Kitchen Lighting | Choice | Advice | Design Ideas | Value

Lighting in the kitchen has become more important in UK homes because the use of the space has changed so dramatically within a couple of generations. The kitchen is no longer a place where the family meals are prepared. The space is often larger, incorporates casual dining areas and may also feature a few easy chairs and a television. Kitchen counters are deeper forming breakfast bars, workstations or islands are built into the centre of room and a smart shiny appliance sits on the counter ready to serve espresso coffee to the family and friends.

You have just had a new kitchen installed, new appliances, beautiful worktops, attractive cabinets, eye-catching wall tiles, expensive floor tiles with under floor heating… Yet you still feel something is missing…

We have many customers who come to us AFTER the kitchen has been built complaining how they cannot see properly whilst preparing food because their existing lighting is insufficient or, more commonly, it’s causing shadows. So many people overlook one of the most important part of a kitchen design – the KITCHEN LIGHTING!

There are three main types of lighting you should consider for your kitchen and a combination of lighting is both useful and beautiful for different reasons – the best way to show off a room like your kitchen is to use multiple types of light fittings. Try not to limit it to just one!

This is general lighting which should be used for your whole kitchen area. You may wish to use a single pendant (or a group of say three) over your kitchen breakfast bar or table to create an ambient lighting mood. Not only will the lights be practical but there are many stunning designs which can bring together the whole design of your kitchen.

Task lighting is more focused lighting. You will want to use task lighting over your sink, cooker or other food preparation areas so that you can see what you are doing. You may want to consider downlights, track lighting, under cabinet lighting.

Accent lighting is used to highlight features of your kitchen - cabinets, cooker alcoves, or art work for example. Down lights or wall lights can be used plus there are many different shelf lights which can add a real wow factor to your kitchen.

Use under cabinet lighting, kitchen island lighting, pendant lighting, side by side other types of contemporary kitchen lighting. You may be surprised at how much you can change the look and feel of your kitchen by simply changing the type of kitchen lighting that you use!

Whether you’ve spent the money on a brand new kitchen with new units and appliances or simply updated an existing kitchen isn’t it worth investing in new lighting to show it off?