Kitchen Lighting

I want new lighting for my kitchen – where do I start?

Kitchen lighting is as important as the lighting in your lounge or bedroom. It helps with mood and comfort in the kitchen – but there are also practical considerations. While you may eat at a dining table in the kitchen, for the most part you’ll be working – preparing meals, washing up, maybe even a spot of laundry. Kitchen lighting that’s effective in helping you work is key to making your time in the kitchen more enjoyable.

To get the right lighting, plan effectively. Think about how you use your kitchen.

•    Which areas are you likely to be using most?
•    Think about your kitchen dimensions – how tall is your ceiling?
•    How much space is there between the cabinets and the ceiling?
•    Where are your doors positioned?
•    Is there space for lighting on your worktops?

Having an understanding of how these issues relate to your kitchen will help you work out what lighting you need and where it will go.

What kind of lighting suits big and small kitchens?

If your kitchen is small, it won’t necessarily need multiple lighting points. Usually a good set of recessed lights or a large centre light will do, as they provide good illumination across the entire kitchen space. You could also look at task lighting under cabinets for the areas on worktops you spend most of your time cutting and chopping.

For bigger kitchens, one light source usually won’t be sufficient. Consider a blend of general lighting, specific lighting for worktops and spaces, and lighting to accent stylish parts of the kitchen.

How should I light different parts of my kitchen?

How is your kitchen laid out? Let’s assume you have space for some or all of the following:

•    Kitchen dining tables: installing a pendant light over the kitchen table is always a good option. Often the kitchen table is used for homework and other tasks, as well as meals, so it needs to be well lit. Go for a stainless steel light that will match lots of kitchen accessories, like our FOTO pendant lamp.

Consider a dimmer-controlled light – that way you can decrease the light for meals and entertaining, or boost it for non-food use.

•    Breakfast bar: it’s a good idea to blend light sources for breakfast bars. Small pendant lights with low wattage bulbs work well with other light sources, including the natural morning light that comes through your kitchen window, and provide a soft, calming illumination.

•    Internal cabinet lighting: if you have glass cabinets in your kitchen, consider internal lighting. With the flick of a switch stealthily located underneath the cabinet you can show off your best china, or just add an extra sense of ambience to the kitchen.

•    Sink or oven range lighting: in addition to your general lighting, recessed downlights really help to get an even spread of illumination. They’re particularly useful over the oven range and sink for preparing food, cooking and washing up after dinner.

•    Under cabinet lighting: light up a counter top or workspace with strategically placed, slim countertop lights. You can choose between halogen, fluorescent, or regular bulbs to suit your kitchen.

•    Drawer lighting: using a sensor light, the drawer will light up for 15 seconds when you open it and go out 5 seconds after you close it – ideal for finding that spoon for a midnight ice cream treat! Check out our battery-operated DIODER drawer lighting.

Are dimmer lights recommended for kitchens?

Dimmers provide excellent control over lighting systems in the kitchen. They can help set the mood, illuminate key areas of the room and generally enhance the overall workspace.

Plus, dimmers can reduce energy use in the kitchen – if you decrease the light by 15% you increase energy savings by 15%. Simple really.
Dimmers also help manage the lifecycle of the lamp, meaning those annoying times when the bulb blows and you don’t have a spare will happen less often.

Integrated dimmer systems give you the most control and variety of control. You can select preset lighting, alter lighting from the wall or even via wireless control. Of course, the classic slide dimmers or twist dimmers also give you greater lighting control over your kitchen space.