Everything You Need To Know About Kitchen Lighting

A couple of decades ago, kitchen lighting was nothing but a fluorescent light. If the kitchen was too large, it had a couple of them. The bulb was too bright when it came to a snack in the middle of the night, but also too dim when it came to reading. However, it did work. Today, this workable status is irrelevant. Kitchens are no longer used to cook and eat only, but also to read the morning press, work on the laptop or perhaps welcome some friends. With these ideas in mind, it does pay off to rely on a wide plethora of lighting solutions, only to create the perfect environment for your everyday activities. It sounds luxurious, but the truth is that you can come up with successful kitchen lighting without having to spend a fortune or face any challenges.

Task lighting and its benefits

Task lighting is ideal to focus on particular areas or activities. You want to benefit from the best light in the targeted environment, without any unwanted shadows. Task lighting is directly proportional with the type of activities you conduct. You do not want to cover the kitchen in all kinds of bulbs though, so you have to focus on the work surfaces. Under cupboard lighting is excellent for this idea. LED lights might be pretty handy because they do not require too much room either. Besides, they allow light adjustments, so you can set them to provide as much or as little light as you need.

Considering the island

The island requires special lighting. Whether it is located in the middle of the kitchen or in a less common place, it represents one of the places with the highest exposure. The island is very useful when cooking, but also when reading. Its central part must be thoroughly lighted. Most specialists recommend down lights, yet small and decorative pendants can be just as handy. It is imperative for the lights to match the entire decor of the room though. While the island does represent a special place in your kitchen, it still needs to follow and respect the theme for a whole unitary image.

Dealing with tall ceilings

Places with tall ceilings are great because they offer more cubic volume and storage capabilities. However, a tall ceiling also underlines a visually large environment. Lowering its scale is imperative or the entire kitchen will always look empty. In order to connect flooring and the ceiling, stick to low hanging pendants, especially for the island. You can successfully delineate the environment in an open kitchen with this change though, especially if the rest of the place has different types of lighting fixtures. At the same time, it might be a wise idea to use the top surfaces of the cabinets for up lights. This idea reduces the necessity of general lighting as well.

In the end, kitchen lighting can be very tricky. However, a little education and a few tips can work wonders on the final effect.