Standard Lighting Types
Good kitchen lighting is essential for any home. It not only provides illumination but also sets the mood and creates a welcoming atmosphere. In this article, we’ll discuss the different types of kitchen lighting and their benefits.
Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting is the primary source of light in your kitchen. It’s the light that fills the room and provides a comfortable level of brightness for everyday tasks. This type of lighting is best achieved with overhead fixtures such as chandeliers, pendant lights, or recessed lighting. These fixtures should be evenly spaced to ensure proper coverage of the entire kitchen.
- Chandelier
- Ceiling or wall-mounted fixtures
- Track lighting
- Traditional recessed fixtures
- LED downlights
- Floor and table lamps
Accent Lighting
Often, accent lights are utilized for decorative purposes and to add a personal touch to the interior. They are also used to control room appearance in order to draw visitors’ attention where you intend to put it.So as to draw watchers’ attention to certain points of interest, including artwork or architectural features, accent lamps are typically purposeful as well as decorative. They may also function as a crucial source of illumination, depending on where they are placed.
- Under-cabinet lighting
- Sconces
- Picture lights
- Track lights
- Outdoor lighting
Task Lighting
Task lighting can be used in conjunction with activities such as cooking or reading. It should be focused and bright, and the best way to do this is by using under-cabinet lighting, track lighting, or pendant lights. The fixtures should be placed strategically to flood a space with helpful light where it’s needed the most.
- Pendant Lighting
- Under-cabinet lighting
- Portable or desk lamp
- Recessed fixture
Natural Lighting
Natural lighting is the most inexpensive, environmentally friendly way to light up your kitchen. It provides a warm and invigorating setting, and it’s achieved simply by maximizing the volume of natural light that enters your kitchen. This can be achieved by installing bigger windows, skylights, or even a window frame.
5 Kitchen Lighting Options
The kitchen is one of the most challenging rooms to properly light. Because of the cabinets and appliances, it s hard to find a one-size-fits-all light that will provide all the necessary lighting so you can prepare, clean and showcase your kitchen. If you’re working on a kitchen renovation, it s also important to know which types of lighting to include. Here are the typical types.
1. Kitchen Island Lighting
Whether you are setting up your kitchen or adding it to another room, this type of pendant hangs over the kitchen island hanging directly there from an overhead fixture. Often grouped in a set of two or three, island pendants and chandeliers provide direct task lighting for the kitchen’s most important preparation area. They are supposed to hang from the ceiling and can be set on dimmers for higher versatility.
2. Pendants
A pendant light is a fixture hanging from a rod or chain and suspended from the ceiling. They are also a type of surface light, but are intended to be a source of visual light and are not intended to provide ambient general lighting. Pendant lights are a cross between surface light and task light. They provide both task and general lighting for the surface of a counter, kitchen island, or sink.
3. Cabinet Lighting
Cabinet lights can be used as both a task and accent light. This sort of lighting is increasingly popular in kitchens. Under-cabinet lighting features lights that are focused on counters, sinks, and prep areas, whereas in-cabinet lights are found in cupboards to better illuminate your time looking for dishes and pots and pans or feature art over cabinets.
4. Recessed Lighting
Hidden lights are installed directly into a ceiling, wall, or other surfaces. The majority of the light fixture is concealed within the wall or ceiling. These lights are unobtrusive and keep a sense of openness in the kitchen. Recessed lighting necessitates sufficient area above the ceiling for the housing and wiring to be installed. Ceiling joists limit the locations where recessed lighting can be installed.
5. Surface Lighting
Surface lights are standard fixtures intended to provide ambient light. Sometimes they are a single bulb or mushroom-shaped fixture with a single or sometimes many fluorescent tubes. These are mounted directly to the ceiling and are capable of illuminating an entire area.