Kitchen Lighting Ideas ...Today's Choices

Getting all the right stuff in the wrong places is just as bad as overspending on the wrong effect. Some people prefer to get the advice of a lighting expert at the time of their kitchen planning or remodel. Lighting designers generally begin with looking at the kitchen’s lighting layout the height of the ceiling, how much natural light comes in and the ceiling fixtures you might have since this will help them decide how many fixtures and where to position them.

Kitchen lighting can also be a do-it-yourself job when you have the right information.

Basically, lighting is broadly categorized into ambient, task and decorative lighting. A balanced mix of these will achieve the optimum effect.

Ambient Lighting

The first thing to get started with is ambient lighting that will decide how bright your kitchen will be. Here, size of the kitchen plays an important role since you will have to decide whether you need bright bulbs and extra light fixtures. Large kitchens need more light.

Next comes your storage. You will need to have enough light to see into your cabinets, drawers and shelves. The angle of the light fixture must also be some special given attention.

Take a look at your kitchen color scheme now. If you have white or very light colored walls, combined with light color cabinet finish, you can do with low intensity lighting. If you have dark walls you would need high intensity lights.

When it comes to ambient lighting you also need to factor in the number of doors and windows you have along with skylights so that you can decide just how much artificial light you need. Remember seasonal changes when natural light gets affected so take that into account as well.

Task Lighting

Since kitchens have become multi-purpose rather than just the place where you would cook or eat, task lighting plays a vital role. Many kitchens have a mini workstation installed with a computer where the kids do their homework.

Most families also prefer to have their meals in the kitchen and also entertain guests there. This makes it necessary to have good task lighting focused on all those areas that are high activity. These would be your countertop, kitchen Island, workstation, dining table, and other areas you can identify for your individual needs.

For task lighting mini pendant lights are currently popular. These add style while providing the light you want and are ideal for your countertop, island, etc.

You will need cabinet lights for access into the cabinets. These light fixtures are positioned under the cabinet for the best effect. Kitchen lighting designers recommend dimmer switches so that you can create different moods depending n what you are doing.

Decorative Lighting

It is normal to expect your kitchen to look attractive yet totally comfortable. For this, there are different types of decorative lighting fixtures. Before you go shopping for lighting fixtures, take stock of the style of your kitchen, as in conventional or trendy.

Perhaps you have special areas in your kitchen you want to show off or hide. Then you may want to think about specific style, if any that you have in your kitchen. Based on this, you can choose from decorative kitchen lighting ranging from pendant lighting, chandeliers, colored glass fixtures, fixtures made of stainless steel, wood wrought iron and so on.

Remember to get the right color lighting and intensity as mentioned earlier. You would want to get a consistent look, so do not mix warm and cool lighting. Too many recessed lights cannot give you proper ambient lighting.

One of the most energy saving lighting options is a florescent fixture, which bring down your energy bills and exude very little heat compared to our incandescent bulbs. Some people tend to think that florescent light looks a lot colder than incandescent bulbs, but you will find that the latest florescent lighting also provides a pleasant and warm ambience.

Incandescent bulbs are widely used for their warm light and are available in a range of colors, sizes and wattages to suit different light fixtures. Halogen lights have now become popular and give brilliant light. However, they are on the expensive side and generate a lot of heat.

Florescent lighting is at home with almost all kinds of kitchens for their daylight type of light. For a trendy contemporary kitchen, you might look at chrome fixtures or colored glass types, suspended to provide light in the appropriate areas. Some people like the traditional pendant lamps, wall sconces, milk glass shades and brass fittings with glass.

Modern kitchens use ribbed glass globes that look elegant. Track lights are used with spotlights and floodlights so that you can light precise area of the kitchen. Recessed spotlights are good for ambient and task lighting although they are costly. Rope lighting can give you low budget lighting. For a striking effect, some people install strip lights under cupboards especially if there is a work area below.

Whatever lighting fixtures you choose, make sure you get dimmer switches for each fitting. You can absolutely change the mood of the kitchen with a little light adjustment.

I hope that you can now go ahead and make an informed decision about the right fixtures to choose for your kitchen lighting so that it is a great place in which to work and relax. Get the balance between ambient, task and decorative lighting for maximum effect.

Kitchen Lighting Ideas back to Kitchen Lighting

For information on other kitchen lighting that you can choose from click on any of the links below for more information on that type of lighting.

Energy Efficient Lighting
Fluorescent Kitchen Lighting
Kitchen Cabinet Lighting
Kitchen Island Lighting
Kitchen Lighting Fixture
Kitchen Lighting Layout
Kitchen Lighting Plans
Kitchen Pendant Lighting
Kitchen Sink Lighting
Kitchen Track Lighting
Kitchen Undercabinet Lighting
Recessed Kitchen Lighting