Newsletter — A Brief History of Recessed Lights

 A Brief History Of Recessed Lights                                   

  

The earliest use of recessed lighting was in Rome, 126 AD when the Pantheon was designed with a hole in the top of the dome to allow the sunlight to shine in. This oculus or recess provided plenty of light, except on rainy days when everything inside got wet. Nearly 1800 years passed before recessed lighting became practical. In the 1970's recessed lighting became popular by providing high quality, low cost task lighting. In the begriming, they were an ugly eyesore. Back then interior designers and architects didn't want to call attention to the recessed lights they specified. In 2001, Beaux-Artes a small company with a hard to pronounce name, started designing decorative trims, "medallions", to replace the homely goof ring which fit around nearly every recessed light. By 2005, Beaux-Artes had eight decorative trim styles for recessed Lights. In 2006 Beaux-Artes' efforts to make recessed lights attractive won them the "Top 100 Products" award.       

 

     Continuing on their quest to make recessed lights look attractive, Beaux-Artes expanded the number of decorative trims, (medallions) they offered to eight different styles. Additionally, Beaux-Artes did the un-thinkable, by offering different colored baffles to match the 33 faux finishes available for their recessed light trims. Previously, from the 1970's to the early 1980's, the only color available for the baffles was black. That may have worked for Henry Ford ("you can have any color Model T Ford as long as it's black") but Beaux-Artes saw the need for more color options in the recessed light market.

See All Eight Styles of Decorative Trim Medallions

 

2008, Beaux-Artes introduced the Recessed Chandilier

    

     In the last decade manufacturer's of recessed lights capitalized on a basic, mass produced, industrial looking product. They concluded that if the consumers thought recessed lights were unattractive, then why not charge more for smaller, more obscure recessed light. A brilliant idea, after all isn't a 4" recessed light less visibly apparent than a 6" recessed light. Therefore, the consumer should pay more for a smaller light than a larger one. So in 2011 Beaux-Artes went back to the drawing board, and now offers their decorative trims in all the new sizes recessed lighting companies offer.  They used a laser scanner and a 3D printer and now have decorative trim medallions for Halo, Juno, Lightolier, Progress, Contrast, Nora, Commercial Electric and most other recessed light manufacturers.  See More about Recessed Light Trims

 

      So now you know the history of recessed lights, and the company who finally made them attractive.  They are only $28 each. Plus they are easy to install. You don't need an electrician. You don't need to replace your existing recessed light hardware. Our medallions fit all major manufacturers of recessed lights. They install without glue, and no tools are needed. You can use your existing baffles. The only reason you ever need to replace a baffle would be to change the color to coordinate with the 33 available faux finishes that the Beaux-Artes' decorative trims come in. So what are you waiting for?    Watch 30 Second Video — 2 Minute Make-Over