5 Reasons Why Can Lights Are Perfect For Your Home
While functionality is the primary purpose for lighting in the home, it also serves a crucial role when it comes to interior home décor. Today, plenty of lighting fixtures are specifically designed for different purposes. Some are meant to bring much-needed coziness and ambiance, while others are designed to illuminate and bring attention to certain design details throughout the home interior, mentions John Cullen. However, the variety of choices regarding the type of lighting fixtures can easily create confusion.
With that said, one lighting fixture often not talked about enough but packs a punch in the interior décor is the can light, also referred to as recessed light. This lighting fixture is beneficial, especially when you need to illuminate a particular spot in a room or when there is no space for installing hanging light. Can lights are also crucial for providing ambient lighting to any home interior. Essentially, can lights won't be ideal for every situation; yet, when done right, they will give your home interior the significant facelift you have been missing. Let's look at some reasons why can lighting might be ideal for your home.
1. To provide the illusion of a bigger space
Homeowners with small spaces understand the struggle of making the room feel airy and open. The good news is that can lights are designed not to take up more space than necessary on your ceiling. Can lights are installed flash into the ceiling, and you might not notice them until the lights are switched on. While this might not seem as much, the mere fact that nothing hangs from the ceiling makes the room appear bigger.
Other than that, can lights also create a wall-washing effect that significantly minimizes shadows and casts more light into the room. According to Lumenture, this lighting technique relies on the soft glow of can lights that make a space appear larger by pushing the horizontal boundaries of a given room. Consequently, this creates an illusion that the area is more extensive. You can also use this technique vertically to make your room appear taller.
2. Are versatile
Recessed lights can be installed in different locations without striking as being out of place. Primarily, recessed lights are used to bring ambiance into a given room thanks to their wider light distribution. With this in mind, you can install this lighting fixture in different locations around the house. Versatility doesn't stop at the installation locations; what makes this lighting fixture quite impressive is how you can use it for other light effects. To understand just how versatile lights can be, it is necessary first to look at their design.
Most can light packages have two pieces; the trim and the housing. The housing is the part that is installed hidden away into the wall or the ceiling. Right after installation, you have the luxury of choice when it comes to the trim depending on the type of lighting you want to achieve, your personal preference, and most importantly, the size of the light housing, mentions Lamps Plus. The most common types of trim available include wall wash reflectors, lensed, or the flexible option.
3. Accent lighting
Do you need to highlight your prized art piece or draw attention toward a specific wall? You will be happy to know that recessed light can help you achieve that. Interior décor experts agree that accent lighting is an essential part of home décor that every home should have. Hop2It Electrical mentions that accent lighting is vital to get the right ambiance for a space for different tasks. Although can lights are famous for providing ambient lights, if you use the correct bulb and install the light fixture well, it is also an excellent source of accent light.
They provide a soft, appealing glow and can concentrate light in a given direction, perfect for illuminating specific objects on walls. Another point worth mentioning is that can light often be quite subtle, drawing no attention to them, which goes a long way in making sure eyes are directed in the right direction and objects of desire. For this reason, recessed lights are ideal for bringing focus to specific furniture, artwork, or even walls where you want your guests to focus.
4. Efficiency and durability
Energy efficiency when it comes to indoor lighting is an important factor to consider when thinking about lighting. The Department of Energy mentions that lighting alone consumes up to 15% of the electricity of most households in the U.S — it is obvious why you need energy-efficient lighting for your home. Unlike traditional lighting, which shines in every direction, recessed lights focus their light down to a set path which means the light is used more effectively. Recessed lights also use LED bulbs and provide sufficient lighting in the desired area.
LED bulbs are popular for their energy conservation quality and use up to 90% less electricity than regular bulbs. In addition, they are also quite durable, with a lifespan of up to 6 years. Because can lights are installed flush into the wall or ceiling; there are no reachable wires or hanging objects that kids can reach for and destroy. While this is not a significant factor, it is among the many small perks that make can lights more durable than their counterparts.
5. Comfort
The type of light you install in your home interior influences the comfort and mood of the people around you. Recessed lights do a great job of providing the right amount of light without glare indoors. Light without glare is particularly beneficial to light-sensitive individuals who need gentle light that is generally easier on the eyes. R&C lighting also mentions that indoor lights without glare are ideal for individuals who spend most of their time indoors away from the bright natural light.
Recessed lights are ideal for home offices because they make operations like reading less strenuous. Another added advantage when it comes to can lights is the lumens produced by the bulbs. The LED bulbs that are common with recessed lights have relatively warmer lumen than their traditional counterparts. For general-purpose lighting, 600 lumens is enough for standard homes; however, those with taller ceilings will require lights with up to 900 lumens. Generally, if you have a dim switch, lights with higher lumens are recommended.