We were perusing Remodeling Magazine’s website recently and came across this high-quality rant against recessed (or “can”) lights. In “Why Can Lights are No Good,” Michael Anschel, owner and principal of Otogawa-Anschel Design-Build in Minnesota, despises recessed lights for, among other things, being unflattering, hard to insulate, and maybe even unsafe.
Here at Goldsborough Design Build, however, our customers still opt to install recessed lights in almost every project—though not necessarily every room. And while we certainly offer plenty of alternatives—see the many different styles of lighting that our clients have selected—as long as recessed lights have a UL listing stamped on the side and are installed by a professional, they are a safe and practical option.
But today’s recessed lights are not your parents recessed lights, which resembled giant ugly eyeballs sticking out of the ceiling and trimmed in black for added unattractiveness.
“Recessed lights have improved to the point where everything from the heat they give off to their aesthetics to their ability to be insulated are much better,” says Tim Micek, Goldsborough Design Build’s Director of Construction.
Today, smaller five-inch insulted cans are more commonplace. In addition to being slimmer, they are now trimmed with white baffles that allow them to blend into a room. And modern recessed lights now can accept energy-efficient compact florescent light bulbs (although we don’t recommend putting them in fixtures with dimmer switches).
Recessed lighting is especially practical for basements and other places with low ceilings. They are also used as accent lighting over built-in bookshelves and even in screened-in porches. And contrary to Anschel’s contention that you need a ton of recessed lights to sufficiently illuminate a room, we don’t find that’s the case.
In kitchens, recessed lights won’t get in the way of cabinets that need to open and close; sometimes, there just isn’t adequate space for many surface-mounted fixtures—especially if you want to maximize the number of cabinets in your remodeled kitchen.
Recessed lights aren’t the best option for every room. Customers don’t usually ask to put them in bedrooms, but in almost every other room, even bathrooms, recessed lights are popular.
Contact us to discuss lighting options and other features for your upcoming remodel today.