The Importance of Good Kitchen Lighting

With the kitchen being one of the most traveled rooms in many homes, good kitchen lighting is important to its overall design and feeling.

The practice of implementing good lighting design is a popular and cost effective project that many homeowners choose to undertake in order to give their kitchens an extra personal touch and have it stand out from others.

There are several places, many of which some don’t ever consider, to add lighting. Did you ever think about kitchen cabinet lighting or kitchen lighting over the sink? These are just two places where extra lighting to go in order to accent your appliances and other kitchen fixtures.

Through the right design decisions, you can improve your kitchen’s look and create a positive ambiance that you, your family and guests will greatly appreciate.

In order to do that, however, it’s important to know what the different types of kitchen lighting are and how they are typically implemented into the design of a kitchen.

The four types of lighting to consider before beginning a kitchen remodeling project are task lighting, ambient lighting, decorative lighting and accent lighting. Each of these types of lighting serves a different purpose than the others, so getting acquainted with each one would be to your advantage while you’re in the planning stages of your project.

Ambient lighting is often the most prevalent type of lighting. Its low intensity creates a soft glow that makes it safe to work in most areas of the kitchen. Many people associate ambient lighting with setting the mood in a room not just in kitchens, but in places like restaurants and bars as well. The right amount of ambient light can make a room welcoming and homely.

Task lighting is a type of kitchen lighting that provides a more high intensity glow. It’s because of this that task lighting is often limited to places like the sink and cabinets, where being able to see is important. To get the most use out of this type of lighting, look into putting it not only over your sink, but over type other heavy-use kitchen items like cutting boards and stoves as well.

Accent lighting is designed to show things off. If you have an expensive new refrigerator or another item in your kitchen such as rare dishware that you want people to notice, then this is the type of lighting to use for that. It doesn’t make the working areas of your kitchen more functional places, but its aesthetic value has made it popular with homeowners performing kitchen renovations nonetheless.

Lastly, there is decorative lighting. This type of kitchen lighting allows you to make the space truly your own. Whatever the design of the lights, it’s important to remember the old adage of “less is more” with decorative lighting. Overdoing it with decorative lighting can make for a gaudy and flashy appearance whereas a minimalist approach can bring an understated refinement to the room.