I'm with you. I don't like them for general lighting. As wall washers and accent lighting they may be an option.

Not crazy. It's all subjective opinion. You can post an amazing master bathroom photo here and there's a chance somebody will say they would have done something differently. Focus on what you LIKE, and factor in function with the design. Adequate lighting for traffic areas, accent lighting, mood lighting, general area lighting....Would sconces and lamps adequately light the specific rooms for all functions? Would the recessed cans be flush trims with bulbs exposed or baffled trims and short stem bulbs you can't see them from across the room? I've seen homes where you'd think a shotgun blast put swiss cheese holes in the ceiling, and others where rooms were dark because of minimum lighting. Neither option took function and design into account....but even that's an opinion.

I have to agree, it's up to you. We have track lites in some rooms, recessed in others, with single ceiling fixtures in the smaller rooms; because it annoys us no end to have six different light sources in one room and have to run around turning them on and off as we go in/out.

The reason most lighting designers use a mix of lights is that using different ANGLES of lighting has a purpose: 1) it's a more flattering, evenly balanced lighting, especially for those big rooms where two or three lights just don't cut it; and 2) it allows for task lighting for specific purposes; e.g., reading.

We didn't use a designer, but we did try to match the 'purpose' of the room to the type of lighting we installed. In rooms that get more natural daylight, for instance, task lighting and nightime lighting become more important. In a big room with little daylight, we have two systems of track lites installed, with two different types of bulbs, a mix of flood and spot, to allow us to aim strong light where we specifically want it but use a softer illumination (same wattage) for general walking thru/around.

I would use at least some. Our first home we built we skimped and didn't put any in and regretted it EVERY SINGLE DAY. Sure, some rooms you can manage with table/floor lamps or sconces but not all - think about each room and what lighting you'll have. I would especially put some in the kitchen. Dark kitchens are the worst!

Recess lighting is great for hallways, kitchens and bedrooms!. Not sure what you used the family room and living room for?. But for most other room it brights them up especially if you live in cold weather states like Minnesota! It is much cheaper to do installation recess lighting then after wards.. It is totally up to you!. It you home!. What I would do is go open house shopping and look at new homes to get the atomsphere and design and see if you like it!. That way you see it visually and in 3D!

I love recessed lighting if done in the right place with the right product. Check into all the sizes and shapes, also get expert advice on the light itself. Right now I'm shopping for some and am considering the square trimless recessed lights for a clean look

Please put some in....our old home didn't have any and using lamps and such really left it so dark. It seemed like only the bottom half of a room was lit, which was awful. Our new home has an abundance of recessed lights which lights much better and is easier to turn on with one switch. I dont think mine looks swiss cheese at all, but I used led retrofits which dont have the black gap between the bulb and housing.