Kitchen

The kitchen in any home serves a purpose far greater than simply being a space to make meals. Often, it is the centre of a household where families come together. It is also a space where you entertain guests.

Kitchen lighting brings with it the opportunity to make this room truly exceptional. Kitchen lights can make the space perfectly functional for meal prep, as well as pleasant and atmospheric for entertaining.

Here, we offer a wide variety of kitchen light fixtures for you to choose from when planning your new kitchen lighting scheme.

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How to Plan Kitchen Lighting

Custom lighting solutions for kitchens are made possible with careful planning that revolves around the unique dimensions and needs of your particular kitchen. If you want to ensure that you are pleased with the results of adding kitchen lighting, there are a few steps you can take. 

Before anything else, you’ll need to consider exactly where you want the kitchen to be lit. You especially will want to prioritize work areas like islands, countertops and stove areas. You should think about other areas you want to light up as well, such as adding breakfast bar lighting or showing off interesting architectural features.

The brightness levels of the illumination need to be worked out beforehand as well. Larger kitchens are going to require more light than smaller ones; be sure you are choosing bulbs with the right lumen counts and installing the right number of fixtures to accomplish your brightness goals. 

How To Use Wall Lighting in a Kitchen Area

Kitchen ceiling lights aren’t the only way to illuminate a kitchen. One of the most important lighting design tips that can be given is to incorporate wall sconces into the kitchen as well. 

Wall lighting can enhance the ambience and atmosphere of a kitchen by providing indirect light sources. This type of lighting can be used to accent certain elements of the kitchen, such as architectural features or artwork. 

One of the most popular types of wall lights is up and downlighters. These lights are designed to illuminate the walls above and below them respectively. They wash the wall in light to provide an artistic touch. 

If you have accent walls with unique textures, wall grazing lights are also a good choice. These lights can draw attention to the small details of the textures, making them stand out. 

Intentional placement of wall lights can create a feeling of symmetry and balance as well. Since they don’t have to rest on a countertop, you can get creative with their placement and zone out the kitchen how you like. 

What Are The Benefits of Good Kitchen Lighting?

Quality kitchen lighting can make everything from food prep to cooking a more enjoyable and convenient process. A well-lit task area such as a kitchen may improve your productivity and efficiency. It can also reduce eye strain. 

It is also an important aspect of kitchen safety. Proper lighting gives you plenty of visibility to help you avoid accidents, such as cutting your fingers while chopping ingredients. 

From an aesthetic standpoint, good kitchen lighting can also add a mood and atmosphere to the kitchen. This is a good thing to consider if you are someone who likes to entertain. Similarly, mood and accent lighting can provide a good night light for those midnight visits to the kitchen for a glass of water or snack. 

Quality kitchen lighting also extends to the types of bulbs you use. Choosing LED bulbs over halogen bulbs creates energy efficient kitchen lighting, which can save you plenty of money and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time.

Kitchen Lighting Safety Advice

Installing kitchen lights requires a measure of care and caution. Since you are working with electricity, there is always a risk that you are taking if you install them yourself. 

Because of this, it is recommended that you hire a qualified electrician to handle the installation for you. They will know the proper procedures and ensure the lights are up to code as well. 

If you insist on taking a DIY approach, there are a few precautions to take: 

  • USE THE RIGHT WIRING – Be sure that both the fixtures and the wires you use are in compliance with British Standards and safety regulations. Get familiar with the IET Wiring Regulations (BS 7671) before beginning.
  • CHOOSE WATERPROOF FIXTURES – Since kitchens are sources of water in the home, you will want to be sure you use fixtures that can manage damp or wet environments. IP65 rated lights or higher around sink areas are heavily advised.
  • RCDs – You should consider having residual current devices, or RCDs, to protect against faulty electric currents. These scan for any electrical imbalances in the currents and will shut the supply off automatically if a fault is detected. 

How To Get Task Lighting Right for Food Preparation

Task lighting in the kitchen comes in many different forms. From pendant lights over island areas to kitchen downlighting over countertops, task lighting can be installed anywhere that work must be done. 

When it comes to food preparation, task lighting is especially crucial. You need to be able to clearly see the ingredients you are chopping to prevent any accidents. Good island pendant lights can also help you more clearly read recipes while you work. 

To ensure the best possible lighting for food prep, you should take into account the brightness of the lights as well as their colour temperatures. In order to provide clear visibility, it is often recommended that you use cool white or daylight temperatures. These range between 5000k and 6500k. 

It is also recommended that you make it bright enough to see without causing glare. A glare can decrease visibility and increase the risk of injury. By the same token, avoid casting shadows in your cooking area.

If you install directional lighting, you can adjust precisely where the lights are pointed as you move around the countertops while preparing food. You can do this by installing track lighting with moveable heads.

Kitchen light fittings can be used to improve the overall visibility in the room, but they can also be used to add convenience to the room. Kitchen under cabinet lighting is one such example of this. 

Under cabinet lighting is illumination that is installed below wall cabinets. It provides light for working on the countertops, which brings with it many benefits. 

  • SPACE-SAVING – Having lights under cabinets will save you from cluttering up your countertops with table lamps. This is especially beneficial in smaller kitchens where saving precious countertop real estate is crucial.
  • INCREASES VISIBILITY – Like any other light, under cabinet lighting can improve the visibility and functionality of the kitchen itself. This type of lighting not only provides better visibility but can also contribute to accent lighting and overall mood in the kitchen.
  • BOOSTS HOME VALUE – Potential homebuyers usually put a lot of stock into the lighting of a home they are interested in. Good lighting in a kitchen that takes into account every area is going to attract buyers who care about that sort of thing if you should sell your home. It will add value to your home and help you get the most money out of your sale.

Kitchen lighting trends change throughout the years, providing you with fresh, new ways to spice up your kitchen. Below, you’ll find some of the latest lighting trends to consider when planning your kitchen lighting scheme. 

  • BLACK FINISHES – Black-finished lights are growing in popularity for contemporary homes. This is due to this sleek and subtle colour that works well with any decor. If your kitchen is already brimming with colour, a black finish on your kitchen pendant lighting fixtures can ground the colours and provide a nice contrast.
  • ROWS OF PENDANT LIGHTS – Hanging multiple pendant lights along islands and breakfast nooks is a trend that never seems to go out of style. Installing them in groups of three or other odd numbers will create a sleek, balanced look.
  • STATEMENT LIGHTS – For those who want to make their kitchens more memorable, statement lighting is the way to go. Choose a bold pendant light that immediately catches the attention in order to make it into a focal point.
  • NATURAL MATERIALS – While metallics have been popular for some time, trends are shifting towards natural materials for lights these days. Bamboo, rattan and cloth shades are in, providing an earthy and homey look to your kitchen.
  • A MIX OF FINISHES – If you’re a maximalist who likes as many colours and textures as possible, then you can jump on the trend of mixing and matching materials, finishes and textures. This gives you plenty of room to be creative and take the artistic direction of your lighting scheme into your own hands.

Layering lights is a process that involves adding multiple light sources to a single room. These sources come in three forms: ambient, task and accent lighting. Layered lighting in kitchens makes it well lit for both food prep and entertaining:

Task Lighting: 

Kitchens are a place where tasks are at the forefront, such as cooking, meal prep and cleaning. This means you will need to put emphasis on these areas to ensure you can comfortably work here. 

Kitchen island lighting comes into play here. Island light fixtures provide clear visibility for prepping your meals and create a central focal point as well. Over island lighting comes in many forms, such as spotlights and hanging lights for kitchen areas.

Accent Lighting:

Once the task-heavy areas have been figured out, you can then start to think about other elements of lighting. If you want to give your kitchen a moody feeling, then accent lighting is where you want to turn to next. 

Accent lighting can be installed around any coves or other interesting architectural elements in the kitchen. This will draw attention to them while also creating a soft glow. Accent lights can be added to any area you want to highlight. 

To accomplish this, you can use wall lights, kitchen spotlights and kitchen plinth lighting. 

Ambient Lighting:

The main layer of illumination, ambient light provides the general light in the room. This is usually accomplished by way of kitchen ceiling light fixtures.

Kitchen kickboard lighting refers to the lights around the base of cabinets and islands. Plinth lights fit in that small area between the furnishings and the floor, earning its name. Oftentimes, they are also used to border kitchen islands, giving the area a nice atmospheric glow at night. 

Installing these lights can be done fairly easily, as detailed in the steps below:

  1. Ensure you have the right tools for the job. This includes a workbench, a tape measure, a drill and a trap for sawdust. Gather all of these tools nearby so that you have them at the ready when the time comes.
  1. Mark the area for the lights. Take the tape measure and evenly space out the placements of the plinth lights. Do this using a pencil, so you know exactly where you should install them. Take a step back and look at the placement from a distance, making any tweaks and changes you want to make before committing to the placement.
  1. Drill the holes. Take care to use the right size drill bit for the job. You want to be sure that the lights are going to fit into the holes perfectly to prevent them from falling out.
  1. Install the wiring. With the holes drilled, you can begin to attach the lights. Connect the wires to the lights and begin to weave them in one at a time. It is possible you may need extra wire to attach the ends of the wires to the closest electric connection.
  1. Test the lights. Turn the power on, take a step back and ensure the lights are working. If there are any adjustments you want to make, do so then. 
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