HOW MANY RECESSED DOWN LIGHTS WILL I NEED?
The first thing to say here is that this is largely a matter of personal preference and there are no hard and fast rules.
However, we can offer some general guidance that may help you decide how many downlights you will need and where to position them
As a first step, you will need to calculate the amount of light needed in your room.
Do this by following the formula explained in our earlier question - Simply click the following link
Once you have done this you can then calculate the minimum number of downlights that you will need - for example, if you have calculated that your room needs 5000 lumens of light, then you will need a minimum of 10 x 500-lumen downlights.
As downlights provide directional light only, we would recommend using more than the minimum number. This is particularly important in the kitchen, where you will need a good level of light.
Also take into consideration any other forms of light you have in the room - under cabinet lights, table lamps, floor lamps etc. It may also be worth having some of the downlights switched separately so you can create different lighting effects.
For example, if you have the downlights over your kitchen worktops on a separate switch from the ones in the centre of the room, you can create good task lighting for food preparation and mood lighting at other times.
If you are able to dim your downlights this will help extend the effects you can achieve using recessed lighting.