I am building a rec room in my basement. The room is 13 feet by 20 feet, with a 7 foot high ceiling. I will have a TV, piano, couch, easy chair, end table, coffee table, etc, in the room.

In order to save headroom, I am thinking I should install recessed pot lights, perhaps two rows of 4. I am bewildered by the choices, 3,4, 6 inch diameter pots, recessed bulbs, eyeballs, PAR 30 bulbs, PAR 40, etc etc.

What do I need to have good, reasonably even lighting, that is bright enough to read a book or newspaper? Can this be done with pot lighting? Is there a fluorescent bulb I can put into a pot light fixture that will do what I want?

I think 8 lights in 260 sq. ft should be sufficient, I'd go 6o w bulbs. I would consider making two circuits with dimmers on each.

The 8 recess lights ballenger mentions will produce a good even pattern, using the typical 6 inch housing but with a 75 watt R30 lamp. Only suggesting 75 watt because I do not think R30 is made in 60 watt, maybe 65 watt. Just understand that most recess fixtures are not designed to work with the standard table lamp light bulb, and usually work best with a R (reflector) lamp.


If you use a white trim that allows the face of the lamp to be exposed, will give a wide even distribution of light, however the lamp will be vivsible from all points in the room.

For a more subdued effect, you can use a regressed black baffle trim with the same lamp. Each type of trim offers a different distribution of light for different purposes, effect, or atmosphere. In the old days, before the big box hardware stores, there were once lighting stores, that had the different trims set up so that one could see the different effects.

There are R30 CFL floods made, you may want to experiment with a couple before lamping all the fixtures with them. Try to find lamps with 2700 K color, this is the best CFL can imitate incandescent lamp color.