Recessed Lighting in California

Cut in ceiling lights, add dimmers and fix layout.

Recessed lights run 150 to 350 dollars each installed in Los Angeles, and fewer lights in the right places beat more lights everywhere.

The short version

Modern slim lights fit where an old can will not.
Spacing is about half the ceiling height between fixtures.
Dimmer and bulb have to be matched or lights buzz and flicker.
A ceiling with insulation needs fixtures rated to touch it.

Cans and slim lights

The old way is a metal can nailed to the framing with a bulb inside. The newer way is a slim light a few inches across that needs only a hole and a small junction box above the ceiling. Slim lights go into a finished ceiling with far less damage, which is why almost every retrofit uses them.

They also matter in a low attic or under a second floor, where there is no room above the ceiling for a can at all.

Layout is the whole job

A rough rule is to space lights about half the ceiling height apart, so an eight foot ceiling gets lights every four feet, set about two feet off the wall. Lights right against a wall wash it with light instead of lighting the room.

Think about what you are lighting. Over a counter you want light where you stand, not on the back of your head. A living room usually wants fewer ceiling lights and a couple of lamps.

Dimmers, color and flicker

Most flicker and buzz comes from an old dimmer left on the wall after new lights went in. Dimmers made for the older bulbs do not control modern drivers well. Replacing the dimmer with one the light maker lists usually ends it.

Color temperature changes how a room feels. Warm light near 2700 kelvin suits living rooms and bedrooms. Something closer to 3500 or 4000 suits a kitchen or a garage. Keep a house consistent or the difference is obvious at night.