KITCHEN LIGHTING BUYERS GUIDE
Light your kitchen and make the most out of both cooking and dining
Lighting a kitchen can be tricky as the kitchen space often very dynamic serving several roles, cooking, dining and relaxing. Our guide aims to show you how to achieve the perfect lighting balance which will transform your kitchen into a warm yet functional space.
Your first step should be to determine how much light is required to illuminate the room, kitchens generally require a bit more light than other rooms in the house, typically you should be aiming for 35 lumen per square foot. Take a look at our lumen calculator here to determine the total volume of lumens your kitchen will require.
Kitchen Task Lighting
Task lighting is probably the most important element of a kitchen lighting scheme, make sure you have adequate light focused on the kitchen workspaces so you can cook and clean comfortably.
Under cabinet lighting is very popular as it provides a bright direct light on workspaces if this is not an option also consider track lighting with adjustable spotlights to focus on specific areas or adjustable down lights.
Once you have adequate task lighting planned you can have fun with feature lighting and ambient lighting and really make your kitchen shine.
Feature Kitchen Lighting
Compliment your kitchen highlights with feature lighting, if you have an island workstation consider a pendant or island light hanging above the the island this can also work with a dining table or breakfast bar if you have a kitchen/diner. Another tip is to consider showing off the contents of your cabinets with in cabinet lighting focused on glassware or cooking utilities.
Ambient Kitchen Lighting
Kitchen are rarely used for just cooking these days, having an ambient lighting option give you more flexibility to relax in your kitchen space. There are plenty of light fittings available designed to provide ambient light in your kitchen here are some of the more common options.
Kitchen Wall Lights
If you have plenty of space on the walls of your kitchen then using wall light fittings are a great option to create a warm ambient light washed against the walls and ceiling.
Kitchen Uplighters
Can be used on a range of features in the kitchen including the cabinets, work surfaces, ceilings and walls. They create excellent spread of indirect light contributing to a relaxing kitchen atmosphere.
LED Kitchen Lighting
LED lighting is incredibly energy efficient as well as providing subtle ambient light, consider using a LED plinth placed several inches of the floor to create a modern relaxed feel. You can also use LED lights on work surfaces and cabinets.
If you are looking for more lighting ideas, make sure you check out our full range of GU10 LED lighting