Kitchen lighting ideas

Kitchen lighting ideas can be an integral part of a successful design scheme. They are essential for both functional and aesthetic illumination, especially in a room that is increasingly used to entertain and cook.

Lighting can transform your ideas for the kitchen. It can make the room appear larger, highlight key pieces or create a specific ambiance.

The task, mood, and feature lights are usually required in kitchens. Task lighting is practical, covering areas used often, like the kitchen area, prep space, and sink. Mood lighting can create different moods. Feature lighting is more eye-catching.

Layered lighting sets the mood in your kitchen and adds depth and interest. These are some kitchen lighting ideas to add a new dimension to your kitchen.

Kitchen Lighting Ideas

Investing in a lighting design for the kitchen will provide both task lighting and create the perfect atmosphere is essential. You can start your journey with these kitchen lighting ideas.

Mix up Your Fixtures But Keep Them Coherent

Mix and match different fixtures to explore the many trends in kitchen lighting.

“Have fun mixing up shapes and colors, but stick to one theme or tone so that it all looks cohesive visually,” says Tom Howley, Design Director for his kitchen design brand.

In this large kitchen conversion by Richard Felix Ashman, three styles of wall, pendant, and chandelier lighting are used above the counters and island. Most lighting fixtures are black, while two have brass accents. This scheme is a modern take on vintage style.

Feature lighting can add a punch to a neutral scheme

Lighting fixtures can have a huge impact on your kitchen’s design. Their form is often the last piece that ties everything together.

Cathie HONG uses Modern Kitchen Lighting Ideas in this San Francisco apartment. A pair of black and dark-green pendant lights are hung over the island in a white and light-oak kitchen. The lights and the faucet create a striking contrast in their dark color. They add structure to the room and are thoughtful addition.

Consider A Solo Light To Highlight A Focal Point

One designer light placed above an island unit is all needed to combine a scheme, add elegance and highlight a focal point. This is especially true in open-plan spaces.

If you choose a single fitting, the size should match the islands. Mike Fetherston is the design director at Hetherington-Newman. He says that it should not be too big or small. Position either above the bar seating area or centrally if that fits the island’s shape best. The bottom of your pendant should not be above head height. This means that it must be at least 90cm from the surface.

Use Oversized Lighting to Create a Quirky Feature

Don’t be scared to go BIG when planning your kitchen lighting. Feel free to use oversized lighting fixtures to give your kitchen character. Just make sure you place them correctly.

In this kitchen designed by Tiffany Leigh, oversized lampshades are suspended from the ceiling above the island. Their placement maximizes task illumination over the workspace while creating a warm glow in the middle of the room. They are high enough not to interfere with your eyeliner, and their surreal size adds a quirky element.

Use reflective materials to bounce light around the room

It’s essential to balance the two when deciding how much natural and artificial light you need in your kitchen. Reflective surfaces can be used to create a more luminous atmosphere, whether it’s daytime or nighttime. This kitchen, designed by Liz Caan, features metallic brass accents that glow in the sunlight. Glass cabinet doors also reflect light to illuminate the lower parts of the kitchen.

Choose Lights That Line Up With The Kitchen Island

Few modern peninsulas or kitchen islands feel complete without stylish lighting above. It is essential to plan, especially for islands longer than two meters. Planning your lighting by determining what will happen on the island is necessary. It’s better to place lighting above essential areas, such as the breakfast bar and prep area, than to line up pendants in equal-spaced rows.

Ben Hawkswell, the designer at Roundhouse, says: “We aim to be practical but also have some flair.” This six-light pendant has great directional light for highlighting work areas, and its sleek design maximizes sightlines.

Layer Lighting In Tall Kitchens

Consider covering the entire room, not just horizontally, when planning modern lighting for your kitchen. Downlighters can provide general light to the whole kitchen. However, lower lighting is often needed to focus on specific areas.

It’s essential to do this if your kitchen has high ceilings. The downlighters will have a reduced impact, so you may need to add more eye-level lighting. Low-hanging pendants are used to illuminate the food preparation area in this kitchen.

Consider the Rule Of Three

The most successful kitchen schemes combine all three types of lighting: task, mood, and feature.

The brightest task lights target working areas like the preparation surfaces, the cooker, and the sink. While mood lighting is diffused and soft, it creates an ambiance.

Feature lighting can be used to describe the fixture itself, which is a focal point on or off. As in the image above, it could also refer to an exciting element, such as a color-changing system, under-cabinet illumination, or plinth-level lighting which is a nice touch but unnecessary.

Giovanni Corrado, Baroncelli, advises: ‘Always choose more light sources than brighter ones and place decorative and mood lighting in dimmers so they can be easily adjusted.

What if we apply the rule of three to ideas for kitchen lighting? It is better to hang three pendants above a kitchen island than two or four. Odd numbers look better.