Recessed lighting (also known as can lights and down-lights) is one of the most widespread and adaptable uses of lighting on the market today. It works very well with the new trends of layered lighting and task lighting. Recessed lights are used indoors or outdoors from floor to ceiling.

Many people recognize outdoor recessed lighting as a way to draw attention to steps or the edge of a pool. This style is a favorite method for landscapers because recessed lighting doesn’t allow anything to stick out that could cause a fall down the stairs or someone falling into the pool.

However, not all recessed lights are made for outdoor use. Before installing outdoors, one must make sure that the unit is waterproof at least. These elements are not forgiving and a serious catastrophe will occur if a recessed light intended for the exterior is placed indoors.

Another feature that many people use for lights both indoors and outdoors is to highlight certain focal points. Art lovers will use the lights to enhance a work of art in the home or an outdoor sculpture.

The method is a favorite use in art galleries and outdoor gardens because it allows people to see other features that they normally wouldn’t have been able to see if it weren’t for the extra focus.

Fireplaces are another area that gets a lot of recessed lighting because few things are more romantic than a subtly lit fireplace. Installing recessed lighting above a fireplace is another method that designers love to use with lighting. Accessories manage to take a design element and turn it into a focal point.

Many people are wary of installing lighting fixtures in their home because they feel it will cost them more money. However, that sentiment is not true by today’s standards. Whereas in the past recessed lights were known to let heat and air escape through their housings, that problem no longer exists.

Lighting designers have updated light fixture housings with new sealing technology that prevents heat and air from escaping the home, thereby helping to regulate your electric bill. Another feature that helps save money is the installation of dimmer switches for the lights.

Dimming kits put lighting control in the hands of the homeowner, and by using only the specific amount of light needed for the job, the homeowner will save money. Controlling the amount of light needed for a space is another reason accessories work well in the kitchen.

One of the biggest trends in kitchen design is the use of task lighting. Task lighting is when lights are given specific lighting jobs. So pendants over a work area, recessed lights over sinks, and under cabinet lighting to make cabinets brighter serve a purpose.

This way, one doesn’t need to turn on a whole set of lights when one or two can do the job. This is another method that manages to save money because you only leave the areas that need to be highlighted and the other parts that don’t.

Recessed hallway lights are another popular use because those lights typically give off a subtle glow; so that they do not assault people’s eyes with bright light. This is great when you need to go to another room in the middle of the night and are afraid to turn on the lights to see where you are going.

Recessed lights are wonderful additions to any home’s lighting fixture. The versatility, combined with its ability to enhance any feature one desires in the home, puts it on every homeowner’s wish list.