for recessed lighting is to add not only visibility but also interest and ambiance to your environment.
Photograph by Matthew Williams.
Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.
An Adjustable Downlight by Iris and a Jielde sconce illuminate the entry of a Cobble Hill duplex that Freundlich designed for a young couple.
1. Wash the wall, not the floor, with light.
Recessed lighting comes in various configurations. A wall washer is a fixture that is typically placed 18 to 24 inches from the wall (depending on your ceiling height) and used in a series to spread light on a large surface.
In artist Chuck Close’s kitchen in Long Beach, New York, recessed lights—three-inch-square LED Wall Washers with flangeless trim from Element—illuminate a drawing. The project was one of the first Freundlich undertook when he opened his own firm.
Photograph by Oliver Freundlich.
2. Spotlight art and objects.
Instead of blanketing a space with an even grid of lighting, introduce a spotlight (or a few) to orient the eye.
Photograph by Oliver Freundlich.
Do try this at home—in Freundlich’s own newly remodeled Brooklyn bathroom, he used USAI Square Bevel Trimless recessed lights over the tub and sink.
3. Choose the right trim style.
We all know that beauty is in the details. Recessed lighting comes with many different trim options and apertures, and choosing the right ones can make even the most unobtrusive ceiling lights feel considered and refined.
From recessed lighting leaders No.
8 Lighting’s LED Ceiling Lights in two square options in satin nickel and oil-rubbed bronze.
Not all light bulbs are created equal. Be warned that some of the more affordable LED lights have very little consistency in color quality, and you can actually see different shades of light from one fixture to the next.
4. Test the bulb color (and aim for warmth).
5. Use dimmers throughout your house.
If you take no other piece of advice from me, you must install a dimmer on (nearly) every fixture in your home. Being able to adjust the intensity of lighting (especially overhead) based on the mood you want to create is paramount.
Photograph by Sandy Agrafiotis.
A Maine Modern House by Bruce Norelius features subtle recessed ceiling lights specified by lighting designer Peter Knuppel.