Simple Tips for Lighting your Kitchen

Lighting your kitchen is so important to get right as, for most of us, the kitchen is the heart of our home, and, arguably the most used space in our home. Your kitchen island or table is where you sit to read the paper with your morning coffee or to do homework with the kids of an evening, your kitchen bench is used as a prep space to prepare meals, your kitchen cupboards are where you sneak out to in the middle of the night, and because of all that, your kitchen is that general space where you come together. 

Kitchen lighting needs to be appropriate to complete a whole range of tasks, and at the same time, welcome people into the space in which you spend so much of your time. As such, kitchens benefit most from a combination of task, accent and ambient lighting to produce layers of light that meet needs, look great, and give us that feeling of wanting to be in the space.

Lighting your Kitchen with Task Lighting

Task lighting in your kitchen should be used to illuminate the important tasks you complete there. This might include benches used for meal prep or the area above your stovetop, that would benefit from good task lighting such as under cabinet strip lighting, or rangehood lighting, or even track lighting that can be directed toward specific work areas in your kitchen.

Lighting your Kitchen with Accent Lighting

Accent lighting in your kitchen, like other spaces of your home, is generally used to highlight features. In your kitchen, this might include the use of track lights, uplights or wall sconces that highlight detailing in your kitchen. Strip lighting placed under benches or in glass cabinets, for instance, can also be a great source of accent lighting.

Lighting your Kitchen with Ambient Lighting

Ambient lighting in your kitchen, on the other hand, is like the backdrop to your space providing a general level of light to create the feeling of welcome and warmth in the space, as well as lighting the space for general use. Downlights, for instance, are a great way of lighting your kitchen when it is not being used specifically to complete a task.

Another great way to ensure the right ambience in your kitchen is through pendant lighting. This is most commonly seen over a kitchen island or bench where it becomes a design feature of your kitchen as well as a source of ambient light. Its also the source of lighting where you can allow yourself the most expression to make a statement in your kitchen!

Simple Tips for Lighting your Kitchen

1. Make sure to have all your work spaces well lit with appropriate task lighting.
2. Ensure your kitchen has ample lighting for general use.
   
3. Don’t forget your kitchen is where you spend the most time, so ensure your lighting helps to invite you into a space and make you want to stay there.  Your kitchen is a great space to make a statement with lighting!
   
4. If opting for pendant lights over your kitchen island or bench, some great options include glass pendants or slimline profiles that will not inhibit your view or take away from your capacity to interact with people in your kitchen space or beyond.

Rovert Lighting & Electrical have a wide range of kitchen lighting ideas to help you tick all the boxes when it comes to kitchen lighting. Call in and see our large display, or give us a call to have a chat about tips for getting your kitchen lighting right, and how to apply these to suit your needs.