Kitchen Lighting Isn’t Just For Cooking Anymore!

When remodeling a kitchen, lighting is often the most over looked and the first thing scaled back or cut out completely in order to stay within budget.  However, in order to have a fully functional kitchen it must also be a well-lit kitchen. 

The biggest mistake most homeowners make when lighting their kitchen is trying to provide light to every corner of the room, with only one ceiling-mounted fixture, which usually creates glare.  In addition, by using recessed lighting and under the cabinet lighting, you do light nearly every corner of the room—the problem is that you also end up with shadows in places where you need light.  The solution is to plan carefully the layout of your lightning. 

In order to have a well-lit kitchen it is necessary to have a layer of the following four different types of light listed below:

•       Task Lighting:  
  This is lighting that is placed over work areas to provide lighting for tasks such as like chopping vegetables and reading recipes.  The optimum placement should be between the individuals head and the surface of the work area.  This is why under the cabinet lighting is so effective.  If a kitchen has a pantry, make sure this area is also well lit. 
  
  

•       Ambient Lighting:  
  This is lighting that creates a warm glow throughout the room, can easily and inexpensively be achieved if cabinets do not go all the way to the ceiling.  If the cabinets do not go all the way to the ceiling, then you can place rope lighting or even Christmas lights on top of your cabinets to provide ambient light. 
  
  

•       Accent Lighting:  
  This type of lighting provides both depth and dimension to a kitchen.  Accent lighting would include lighting that illuminates china inside glass-front cabinets, adjustable low-voltage fixtures that illuminate art, and lighted wall sconces.        
  
  

•       Decorative Lighting:  
  This type of lighting is lighting that adds decorative touches to the kitchen, such as the light over the kitchen table. 

Having the ability to adjust the lighting in the kitchen is especially ideal.  You need bright light when you are cooking or cleaning up, but when you are simply enjoying your meal and conversing, dimmer lights are often better.  Therefore, consider installing separate dimmer switches.