Let in the Light: Transform Your Kitchen with the Perfect Lighting
It’s amazing how light can transform how our spaces look and feel. The many ways we use our kitchens—preparing food, doing work or crafts, congregating with friends and family, and celebrating moments big and small—all have different moods, energy levels, and productivity requirements. The lighting in your kitchen can be designed to be controllable and variable to support all the ways you live there.
Well-lit spaces don’t depend on a single fixture or a single type of illumination, so let’s look at how ambient, accent, and task lighting provide lighting options for all the ways your kitchen functions. At a minimum, you’ll want to plan for adequate ambient and task lighting.
Ambient (or general) lights are typically the fixtures installed in the ceiling but can also be wall sconces or hanging fixtures. For kitchens, this layer provides all-over general light. Ambient fixtures can be decorative or utilitarian flush or semi-flush mount (meaning dropped down from the ceiling a bit), track lights with adjustable heads, or recessed lights. Dimmers are great additions for ambient light control, and using the dimming function makes a big difference in how a space feels.
Under cabinet fixtures do a terrific job providing task lighting in the kitchen. They wash the counters in light to help you see what you’re doing, and they beautifully illuminate decorative choices like your backsplash, counters, and accessories. They can also light the kitchen without the overhead lights when the space is not in use, or when you want a low-key vibe. Good lighting over the sink and cooktop (like the lights in a range hood or under a microwave) are other places where task lighting pays off by helping you see your work clearly and easily. Dimmers are also a great idea for these fixtures.
Accent lights highlight decorative features. In a kitchen, these could be fixtures installed inside glass-doored and glass-shelved cabinets to show off special pieces, or they can be a picture light or wall sconce installed over a favorite piece of framed art or large corkboard where invitations, notes, and kids’ art pieces are displayed. It could also be a lamp, which may seem out of place in a kitchen, but can add a big oomph design-wise and provide that lovely warm glow more typically associated with living spaces. They work best if there’s a stretch of counter that’s not close to the sink or the cooktop needs something to liven it up or make it feel more finished (and did you know you can put a grommet in your counter to hide the plug?).
Pendant lights or a hanging fixture over a kitchen table, island, or peninsula can be ambient, task, and/or accent lights. Pendant lights are also a great way to bring in a specific decorative style or feel to your space. Depending on the light they cast, they can light up the room or brighten just a small area. When more light is needed, look for clear glass or open pendants that don’t contain the light. For more drama, consider a fixturewhere the light is more directed and made of a solid material (like metal). With our clients we always want to look at upkeep as well as beauty—glass fixtures will need cleaning, which can be challenging, so we suggest staying away from glass near cooking areas and looking for easier-to-maintain options.
At Kitchen Tune-Up we want to help you make the most of your home. We would love the opportunity to see your kitchen, show you door and hardware samples, explore unique kitchen accessories, and create a plan to update and upgrade your space to meet your needs. Contact us today for a free design appointment and estimate.