5 Steps to Perfect Can Light Placement in Your Kitchen
You want kitchen lighting that actually works for cooking, not just looks good from the doorway. The placement of your recessed can lights determines whether you chop vegetables in shadow or see clearly, yet most homeowners get this wrong by spacing fixtures evenly across the ceiling or centering them over walkways.
You’ll need specific measurements: 12 to 18 inches from walls, spacing at half your ceiling height, approximately 4 feet apart for standard 8-foot ceilings, with precise distances from cabinet fronts to get rid of wall shadows. The real question isn’t whether to install can lights, but whether you’re positioning them where your countertop work actually happens.
