I am finishing my basement which is about 1500 sqft. which will include a large gameroom 35' x 16', an office, a full bath and a dedicated HT. I have begun hanging the can lights and I have approximately 60 can lights. I have 2' wide soffit/light tray that runs the perimeter of the gameroom so there are probably 20 (4") lights in the soffit. I am a little concerned there may be too many. Here is a reference point. What do you guys think?
http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Rumrunner_31/DSC01694.jpg
http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Rumrunner_31/DSC01696.jpg
http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Rumrunner_31/DSC01693.jpg

I am finishing a 1200 sq. foot basement and have installed 34 can lights, a couple of sconces and a flush mount light fixture. The lights will be split into 8 zones and each zone will have a dimmer just in case I have too many lights. This way I can control the lighting better.

Eric

I suggest you get with a lighting consultant. They have the expertise and experience to determine the exact needs for the space you are talking about. I did that when I first had my house built and when I finished my basement. Here's some pics of one area of my basement. I think the results speak for themselves:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b173/zx10guy/basement/P1010137.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b173/zx10guy/basement/P1010138.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b173/zx10guy/basement/P1010139.jpg

I really have no idea about lights, but do you have more picture of your layout. where is this room, in the basement? It seems like there is a tone of space in the rafters/joist...just curious about dimensions and such up there, looks cool.

I suggest you get with a lighting consultant. I think the results speak for themselves
Thanks for the reply. My wife has met with an interior designer for some window treatments upstairs and some new ideas for the basement, I will add the lighting issue to the list.
You have a sharp looking basement.

[QUOTE=smakovits;13464744]I really have no idea about lights, but do you have more picture of your layout. where is this room, in the basement? It seems like there is a tone of space in the rafters/joist...just curious about dimensions and such up there, looks cool.[/QUOTE

This is a big basement and it mirrors the main level at 2500sqft. but I am only going to finish 1500 because I can already get lost in it. The walls are 10' poured so there is massive ceiling height down there and the web floor trusses are another 16 inches in depth. My builder thought I was nuts for wanting 10' walls in the basement but so did the plumber when I asked for a 75 gal. water heater. I tend to over do it, what can I say....bigger is better.
Gameroom is 35'x16' with additional 12'x8' alcove for bar/kitchen; Office/bedroom is 20'x18', exercise room is 21x12', and HT is 20'x15' with 9' ceilings because I had a brain fart when I drew a 9" sunken family room directly above the HT. oops!
Tomorrw/today when I'm awake I will try to post my crude sketchup drawing of the basement.

[/QUOTE

My builder thought I was nuts for wanting 10' walls in the basement but so did the plumber when I asked for a 75 gal. water heater. I tend to over do it, what can I say....bigger is better.[/QUOTE]

I say if a builder thinks that making your basement walls 10' is nuts I would likely find another builder LOL Raising the walls a couple feet over the norm is extremely cost effective in that it costs little in the overall scheme of things, and gives you a TON more options when you get around to finishing the space.

I also have a 75 gal water heater and would love to even have a bigger one. Good call on that.

Although I must say, 60 can lights seems like a lot. I have 27 cans (all 4" cans) in various places, 2 pendants over my bar, and a single chandelier over my pub table and it is more than enough. The space is not really bright, but bright is not what I was after. I have 1 room that is 13'x16' and I have 8 cans in it but that is the rec room and will need more light than the other rooms. My TV viewing are is about 13'x18' and I have 8 cans in it. 4 more cans in the walk from my back door to the basement stairs. 4 in the hall to my HT, and 6 in the HT itself. The dimmest area of my basement is the TV viewing area (not counting the HT for obvious reasons). With only 6 cans there is enough light but not too much. Right now a lot of my bulbs have large primer splotches on them from priming the ceiling and it is a bit dimmer than I would like but once I get new bulbs it will brighten up a lot. The floor will darken things up again once it goes down but should not be too bad.