Lighting by Room: Kitchen Lighting

The kitchen is probably the most used space in your home. It is usually utilized for entertaining, food preparation, cooking, and everyday activities. The best lighting design should fit the needs for all of these tasks both functionally and aesthetically.

General lighting is a good technique to start with in your kitchen space. It will provide the most light for the kitchen, overall. Task Lighting is just as important in the kitchen space because it helps centralize the amount of light directly on a specific task area. Everyday activities that need illumination usually occur at the sink, counters, and stove.

Floor uplights are a new trend to add drama to the room.

A good rule of thumb when installing or placing lighting fixtures such as recessed down lights and pendants: the fixture should be placed in front of a person, not behind or overhead. This helps prevents shadows and helps create efficiency of your fixture.



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Recessed Down Lights

• both serve as a general and task lighting technique
  
• these lighting fixtures are a basic step to illuminating your kitchen needs
  
• good placement should take place over the sink area, islands and countertops
  
• it is also a great source for illuminating traffic areas

Under cabinet lighting (smaller track lighting/down lights)

• good for where everyday tasks take place
  
• helps generate a light source that is hidden underneath the cabinetry in your kitchen
  
• these also help create inconspicuous illumination that doesn't distract from your kitchen features
  
• use under-cabinet lighting in moderation, too many light fixtures will not only create discomfort, but will change the ambience in the kitchen
  
• Kitchens that have over powering architectural features can benefit from under-cabinet lighting
  
• Some of the new trends for under-cabinet lighting are illuminated with an LED light source

Chandeliers

• can be a great lighting fixture that helps provide general lighting
  
• choosing a type of chandelier should fit into your kitchen theme
  
• an overpowering chandelier in design and style might not go well with a contemporary themed kitchen. Keep them simple, but complimentary to your kitchen
  
• try placing these lighting fixtures over a centralized island or in the middle of your kitchen; if you have that option it will create a conversational piece

Pendants or Mini-Pendants

• the new trend with this particular lighting fixture is that they are replacing the typical recessed fixture that are usually placed over bar counter tops, island counters and tables
  
• whether they are fixed, opposite or on movable/adjustable tracks they help stylize your kitchen space while providing illumination over task areas