The modern kitchen is often considered the most important part of a house, especially during festival seasons when guests gather to enjoy light food and drinks at once-a-year dinner parties. Most people spend a significant amount of time in the kitchen compared to any other area of the house. In the past, kitchens were separate, closed-off spaces, but in the 20th century, new builds often feature open-plan kitchens as the centre of attention. This is also true for renovation projects, where the kitchen is the area that homeowners most often aim to rejuvenate. Unfortunately, many homeowners overlook lighting in the kitchen, which plays a vital role in creating a healthy interior space. Lighting is important not only from an interior design point of view but also for overall mental health and healthy living.
Achieving good lighting in the kitchen requires a balance of task, ambient, accent, and decorative lighting. It’s recommended to have four layers of light to achieve good illumination. For starters, an eye-catching pendant light can provide task and decorative layers. The ambient layer can be achieved through a series of LED downlights on the ceiling, and it’s important to install a dimmable wall control for those downlights. You could also opt for downlights with warm-dim functions as well as traditional dimming technology.
The accent light can be achieved by illuminating the interior of display cabinets or overhead cabinets with glass. In the dining area, a wall light can highlight pictures or other wall decorations. In the kitchen, task lighting is the most important. You need to ensure that your food preparation area is well-lit for whatever you need to cook or prepare. A series of task pendant lights would be an excellent choice. If you have an overhanging kitchen cabinet above the kitchen where you have workable space, then installing dimmable LED underneath would be ideal.
Most modern homes nowadays have an island bench in the middle of the kitchen. If the surface of the island bench is glossy, like polished granite or stone benchtops, care must be taken not to install overly bright lights. One way to achieve that is to install decorative pendant lights, which also provide good task lighting. Installing wall dimmable switches also provides plenty of flexibility.
Finally, consider the Kelvin temperature of the light in the kitchen. You only need to turn the lights on whenever it is dark, and you probably would like a warmer temperature than an energetic cool white setting. A good low 3000K is usually recommended for residential or calming environments. As for the Colour Rendering Index (CRI), it’s generally better to have 90 or higher. Click on following link for more information about using linear or long bar style of pendant in your kitchen. Click on the following link for those want to learn more about the four functions and layering in lighting. If you are unsure of anything, consult your interior designer, who should guide you in the right direction.