When choosing a flush mount for a specific room, the interior décor of the space as well as your individual design preferences should be taken into consideration. Determining the best fixture would also involve a few other factors, such as the flush mount's design, size, material, price, and brightness.
Measure the length and width of your room in feet, add these numbers together, and then convert the total to inches. The answer is the ideal diameter you should strive for when choosing flush lights for any room.
The size for the flush mount or semi-flush mount light that you need depends on the size of your space. The average flush mount light is 13 inches wide, but they range from 12 inches to 24 inches wide. Semi-flush mount lights can range from 6-1/4 inches to 23 inches wide.
The Difference Between Flush Mount and Semi-Flush Mount
Many flush-mount fixtures have simple, minimalist designs and tend to blend in with any existing decor. A semi-flush mount light has a center stem that lowers the light bulbs roughly 4 to 8 inches below the ceiling.
Ceiling mounts can be split into two categories: flush mounted and semi-flush mounted. A flush mounted light fixture does not have a gap or space between the fixture itself and the ceiling. A semi-flush mounted light fixture, however, has a small gap between the light fixture and ceiling.
Flush mount ceiling fans are best suited for rooms with low ceilings, typically less than 8 feet high. For rooms with higher ceilings, a fan with a downrod might be a better option. The style of the fan should complement your room's decor.
Advantages of a Flush Light
In the photo above, a flush mount light is used because this room is in a basement and has a lower ceiling. (It also allows more room for kids to play!) In spaces that may involve vertical storage (i.e. mud rooms, laundry rooms, or closets), a flush light can help you maximize storage space.
Flush mounts attach directly to the ceiling.
More prominent than recessed lights, these fixtures accent room décor. They come in a wide variety of shapes, including square, round, bell, drum, and rectangular.
Unlike recessed lighting that is actually fixed into the ceiling, flush mount lighting has little to no space between the ceiling and the fixture. It is also good for areas with low ceilings, though it does protrude from the ceiling more than recessed lighting does.
flush mounting (uncountable) (electrical installation) A way of mounting a fixture, e.g. a socket so that the body of the fixture is inside the wall, leaving only a cover plate on top of the surface of the wall.
If the room is around 12' x 12' the fixture should be 22" to 27" wide. If the room is around 14' x 14' the fixture should be 24" to 32" wide.
For instance, for a room that has a height of 8 feet, the height for a flush or semi-flush ceiling light could be between 20” and 24” tall when installed directly against the ceiling. As an example, a 4 foot wide hallway could accommodate an 8 to 10 inch diameter ceiling light.
1) Add the length + width of the room in feet. This should be the diameter of the light fixture in inches. That's the ideal size for an overhead light fixture in that particular room!
One that is too huge can dominate the area and make it feel claustrophobic, while something too small can look out of place and possibly not give enough illumination. Choosing a light fixture that is proportional to the size of the room is a common rule of thumb.
For example, if your room measures 10 by 15 ft, you should add 10 and 15 to make 25 ft. 3. Change the feet to inches; instead of 25 feet, you have 25 inches. 25 inches becomes the size of the flush mount ceiling light you should install.
The answer to this burning question is no. You don't need to perfectly match the light fixtures in your home; however, while all light fixtures need not look exactly alike, they should share common features.
Flush mount, or semi-flush mount light fixtures are typically encased in glass housing which allows light to diffuse or spread throughout and entire space. Recessed lighting, on the other hand, provides vertical downlighting, and can require more fixtures to achieve the same level of brightness within a room.
Recessed mounting is great for the places with lower ceilings or the places without enough height to hang the fixtures. In contrast, surface mounting is applicable to all applications, including lighting construction and retrofit. It just need a flat surface to mount the fixtures.
Avoid recessed lighting fixtures placed too close together or in rows down the center of the room. This type of installation can have the look of an airport runway.
Recessed lighting is not great in large rooms where you'll need to install a lot of them or where you want your light to achieve an aesthetic effect.
Longevity
LED lighting can last 50,000 hours or more before it begins to dim and needs to be replaced. These fixtures could cover 15 to 20 years of regular light use. On average, other lighting alternatives burn out quickly compared to LED: Incandescent bulbs: Approximately 1,000-hour lifespan.
While incandescent bulbs typically last only around 1,000 hours - barely a year with several hours of use each day - LED lighting is commonly rated to last 50,000 hours or more, which can conceivably translate into decades at the same rate of use.
Make a Plan
Whatever new recessed lighting you add should work with your existing fixtures. Measure your room to see how many fixtures you will need. A common rule of thumb is that you use one recessed light for every 4 to 6 square feet of ceiling space.