Recessed lights for a 12 × 14 ft living room with a 10 ft ceiling
| Layoutacross the 12 ft dimension × along the 14 ft dimension | 2 × 3 |
|---|---|
| Spacing (rule of thumb)half of the 10 ft ceiling | 5ft |
| Actual spacing to mark outafter rounding to whole fixtures | 6 × 4.7ft |
| First light from the wallhalf a spacing — closer washes the wall, further leaves dark corners | 3 × 2.3ft |
| Room area | 168ft² |
| Target light levelambient light for sitting and talking | 15fc |
| Total lumens needed | 2,520lm |
| Lumens per fixtureabout 6 W each in LED | 420lm |
- Room width
- 12 ft
- Room length
- 14 ft
- Ceiling height
- 10 ft
- Room
- living room
The grid
Spacing for recessed cans is ceiling height divided by two. A 10 ft ceiling gives 5 ft, which across a 12 × 14 ft room works out to a 2 × 3 grid — 6 lights.
Rounding to whole fixtures moves the real spacing to 6 × 4.7 ft. Mark the ceiling off those numbers, not off the rule of thumb. The first row sits 3 ft from the wall — half a spacing. Closer and you get a bright band down the wall; further and the corners go dark.
What to buy, not just how many
168 ft² at 15 footcandles needs 2,520 lumens in the room, which is 420 lumens per fixture — around 6 W in LED.
That is the number to shop by, and it is the one most layout calculators leave out. A 4″ LED downlight typically runs 600–800 lm; a 6″ runs 800–1,200 lm.
Before you cut
Find the joists first. A 2 × 3 grid rarely lands clear of framing on the first attempt, and shifting a can six inches to miss a joist is invisible once the trim is on. Put the whole layout on a dimmer while the wiring is open — it costs almost nothing then and cannot be added cheaply later.
Notes
- The spacing rule is ceiling height ÷ 2, which gives 5 ft here. Rounding to whole fixtures moves it to 6 × 4.7 ft — mark the ceiling off the real numbers, not the rule.
- 420 lumens per can is the figure to shop by. A 4″ LED downlight typically runs 600–800 lm and a 6″ runs 800–1,200 lm, so you could drop to 4″ cans or dim these down.
- 15 fc is an ambient level, which is what you want here. Recessed lights alone make a room look flat; the fix is lamps and wall light, not more cans.
- Put them on a dimmer. It costs almost nothing at install, and it is the difference between a ceiling that works at dinner and one that works at 11pm.
- Check the joists before marking. A 2 × 3 grid rarely lands clear of framing on the first try, and moving a can 6 inches to miss a joist is invisible once the trim is on.
Nearby sizes
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Read more
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