Kitchen Lighting Ideas and Inspiration

The right light

Getting the lighting right can literally transform an ordinary kitchen into an extraordinary kitchen. When a space is lit in exactly the right way, when everyone looks and feels relaxed, when the atmosphere is incredibly inviting, when work areas are pinpointed and lit directly and beautifully it creates the most incredible atmosphere. Upgrading your lighting provides your kitchen with an instant face-lift at the fraction of the cost of a major revamp. I am obsessed!

Get your thinking hat on

Think creatively as possible when it comes to lighting the heart of the home as often times kitchen lighting is thought about in the most practical of ways. Maybe that’s because lighting a kitchen can feel complex and somewhat scary but it so doesn’t need to be.

A room for all seasons

The trick is to put your living room hat on and layer it like you would your sitting room. More on that in a bit firstly lets nail the three types of lighting which every kitchen needs. The reason being these multifunctional spaces are the workhorse of all our homes. We dine in them, entertain, relax, and work even. We ask a lot from our kitchens so getting the lighting right is so important.

THE THREE TYPES OF LIGHT

The key to getting it right is to understand the three main types of lighting which are ambient, task and accent. Irrespective of how much natural light you have, in order to create the coolest kitchen on the planet you need to layer up these three main types.

Ambient Lighting

Ambient lighting is general lighting giving you basic illumination and it’s the light that comes from the flick of the main switch. Don’t think of it as coming from one single source like a pendant as recessed lights, wall mounts; chandeliers even floor lights can contribute to ambient light.

Task Lighting

Task lighting is your most practical light. Start with task lighting first and nail where you need it, so target all the main working areas such as worktops, cookers and sinks. Under cupboard spots ensure bright focused task lighting and provide another layer – fundamental in my opinion. Task lighting might be ceiling down lights, under unit lights. Get practical with task lighting as it should be designed to allow you to cook and prep safely and also read a recipe or work.

Accent Lighting

Accent lighting often times known as directional light draws attention to things and highlights different parts of your room, fireplaces, paintings, a beautiful lit bowl on a counter and so forth.

I am obsessed with accent lighting as this takes kitchens to a whole other level guiding the eye and creating points of interest in a room. All surfaces in my kitchen get an accent light.

Enhance your lighting

Layering Lights

The trick as mentioned is to layer lighting like you would your living room. This will bring it to life giving your space versatility, flexibility, creating an individual and interesting room. Don’t be practical when it comes to the style of the fixtures and get creative.

Lighting Outside The Box

I’ve got a beautiful chandelier over my island, table lamps on counters, and decorative lamps on consoles – pieces that I would put in my living room - it’s literally taken it to a whole other level.

Creativity And Flexibility

You can also use all types of fixtures for all types of light. – another big game changer. A floor lamp can give you ambient light, task light and even decorative light – this will give you so much more flexibility and you can get super creative with this.

One more thing no kitchen lighting scheme will look beautiful if it is controlled by one switch – putting your lighting on different circuits is a must! An average kitchen needs three if not four. Anything-open plan needs more because each zone should be treated differently. Do all that and you will have created an atmospheric, personal, unique kitchen that you will never want to leave.

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