Brighten your room with the right lighting type
If you’re looking to brighten up your space, ceiling lights may be the key to your new illumination. With a wide variety of types to choose from, it can be overwhelming to know which option is best for your home and you. From sleek flush mounts to intricate chandeliers, each ceiling light fixture offers an array of pros and cons. Use this guide to discover which ceiling light will work best for you.
Pendant lights hang from the ceiling. The light source is often attached to the base with a cord, metal rod, or chain. The distance between the light and the ceiling ranges from 8 to 24 inches. These types of ceiling lights add task lighting to a room since they may have one or more bulbs.
Pendant lights typically have a specific purpose and are often purchased in multiple quantities. The most common areas you’ll find pendant lights are over kitchen islands, near entryways, above dining tables, or over a sink. They add a focal point to your room and bring visual appeal to spaces with high ceilings.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Adds a focal point | Not ideal for rooms with low ceilings |
| Provides direct light to a specific area | Provides a focused area of light rather than wide illumination |
| Brings visual appeal to rooms with high ceilings | May be a safety hazard for walking areas |
Best For: Task lighting in a room with high ceilings
Flush mount lights sit directly against your ceiling. They offer a minimalist look and take up a limited amount of space. Flush-mount lights range between 12 to 23 inches wide and can feature one or more bulbs. There are a variety of flush mount styles to choose including cylinder, rustic, and boob lights.
These types of lights are ideal for hallways, closets, or bathrooms—areas that have limited space. They’re also recommended for rooms with ceilings less than eight feet tall, as they offer a discreet design that won’t hit anyone’s head who’s walking through.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Good for rooms with low ceilings | The entire fixture needs to be removed to change the bulb |
| Variety of styles and designs to choose from | Not great for interior designs that aren’t minimalist |
| Work well in small spaces |
Best For: Functional lighting for a room or area with low ceilings
Semi-flush mount lights have a small gap between the fixture and the ceiling. They sit one foot below the ceiling and feature a small downrod ranging from four to eight inches long, that connects the fixture to the ceiling. They can look like a mix between a flush mount light and a chandelier but offer more of a focal point than flush mount lights. Semi-flush lights give off upward and downward light, making any room look larger.
These types of lights are best in rooms with ceilings that are 8 to 10 feet high. They’re also recommended for use in kitchens, foyers, patios, bedrooms, and dining rooms.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Changing light bulbs is easier than with flush mount lights | Requires a higher ceiling |
| Offers a focal point for the room | Takes up less space than pendant lights or chandelier |
| Makes the room look larger | Accumulates dust |
Best For: Making a room with mid-height ceilings look larger
Track lights are made up of an array of individual fixtures attached to a mounted or suspended track. These fixtures can pivot so you can highlight a desired area. Track lighting comes in a variety of styles including standard, fixed, swing arm, and monorail. They’re most often used in hallways, kitchens, great rooms, or family rooms as a substitute for semi-flush mount lights.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Comes in various styles and designs | Can make an area look clunky or busy |
| Can help highlight a specific area or object | Not ideal for low ceilings |
Best For: Putting a spotlight on a specific area or object in a room with medium to high ceilings
Recessed lights, also known as can or pot lights, are seamlessly installed into your ceiling so they appear as if they are a part of it. The fixture is hidden within the ceiling but sometimes features a visible trim.
There are a variety of recessed lighting styles available and they’re often installed in groups in a square or linear arrangement. They can provide ambient, task, or accent lighting. Recessed lights are best for rooms with low or sloped ceilings as well as kitchens, hallways, offices, playrooms, and family rooms.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Offers a clean, streamlined look | More complex to replace or repair |
| Can provide ambient, task, or accent lighting | Holes in the ceiling can let air and heat out |
| Works in rooms with low and high ceilings | Not ideal for large rooms |
Best For: Providing a minimal, sleek style in an area that needs full illumination
Chandeliers are ornate light fixtures that add a decorative focal point to your room. They hang from the ceiling by arms or tiers and feature multiple light sources. The more branches or arms the chandelier has, the more light it will give off. They come in a wide variety of sizes and styles to choose from including sleek, rustic, starburst, or sputnik designs.
Chandeliers are best used in large rooms with high ceilings that need a focal point or decorative accent. They provide ambient lighting for dining rooms, great rooms, or foyers. The rule of thumb for hanging a chandelier is to leave no more than 30 inches between the highest surface and the bottom of the chandelier.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Acts as decor | Often hangs quite low, which could be a safety hazard |
| Comes in a wide variety of designs | Won’t work well in rooms with low ceilings |
| Provides a focal point for the room | Can take up a lot of space |
Best For: Adding a decorative touch to large, open spaces with high ceilings
Ceiling fans with built-in lights offer a way for you to illuminate a room and stay cool. They circulate the air which evaporates moisture on your skin, causing a “wind-chill” effect. There’s also a wide variety of materials and designs to choose from.
Ceiling fans can attach to the ceiling with a downrod mount, flush mount, or angled mount. For high ceilings use a downrod mount, for low ceilings use a flush mount, and for sloped ceilings opt for an angled mount. When installing a fan, it should be at least seven feet above the floor and have 30 inches between the walls and fan blade tips.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Illuminates your space and keeps you cool | Often takes up a large area of space |
| Wide variety of styles | More extensive installation and repairs |
| Three types of mounts make them suitable for any ceiling height | Can be noisy |
Best For: Illuminating a large room that also needs air circulation
When choosing a ceiling light that’s best for your space, there are a few other important things to consider like the room where it will be, your lighting needs, the installation, and your budget.
Before choosing a ceiling light, take into account the size and height of your room’s ceilings. For rooms with low ceilings, it’s best to go with flush, semi-flush, or recessed lighting as they won’t cause a safety hazard. For large rooms with high ceilings, a pendant, chandelier, or ceiling fan may be best as they offer a focal point that breaks up the space.
Consider the natural light the room receives as well. If you have a room with no direct sunlight, you may want to add a bunch of pendant lights or a more powerful light fixture to the room. In a room with high amounts of direct sunlight, you can opt for a more decorative or focal light source.
Are you searching for task lighting for activities like reading, working, or cooking? Or are you on the hunt for ambient lighting that provides overall illumination? Once you determine your lighting needs, it’ll help you narrow down the type of ceiling light you want.
Ambient lighting is used for overall illumination, not intended for a particular area or task. It lights a particular room as a whole. An example of ambient lighting is a ceiling fixture that sheds light over a large area.
Task lighting is light that’s focused on an area where it’s useful for a particular task. Lights that are positioned over a countertop for cooking, bathroom vanity for illumination while getting ready, and lights over your desk for reading and writing are all good examples of task lighting.
Accent lighting is used mainly for aesthetics and can accentuate features you want to highlight, set the mood, and set a color temperature. Uplights for plants, lights for artwork, and lights that are aimed at intricate architectural details can all be considered accent lighting.
Before you decide if you want to install a light on your own, it’s important to know that some ceiling lights require a more complex installation process that involves electrical work. For a DIY install, opt for a more simple fixture that doesn’t require advanced skills or knowledge.
If you feel hesitant about doing it yourself, consider contacting a local light fixture technician near you. They’ll be able to complete the installation for you, answer any questions you may have, and make sure everything is working properly.
After your light is installed, it’s important to clean and maintain your ceiling lights on a regular basis. Remember to dust and replace bulbs as needed. Take these tasks into account when choosing your light and determine how difficult it will be to maintain it.
Your budget can play a large factor in your light choice. The cost of ceiling lights can range anywhere from $20 to $4,500 for the fixture alone. The simpler the design, the less it will likely cost you. Chandeliers and ornate pendant lights are often at the highest price points due to their intricate designs and materials.
| Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| Pendant lights | $15 – $4,500 |
| Flush mount lights | $10 – $500 |
| Semi-flush mount lights | $10 – $500 |
| Track lighting | $25 – $420 |
| Recessed lighting | $20 – $300 |
| Chandeliers | $100 – $4,500 |
| Ceiling fans | $100 – $300 |
Installing a light fixture costs between $155 and $955 or $555 on average. The cost of the fixture itself heavily influences the cost. If you need to rewire the circuit or add new wiring for your fixture, this can increase the cost of installation.
If you have some experience, you can swap out an existing light fixture yourself fairly simply. For ceiling installations, you’ll need some basic tools and a ladder. If you’re not experienced, this is a project best left to the pros since miswiring a light fixture could ruin it and cause electric shock or fire.
The light that your ceiling light gives off will largely depend on the type of light bulb that’s installed in it. If you’re looking to brighten a dark room, LED bulbs are the way to go. LED bulbs will emit the most light while also using less energy than standard bulbs. They can last up to 50,000 hours and will need to be replaced much less often than standard bulbs.
Flush mount or semi-flush mount fixtures are the best option for low ceilings. They closely hug or directly connect to the ceiling, offering ample room underneath so there won’t be a collision hazard when you’re walking through the room.
For high ceilings, chandeliers and pendant lights are great choices. They offer a decorative focal point to the room, while also illuminating the space. Track lighting may also be a good option for high ceilings as it allows you to position the lights around the space for all-over illumination.
