Free Recessed Lighting Calculator

Design perfect lighting layouts with our intelligent calculator. Get professional recommendations for optimal spacing and placement.

Select Layout Pattern

Choose a preset layout or create your own custom pattern

Room Dimensions

Length

Width

Ceiling Height

Room Layout Visualization

Interactive preview of your recessed lighting layout with intelligent spacing analysis

Enter Room Dimensions

Please enter your room's length, width, and ceiling height to get personalized lighting recommendations and layout visualization.

How Our Recessed Lighting Calculator Works: The Spacing Secrets

Why Spacing Matters?

Planning a lighting layout is more than just guessing the number of bulbs. A professional recessed lighting calculator (like this one) uses the "Ceiling Height Rule" to ensure your room is evenly lit without dark corners or harsh glare.

Here is the logic behind our layout recommendations:

1. The Golden Ratio (Ceiling Height / 2)

The industry standard for general lighting is simple: Divide your ceiling height by 2.

Example: If you have an 8-foot ceiling, your lights should be approximately 4 feet apart. This creates a "crossover" of light beams at roughly 30 inches off the floor (table height), ensuring smooth, uniform illumination.

2. What Happens If You Get It Wrong?

❌ The "Cave Effect" (Spacing > Ceiling Height)

If your lights are spaced too far apart (e.g., 9ft apart on an 8ft ceiling), the cones of light will not overlap. This results in "spotlighting"—where you have bright pools of light on the floor separated by dark, shadowy gaps. Our recessed lighting calculator will flag this as a critical error.

⚠️ The "Runway Effect" (Spacing < 3ft)

Installing too many lights might seem like a good idea for brightness, but it turns your ceiling into "Swiss cheese." Unless you need high-intensity task lighting (like over a kitchen island), packing lights too closely wastes energy and creates uncomfortable glare.

3. Don't Forget the Wall Offset

A common mistake DIYers make is placing lights too close to the wall.

The Rule: The distance from the wall should be half the distance between the lights. If placed too close (< 2ft), you will create a harsh "scalloping" effect (ugly arch-shaped shadows) on your walls and artwork.