Kitchens are becoming major focal points of modern home design. It should be a functional, attractive, and comfortable room and the right kitchen lighting design is a central component to achieving that trifecta.
Before overhauling and upgrading your lighting, it’s important to consider how you use the room as a whole and every section in it.
These 5 kitchen lighting ideas can help you plan around your kitchen priorities.
1. Full Kitchen Lighting
The ambient lighting in your kitchen is used to light the entire room. Kitchens require a lot of light during certain times of day, so ceiling lights are preferable for the best function. While many homes have one or a few central fixtures protruding from the ceiling, recessed lighting is increasing in popularity as a kitchen lighting upgrade.
Recessed lighting fixtures are embedded above the ceiling, so that the lights themselves do not draw any attention. Recessed lighting fixtures simply light the room without becoming a visual aesthetic. Many homeowners who upgrade from globe fixtures to flush mount kitchen lighting remark that the room looks much bigger with an unobstructed ceiling. When installing recessed lighting, it’s important to pay attention to the joist locations so that the lights are evenly spaced.
2. Focal Point Lighting
Focal point light fixtures are the attractive features that you want people to admire. These are often pendant lights, which hang from the ceiling and are used to light a specific location in the room.
This is the lighting that should match or coordinate with the aesthetic of your room and enhance the mood of your kitchen space. Kitchen island lighting is a popular application of focal point lighting, especially if your island is the main gathering point of the room. Dining tables typically have pendant lights as well so that ambient light in the room can be reduced during meals.
There are many kitchen interior design themes to help you identify your best light fixtures:
- Farmhouse – kitchen lighting mixes wood and iron materials
- Modern – kitchen lighting relies on metals, exposed bulbs, and industrial style chandeliers
- Elegant – kitchen lighting makes use of precious metals in pendants and shades
- Traditional – kitchen lighting incorporates fabric and rattan elements
3. Functional Task Lighting
For most families, the kitchen is where an awful lot of work gets done. Think about how many times a day you’re completing a task on your countertops, at your sink, your stove, or on your kitchen island.
If you’ve ever felt the exhaustion of eye strain after a long day of cooking or baking, you understand the importance of task lighting.
Task lighting is purely functional. It helps you see the things you need to do in your kitchen. If you’re designing a new kitchen, or remodeling your kitchen, under cabinet lighting is something to consider. These handy lights can be placed inconspicuously so that they don’t disrupt sightlines, but they will add the functionality you’ve been craving.
Use task lighting to optimize your workspace for chopping veggies, cleaning counters, and reading recipes.
4. Decorative Accent Lighting
Accent lights help you highlight special features in the room. Whether you have framed art, unique architecture, or just like to set the right mood every evening, accent lighting helps you draw attention to focal points around the room.
Chandeliers can also be used for decorative lighting, as sometimes they themselves are the piece of art. Accent lighting is less about function and more about style. You’re proud of your home, and well-designed lighting is a great way to show it off.
5. Natural Lighting
Always factor the effects of natural lighting into your kitchen lighting plan. Windows and skylights will provide a certain amount of ambient light, and they will influence how you use focal, task, and accent lighting.
Keep in mind that the way light filters through your windows will impact the room’s temperature, glare, reflections, and visual highlights. It’s important to try to work with the natural light rather than against it.
Lighting Upgrades in Your Kitchen
Whether you’re designing new construction, remodeling your kitchen to bring it up to date, or simply upgrading your home to be more functional or smart home friendly, feel free to contact us for a consultation. Our team of professional electricians can help you determine the best lighting options for your desired aesthetic and functionality within your budget.