Uniform spacing of ceiling light fixtures pleases the eye and provides more even lighting for your room. Start by checking the lighting manufacturer's recommendations to see how much area each light fixture will cover. Recessed lights generally require spacing of four to six feet between lights, while flush-mount fixtures may require only eight to 10 feet.
Instructions
1. Measure the length and width of your room. Draw the outline of your ceiling on graph paper, using four squares for every foot. This proportion means that each square represents 3 inches.
2. Lay a piece of tracing paper over your graph paper. Tape it in place so that it won't shift as you draw on it.
3. Calculate each fixture's distance from the wall by dividing in half the number of feet recommended by the lighting manufacturer for fixture spacing. For example, if four-foot spacing is recommended for recessed lights, your answer is two feet. For a flush-mount fixture that covers a 10-foot area, the answer is five feet.
4. Mark an "X" on the tracing paper to indicate the number of feet away from the wall that you determined. If your answer was two feet, mark an "X" two feet over and two feet down from the first corner. Remember that two feet equals eight squares, because each square represents three inches.
5. Mark the placement for the rest of the lights. Draw an "X" to indicate each light, based on your first light's position and the spacing recommendations. For example, continue two feet the wall, along the length of the room, marking an "X" every four feet. Do the same across the room's width. Do not mark an "X" if your last light at the other end of the room falls at a point that's less than the calculated distance from the wall.
6. Untape your graph paper. Shift it around the room outline until the lights are centered, with an even number of squares along each wall. Retape the paper.
7. Check the spacing of lights against the manufacturer's recommended spacing. If centering the lights leaves more than one foot beyond the recommended spacing, consider filling in the edges with wall sconces or floor lamps, or choosing a different fixture style. If centering the lights results in placement within the recommended spacing, go purchase the fixtures.
8. Count the number of squares the light fixtures sit away from one wall. Convert that number to feet and inches. Measure that distance from the wall on the ceiling at each end of the actual room. Mark the spots on the ceiling with a pencil.
9. Stretch a chalk line tightly between the two marks. Pull down on the middle of the line and let it snap back to the ceiling, leaving a straight line of chalk.
10. Repeat the process of translating your drawing into ceiling marks and chalk lines for each row and column of lights. Every place where two lines intersect on the ceiling is the location where a light fixture will be installed.
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