Some facets of construction have too few rules. There are rules about minimum amounts of lighting, but nothing about maximums. So, in the case of residential lighting, how do we know when there's enough? Whether recessed or surface-mounted, lighting is much like painting, wallpapering, wood moldings and accent trim. Each of these depends a great deal on your personal taste, rather than some engineer's calculation. How much do you want—or need? Do you like a bright room or have you something subtle or low-key in mind?

Perhaps we can help. For a work area like a kitchen or laundry, you will want lots of lighting—as much as you can fit into the ceiling. Believe it or not, we often place rows 3 feet to 4 feet apart. And, in each row, we often place fixtures 2-1/2-feet to 3-1/2-feet apart. Some designers dislike such close spacing complaining about the cluttered look created when there are so many ceiling penetrations. However, when you turn the lights on and the room beams, you will be glad your ceiling is "cluttered" and bright, rather than sparsely lighted and gloomy.

Unlike track lighting, you can't add or subtract later. If there is a question about the amount, go with the extra locations, and make sure that the system is on two switches or dimmers. Although it is interesting and good looking, a recessed light fixture does not provide nearly as much light as a surface-mount light fixture. This is because most of the light that comes from a recessed fixture is pointed toward the floor and does not reflect off the ceiling as does a surface-mount fixture.

Fluorescent lighting is best in work places. In the laundry, you have to iron, scrub and wash for hours on end. And there's even more to be done in the kitchen. These are not places for the harsh light and heavy shadows created by conventional incandescent bulbs. Go for compact fluorescent instead—less wattage combined with soft, bright light. You probably knew that already. But what you might not know is that you can successfully use a compact fluorescent in a recessed light fixture. It might entail a trim ring change, but it is possible. Most recessed fixture manufacturers offer a parabolic reflector that has a large center hole—big enough for a compact fluorescent to fit trough. Compact fluorescents are long and will probably protrude slightly from the lower end of the recessed fixture, but we think this is an interesting and somewhat contemporary look.

Note: We suggest using incandescent recessed light fixtures with compact fluorescent bulbs because incandescent cans are less expensive than fluorescent ones. And if you get a hum, all you have to do is change the bulb. There is a drawback when following this procedure: a compact fluorescent cannot be dimmed when installed in an incandescent can. However, for kitchen and other workspace lighting, we have found that most folks want lights fully on or fully off. If you want to dim a recessed fluorescent, you can do so by purchasing fluorescent recessed cans. They are pricey and—in our opinion—a waste of money.

In larger rooms, such as the living room and family room, ceiling lighting can be spaced at greater distances. The increase in distance between fixtures softens the light. This is OK because intense lighting is not as important in formal areas of the home. In fact, many living rooms have no ceiling lighting at all, and often depend on lamps. We suggest that 6-inch recessed cans be placed 4-feet to 6-feet—or more—on center. This placement works well to produce low-key lighting that is easier on the eyes and quieting to the atmosphere. In formal spaces, widely spaced incandescent lights work well. Recessed lights can be made to be even more low-key with dimmer switches added. Very soft lighting can be achieved at dimmed settings. For high ceilings, we suggest flood lamps or spots. Both are a bit too intense for standard 8-foot high ceilings, but extra intensity is needed when a ceiling travels up 15 feet or more.

Halogen fixtures are also good for high ceilings, but you can't change a quartz bulb from floor level. However, a standard screw-base incandescent bulb can be changed from floor level in a room with a 20-foot ceiling using a light-bulb changing tool on an extension pole. They're available at most home centers and hardware stores in the light-bulb department. Be sure to use a bulb-base lubricant when installing such bulbs. You don't want to be going up on a ladder to remove a bulb that's broken in the socket. Also, use high-quality name-brand bulbs—they hold together better.

Recessed lights can be beautiful. But they are not the world's only type of lighting. Surface-mount light fixtures are a good choice, too. They can be fitted with incandescent, fluorescent or halogen lighting to produce myriad moods and lighting levels. Surface-mount fixtures also can be elegant and interesting to look.