A kitchen’s lighting plan can make or break the room, both in terms of functionality and aesthetic appeal. Since this room is the heart of the family members’ lives, it’s essential to get it just right. Read on to find out about three types of lighting to consider installing when remodeling a kitchen to improve both functionality and fashion.
Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting isn’t always the first thing homeowners consider when they look into a Kitchen Remodel, but it can’t be overlooked. It consists of the basic lighting plan for the room and usually includes ceiling lights. The right ambient lighting plan will provide enough light to allow homeowners and their families to move safely throughout the room without any additional fixtures and will add definition to the kitchen.
Most ambient light comes from the windows during the day. At night or on a rainy day, families need sufficient artificial light. Since the amount of light derived from the sun changes based on the season, the time of day, and the weather, adding dimmer switches to the kitchen’s ceiling lights is also helpful. This lets homeowners adjust light levels as needed to compensate for things like cloudy days without having to waste energy.
One ceiling fixture won’t be enough to light the whole kitchen. Ambient lighting plans also involve adding recessed lighting and, often, hanging fixtures to add decorative appeal. Traditional home designs tend to use chandeliers, while modern homes look better with cluster lights.
Task Lighting
Task lighting is designed to illuminate work spaces like countertops and ovens. That doesn’t mean homeowners need to sacrifice fashion for function, though, since there are plenty of task lights that look great in addition to making it easier to perform basic cooking tasks. At a minimum, task lights should be installed over the stove, sink, countertops, prep area, and cleanup areas. Most families also like to add task lighting in areas where digital devices are frequently used.
Pendant lights, drop-down linear lights, suspension lights, and cable lights all fall into the general category of task lighting even though they sometimes provide more aesthetic benefit than functional advantage. Many of today’s homeowners are also considering track lighting as a contemporary alternative.
Accent Lighting
Accent lights aren’t designed to provide maximum illumination. Instead, their primary purpose is to make the kitchen look better or draw attention to unique architectural features. The right accent lights will add focus to the architectural details or stylish appliances and fixtures that make the kitchen unique.
Deciding where to add accent lighting requires considering the homeowner’s goals. If the goal is to draw attention to fancy new fixtures, add mini track lighting or wall-mounted lights near those fixtures. If the kitchen has unique architectural features or artwork adorning the walls, use accent lighting to highlight those visually interesting pieces instead. Plus, if you were to go with something like this neon japanese LED sign, it could be both functional light and a piece of artwork within the kitchen too. The general idea is to create a unique style and mood in the kitchen but, beyond that, homeowners are free to exercise their creative imaginations.
The Bottom Line
Getting the lighting right in the kitchen is very important. It can also be a challenging task for homeowners who don’t have design experience. The best bet in these cases is to hire a kitchen remodeler who also has a good understanding of lighting design.