Kitchen lighting

Lighting your kitchen is not like lighting other rooms in your house. There are different lighting types for different purposes, like under the cabinet lighting. Some areas under the cabinet would need more lighting while others would not. Other areas would need lighting not so much for function but rather esthetics like around the china or glass cabinets for instance.{{more}} Kitchens demand several types of lighting – such as task-lighting (under counter) and ambient lighting-(esthetics) – that you’ll want to incorporate equally in your kitchen design.

When you are cooking, it is extremely important that you can see what you’re doing, so lighting above the stove preferably using a range hood is recommended. These types of lights are designed to take the heat coming directly from the stove/cooktop. If you have cabinets in dark corners, you might even want to consider installing lights inside them so you can see if anything is hiding in the back. We definitely have to look at our electricity bills, so we recommend recessed lighting with the capability of installing energy saving bulbs or pendant lighting as you need in different situations.

Deciding on the lighting for your kitchen means you must consider both the type of fixtures you want and their ideal placement. Lighting variety is limited only by your wants and desires – styles range from contemporary to traditional, in materials that include nickel, bronze, brass and glass. Have a look at our website and look at one of the kitchens there where one of our clients uses lighting so effectively that it may give you ideas for when you are ready to do your project.

To make your choice of lighting easier, ask yourself … …the following questions:

•  Where will your chief task areas be?

•  Where will you be dining?

•  Where are your counters located?

•  How much light do you need or like?

•  Do you want adjustable lighting?

•  Where is the most convenient location for switches?

Your Kitchen designer is best suited to guide you through this process. Working areas should have sufficient light so you can easily see what you’re working on without too much brightness or eye-straining. Ambient lighting should be used in the rest of the room to avoid the spotlight effect. This lighting should be just enough to see, without being so bright that you and your family or guests would not feel uncomfortable.

There are also a number of options to consider in terms of fixtures. Pendant lights are a decorative way to flood your counter in soft pools of light, while track lighting gives you the flexibility to send light exactly where you need it, while providing a sleek contemporary look.

You might have found the perfect light fixture, but don’t forget the bulb! To make the most of your lighting, try using bulbs with different beam spreads for different effects. Remember! Not all kitchens require additional lighting. Some kitchens are very bright and have a lot of windows already. So light your Kitchen accordingly.

Always remember to use energy saving bulbs and at the same time use your light wisely so we all can conserve our energy usage. See you next weekend.

Angelica and Rayan James
Exclusive Kitchens
494 2579 / 532 6756
www.exclusivekitchensvc.com