Where to Focus Light in the Kitchen
Designing a lighting scheme for any room in the home can be a difficult task. This is especially true when designing a lighting scheme for a kitchen space. Picking out the right light fixtures is one thing, but placing them is just as important. In fact, the right light fixtures and placement can make all the difference in any kitchen, no matter what the situation. Here are a few basic tips and tricks on where to focus light in the kitchen.
Determine Your Zones
The best way to ensure you have proper lighting? Take note of where you spend your time when you’re working in the kitchen. If possible, take a week or two and take notes of which areas you use most often. Then, use that information to determine what types of light fixtures you need for the space.
For example, if you spend a good deal of your time at the counters, you may want to incorporate under cabinet lights into your kitchen. These fixtures can help add significant light to the area, allowing you to have better lighting when working on your tasks, such as prep work.
Remember, prepping for a meal isn’t the only work that you do in the kitchen. Be sure to take note of other zones including storage for your food and dishes, cleaning your dishes and so forth; as these need adequate lighting as well.
Pick out Fixtures
Knowing what you need will make it that much easier to find the right light fixtures for your kitchen. Remember, you should never purchase the light fixtures first. Always work to determine what areas need lighting first, that way you know what types of light fixtures you need to buy.
There are a number of fixtures that work great in a kitchen space. For example, hanging pendant lights are perfect for kitchen islands or peninsulas. Under cabinet lights can add both ambient lighting to the kitchen and task lighting for doing prep work at the counters.
Layer Your Clothes, Layer Your Lighting
Finally, remember that a lighting scheme should include layering. In a kitchen especially, as one single light fixture will not provide adequate light for even the tiniest of kitchens. You’ll want to layer your lighting: task lighting, ambient lighting, decorative lighting and accent lighting.
Task lighting is an absolute must. This type of lighting helps you to focus on different kitchen-related tasks: cutting vegetables, cleaning dishes and so forth. Meanwhile, ambient lighting or general lighting, such as an overhead ceiling light, is important for exactly that: having a general source of light for the space when you’re not doing anything in particular.
Decorative lighting could include under cabinet lights, which can double as task lighting when you need it. Meanwhile, accent lighting is added as a way to accentuate the space, such as lights inside cabinetry with glass doors.
Having the right light is extremely important in every room of the home, especially in the kitchen. A few minor adjustments, such as determining zones before purchasing light fixtures and layering lighting, can make all the difference when trying to determine where to focus light in the kitchen. Images 1| 2| 3| 4| 5
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About Kristen Crosby
Kristen is an avid design blogger who loves DIY projects. She gets her inspiration from fashion and music. Connect with Kristen, or find more home decor inspiration from Arcadian Home on Google Plus!
Tags: Ceiling Lights & Questions, contemporary, Lamps, Light Fixtures, Lighting Fixtures, modern, Pendant Lights, traditional, Transitional
