How To Layout Recessed Lighting In 4 Easy Steps We received a question on Twitter about how to layout recessed lighting and realized it was a great topic for a how-to. If you're using recessed lights (aka cans, high hats, pot lights, or downlights ) to provide the general lighting in a room, follow these tips to create the ideal level of brightness: 1. Ready Your Sketchbook. Use a blueprint of the room to pencil in exactly where you want the recessed lights to go. Before you start, take measurements of any furniture in the room and create paper shapes that are correctly scaled for the blueprint. This way, you will be able to see where the light will fall. 2. Decide If You Want To Choose A Focal Point. If you know of a particular spot in the room that needs a recessed light directly above it, that should be your starting point. Laying out recessed lighting in a kitchen? You might want to be sure there is a light directly above the stovetop or sink. Planning for reces...