10 Tips for Better Kitchen Lighting
The Kitchen is the heart and soul of every home as it is the place where most families spend most of their time together. It is that one place where we truly feel at home, the place where we sort mail, read, do our homework, prepare meal for those we love and throw dinner parties. The Kitchen is that one room in the home with multi-functional, different visible layers of illumination, that includes task lighting, accent lighting and general lighting. It is important that the space is designed just right, and that lighting is given the necessary importance.
Here you can find 10 tips for better Kitchen Lighting to make your life easier when it comes to selecting light: Here you can find 10 tips for better Kitchen Lighting to make your life easier when it comes to selecting light:
1. Add Layers
When designing your own kitchen, try adding layers as no single fixture will provide all the necessary light for kitchen lighting tasks. We suggest that you combine all three layers with the right kitchen light fixtures and dimmers. Use a main overhead light with layers of smaller lights that are placed in areas whereby various tasks are set to take place such as, near a food preparation station, over the stone or above the kitchen sink. If all layers are on point, then you have got a recipe for kitchen design success.
2. Ambience
The way to go!Ambient light sets to mood and tone to your kitchen and it helps create focal points to highlight objects or different areas in the room. Ambient kitchen lighting tends to be overlooked in cooking areas. We must admit it is a pity as such light easily gives a warm glow to the room and is also an inexpensive way to upgrade one’s kitchen.
3. Don’t forget about the Tasks
Task lighting is indispensable in the kitchen, as this kind of lighting focuses on a specific area to provide targeted illumination to complete tasks. To create the perfect task lighting, you must imagine yourself in the kitchen, you must think about how you usually perform your tasks. Proper lighting will help you read recipes and prep vegetables. The ideal place for task lighting is between the work surface and a person’s head. We suggest that such lighting is placed under cabinets as well as in other areas that need lighting such as drawers, countertops, pathways and the sink.
4. Dimmers
Create Ambience Control how you would like to set the tone for every occasion. Make your life easier and add light dimmer switches in your kitchen. Bright illumination makes it easier while cooking, while dimmed lights help create ambience after a meal. When designing your kitchen lighting make sure that you add separate kitchen lighting dimmers for each fixture, this will help you customize the lighting for different situations.
5. Accent Lighting
You would like to give your kitchen more depth and dimension? Then, go ahead and think wisely, if you have a cabinet to store decorative glassware or unique pieces of fine bone china, you need to find the right type of LED light for the space. Rope lights and puck lights are the most popular for this type of cabinet lighting.
6. Three is a Magic Number
Give your kitchen character, instead of one main kitchen light, try adding three identical hanging pendant fixtures over the island or on the dining table. Choose from a variety of styles from classic to modern and depending on the amount of kitchen lighting you need you can select bulbs of various wattage.
7. Track Lighting
The Secret PowerWho enjoys working in their own shadow? With Track Lighting you can do just about anything – it enables you to enhance the space of your contemporary kitchen. Track Lighting is becoming popular as an overhead lighting source with home users and designers alike. Such lighting gives you the opportunity to be creative and explore your design possibilities as it is very flexible. It allows you to adjust each light to customize the atmosphere you’ve been dreaming of.
8. Centrepiece
Go BOLD – Forget about your inner inhibitions. Stop worrying about that one centrepiece you are looking for to dress up your kitchen. Dare yourself and don’t be afraid to go big when replacing a kitchen light centrepiece. Be bold, be different and whether it is a classical chandelier or a piece that is reflective of your eclectic style, place it in the centre of the kitchen and make a bold statement.
9. Less is More – ALWAYS!!
Try to keep to one main bold piece, maximum two or three pendants over one area. From our 41 years’ experience in the field, powering homes and kitchens in Malta, we know that there is no such thing as too much, however, we know that competing hanging fixtures can make a kitchen look cluttered. Should you require more lighting for your work spaces we always suggest track lighting or under cabinet lighting.
10. Shelf Lighting
A little touch!Give shelves in your kitchen the life that they deserve, add LED strip lights or puck lights to the back or underneath the shelves. Add that little touch to create light to highlight different objects and accessories on your shelves.