Start with Kitchen Lighting Plans

Making kitchen lighting plans can be quite a challenge. Since the appearance of your kitchen more or less depends on the way it is illuminated, you would need to take several factors into consideration. These are: your ceiling height, the amount of natural light coming in, the color and finish of various surfaces in the kitchen, etc. Let us look at each of these variables in turn to get an idea about the kind of kitchen lighting plan you need to make:

The color:

Kitchens that have an almost all-white color scheme would need only half the lighting that darker kitchens would. Thus, if you have a kitchen that has a lot of dark cabinets or walls, you will have to plan the lighting accordingly.

Focus on Finish:

Take a look at glossy surfaces in your kitchen; if your countertop reflects light like a mirror, under cabinet lighting will show up as a reflection. Another aspect of this is the texture of your kitchen design. If you have a special finish, you will want to accent it with the appropriate lighting fixtures, so take this into account. Fixtures that are too high up or far off will tend to take the attention away from a special finish. While this could be a clever idea if you want to divert attention from, say, a blank piece of drywall, you will have to think differently to focus attention on a finish.

The mood factor:

Most kitchens are built in such a way that guests and family spend as much time in it as they do in their living rooms. Thus the ambient lighting here must be perfect to create that cozy look so that people find it welcoming. Get light bulbs that produce cool color that is not harsh on the skin.

Regulations:

Check to see whether there are any lighting regulations in your area which specifies placement of switches, type and amount of lighting, etc. There are plenty of lighting fixtures that come with dimmers so that you can control the lighting intensity.

How much natural light?

A lot of kitchens allow natural light during the day time. At night when it gets dark, unless you have exterior lighting, your kitchen will share its lighting with the exterior.

Apart from the above, take sloped ceilings into special account. Recessed lighting in these ceilings must be placed in such a way that they do not glare into the eyes. In your kitchen lighting plan, make sure that the light switches are located on the unhinged side of the door for easy access.

For new kitchens, the kitchen layout is critical to the lighting plan. After this plan is chalked out, you can use the same coloring all over, ensuring that your floor, countertops, and cabinets have sufficient intensity of light.

Kitchen Lighting Plans 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 Lighting Fixtures
Kitchen Lighting Ideas
Kitchen Island Lighting
Kitchen Lighting Layout
Kitchen Pendant Lighting
Kitchen Sink Lighting
Kitchen Track Lighting
Kitchen Undercabinet Lighting
Recessed Kitchen Lighting