I am just asking in general. I have 8 recessed lights to install and 1 chandelier in the center. There will be plenty of light so I can turn on just the recessed light and/or chandelier. The chandelier by itself won't do much in term of lighting but for decoration.
Should I separate the light switch for recess lights vs. chandelier? What is the typical "practice"?
Best Answer
It is totally normal to install two groups of lights in one room with separate switches. If you do that then you also have the option to install, now or at a later time, a dimmer and/or timer on each set separately. This is particularly useful for chandeliers vs. other lighting in order to set just the right "mood" for a room - e.g., full brightness on everything for reading, playing games, etc. vs. dim chandelier by itself for the equivalent of a candlelit dinner.
If you install everything on one switch now then unless you run separate wires for each group of lights (i.e., two sets of wires going to one switch), you would need to run new wires later on to separate for dimming or timers. And if you are already running separate wires, a second ordinary switch now is very simple & inexpensive.