I am considering to have recessed light in kitchen, family room and living room. There are so many brands to choose. Home Depot has Ecosmart, Commerical Electric, Lithonia Lighting, and Halo. Lowes has Sylvania and Utilitech.

I saw some LED recessed lights were marked as IC compatible and airtight, some were not. If I choose Halo housing that's IC compatible and airtight, does it matter if the LED recessed light kit itself is not IC rated or airtight like Utilitech and Sylvania?

We have a one-story 1800 sq feet house. Would 6" recessed light look nice? It's hard to find 5" one unless we choose separate parts, which would cost much more, or choose the brand of Lithonia Lighting. Temperature of 3000K might look nicer.

Is there any brand of recessed light and corresponding dimmer that you would recommend?

Any input or sharing of experience is greatly appreciated.