For most people the kitchen is the heart of the home and this is borne out by the amount of money typically spent on fitting out a kitchen. The kitchen is also a space that is used extensively both by day and at night so it's especially important to get the lighting right.
The stark fluorescent strip lights that were once a common feature have no place in the world of contemporary kitchen lighting, which offers a wide variety to choose from. Recessed spot lights, tracks, dimmer controlled pendants, wall sconces, low-voltage and of course LED lights in all manner of guises now mean that the problem today is simply narrowing the choice down to a suitable set for your particular kitchen needs.
A noticeable aspect of good kitchen lighting design is the way it operates on different levels to mirror the way that kitchens themselves often serve many purposes. This is typically accomplished by grouping lighting into distinct types (ambient, task and mood) and then blending these groups to achieve different effects.
Incidentally, the term "mood lighting" is used here to cover what are also often called decorative, accent or feature lighting in lighting design parlance. Regardless, the basic principle is to assign a separate circuit to each main group of lighting types so that they may be individually controlled (preferably by dimmer switches) to adjust the balance between them.
Ambient light is at its best when it is also highly unobtrusive. Its function is to provide a soft, overall background glow and let the more interesting lighting fixtures take centre stage. Low-voltage 12v recessed halogen spots (or more commonly these days, LED) are ideal for this purpose.
Sooner or later of course you will want to actually prepare food in your kitchen and this is where task lighting can make or break things. No matter how good your ambient light is, the layout of working areas in a kitchen almost always result in shadows and dark spots. An effective means of providing good task lighting is fitting low voltage, or these days LED, lights below wall units to maximize light on the work surface and prevent unnecessary glare.
Mood lighting is simply a means to create whatever ambience you want for your kitchen. Examples include angled up-lighters hidden above wall units or spot lights to accent particular features or maybe eye-catching pendants dropping over a dining area or setting low-heat low-voltage (LED's are perfect) lights into glass fronted wall cabinets or a plinth even.
LED's for kitchen lighting almost deserve an entire topic unto themselves. They produce almost no heat, cost next to nothing to run, are extremely durable and lightweight, and are incredibly versatile. LED lights can be used for task, ambient and mood lighting and always introduce a contemporary sparkle to any kitchen.
The stark fluorescent strip lights that were once a common feature have no place in the world of contemporary kitchen lighting, which offers a wide variety to choose from. Recessed spot lights, tracks, dimmer controlled pendants, wall sconces, low-voltage and of course LED lights in all manner of guises now mean that the problem today is simply narrowing the choice down to a suitable set for your particular kitchen needs.
A noticeable aspect of good kitchen lighting design is the way it operates on different levels to mirror the way that kitchens themselves often serve many purposes. This is typically accomplished by grouping lighting into distinct types (ambient, task and mood) and then blending these groups to achieve different effects.
Incidentally, the term "mood lighting" is used here to cover what are also often called decorative, accent or feature lighting in lighting design parlance. Regardless, the basic principle is to assign a separate circuit to each main group of lighting types so that they may be individually controlled (preferably by dimmer switches) to adjust the balance between them.
Ambient light is at its best when it is also highly unobtrusive. Its function is to provide a soft, overall background glow and let the more interesting lighting fixtures take centre stage. Low-voltage 12v recessed halogen spots (or more commonly these days, LED) are ideal for this purpose.
Sooner or later of course you will want to actually prepare food in your kitchen and this is where task lighting can make or break things. No matter how good your ambient light is, the layout of working areas in a kitchen almost always result in shadows and dark spots. An effective means of providing good task lighting is fitting low voltage, or these days LED, lights below wall units to maximize light on the work surface and prevent unnecessary glare.
Mood lighting is simply a means to create whatever ambience you want for your kitchen. Examples include angled up-lighters hidden above wall units or spot lights to accent particular features or maybe eye-catching pendants dropping over a dining area or setting low-heat low-voltage (LED's are perfect) lights into glass fronted wall cabinets or a plinth even.
LED's for kitchen lighting almost deserve an entire topic unto themselves. They produce almost no heat, cost next to nothing to run, are extremely durable and lightweight, and are incredibly versatile. LED lights can be used for task, ambient and mood lighting and always introduce a contemporary sparkle to any kitchen.
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If you liked this article then you might also be interested in this further article looking at LED kitchen lighting.
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