recessed lights in living room: symmetry vs visual appeal

hey there. I am installing new reccessed lights in a 1920 colonial home. The living room space is roughly 20 ft by 13 ft and with a fireplace. However, the fire place is not exactly centered with the living room. Above the fire place mantle we could hang a painting or in the future a TV. Here is my question: I am planning on installing 6 lights (8 ft ceilings), should I center them with the room or should I center them with the fireplace? If centered with the room the middle lights would be offset with the fireplace about 1 1/2 ft. Would that look weird? What if I decide to install one of those spot lights shining over my painting?

Thanks

 

Hi Chevy! Visually it will look best if you center the lights with the focal point of the room, which in your case is the fireplace. Definitely add a spotlight or two eyeball lights above the fireplace, it will complete the lighting in the room. Before you do that..there is something to think about. If you might hang a TV above the fireplace someday, I would not recommend installing a spotlight that is mounted on the wall. If you hang a TV there someday it will look funny with a spotlight shinning down on it and you will probably want to remove it. However, if you install two eyeball lights in the ceiling you can turn the eyeballs to shine down on a painting if you hang a painting or you can turn the eyeballs to shine in a different direction if you hang a TV.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

Kristina

 

If you like the attention to be focused on your fireplace and also the decor above it example painting or flat screen tv then its better to put your lights near your fireplace.

 

Thank you all. I centered them with the fireplace and not the room. It definitely looks great and can't wait to hang art above the mantle.
Thanks again!