The kitchen is the heart of any home, the social hub, the congregational command centre of the house! In short, whether large or small, modern or vintage, the truth of the matter is well designed kitchens sell homes! Whether it is an island or wall attached bench style kitchen. And it’s always a good idea to invest a little bit of money in the kitchen pendant lighting to updated lights since it increases the overall value of your home and is an excellent return on investment.
One of the critical things to consider when it comes to planning or updating the design of your kitchen lighting is to look into all option available. Downlights, uplights, wall sconces, hanging pendants, LEDs there are so many choices to consider when picking the right option.
There is no denying that the main activity in a kitchen is food preparation. Therefore task lighting is extremely important. However, from a design standpoint, kitchens do sell homes, so decorative task lighting that adds to the character or ambience is also equally significant.
The way to incorporate both functional and ambient lighting is to layer with illumination. There are three main types of lighting – task, ambient and accent.
Task lighting
Task lighting is, in other words, food prep lighting. This lighting is primarily focused on the task at hand. It could mean a set of focused spotlight / pendants on top of the kitchen island bench, for example to used primarily for food preparation and other work purposes. Think about adding lights under the top cabinets to illuminate the bench top to help focus on cooking.
Ambient lighting
Ambient lighting is the standard background lighting that you would expect in every room. Boring yes, insignificant no! Ambient lighting forms the base and will help you navigate the entire kitchen. Downlights, uplights and sometimes even wall sconces form a significant quotient of ambient lighting. Think about adding recessed LED downlights to save energy, cut costs and maximise space. The colour of the LED can also have an impact on the area. Neutral, cool or warm LED lights create a cosy, environment. Also, take a moment to think about low CRI and high CRI when choosing LEDs. CRI is the Colour Rendering Index, which has an impact on how the room appears. Low CRI can render the room dull and with a greenish hue whereas in rooms with high CRI, LEDs appear brighter and crisper and also have a positive effect on the colour of food and our mood.
Accent lighting
Accent lighting, in other words, is decorative lighting options that elevate a stock standard kitchen from looking functional to boutique! Accent lighting can be in the form of an eye-catching light fixture or a trio of unique glass pendants that add texture and interest hung over the countertop.
When choosing accent lights, here are a few things that you should consider.
– Think outside the box when it comes to design – Think about your kitchen design and the overall design and décor of you home – mid-century, vintage, industrial, Scandinavian, Nordic, modern, coastal, farmhouse, contemporary design chandelier styles.
– Look for pendants that pop – different textures, materials, colours – wood, cement, ceramic, metal and glass.
– Function and form – Translucent pendants that glow without emitting harsh lights can create a cosy and inviting environment.
– Different shapes – add interest to the room, so look for something unique!
– Install dimmers – Install dimmer switches for all your accent lights and also ensure separate light switches for every light so that you can control each layer individually. This will help you set different lighting moods depending on the occasion.
Lighting mistakes to avoid in the kitchen
- Clustering downlights in a small space can cast a harsh shadow, so space them out evenly.
- To avoid over-spending on lighting, choose pendants wisely that creates mood, enhances ambient lighting and also provides very effective task lighting.
- Don’t skimp on task lighting under the cabinets – LED strips can be quite useful and cost-effective.
- Decorative lighting is as important as the task and ambient lighting. If you are looking at selling your home, a wow factor will work in your favour!
- Don’t copy a show home – the lighting that is aesthetically pleasing in a show home, may not work in yours. Take note of your surroundings and space, type and colour of cabinetry and bench top, the type and colour of splashback, placement of windows and doors and amount of natural light when choosing lighting for your kitchen.
- Rather than having just one light source in the room, the trick is to balance good design and lighting quality and layer the three different types of lights to create a functional, versatile and beautiful interior space.
Layering with lights in the right balance and scale can turn an ordinary kitchen into an extraordinary space.