No matter how illuminated your overall house is or how magical the rooms look, you can never ignore proper lighting in your kitchen. As they say “Put a spotlight on the things that matters the most.” And the kitchen is a place where your food is made and if you have a combined setup with a dining table, even more attention should be given. You need proper brightness to ensure that the right ingredients and in proper quantum are taken for each dish. Not only for your culinary experiments but also dishwashing and regular kitchen cleaning requires sufficient lights so that you do not miss a stain.
Normally, we want to shed light on areas that matter the most in our homes. Kitchen, being the central hub of homes, deserves to gain attention, not only to cook tasty foods but also to gather your friends and family over your dining space.
Nowadays, many companies offer lighting fixtures for the entire house, but before choosing those, you should check whether all the necessary fixtures for the kitchen are added as often only the basic fixtures are offered.
Four Light Fixtures for Your Kitchen
There are several types of rustic, fancy, adjustable and fixed lights available in the market. Instead of going for the pricey and fancy ones that are too tough to maintain in the greasy and smoky ambience, you need to go for the ones that look elegant and have superior functionality. Let’s learn about the jaw dropping kitchen light fixtures that will elevate your kitchen style:
01. Get Hanging Kitchen Island Lighting
Among the commonest types of light fixtures, the hanging kitchen lights will offer ambient lighting that illuminates the overall kitchen space. These are considered as the main light sources apart from natural light. Hang a fixture with one or two lights for even distribution throughout the room. Here are three types you can choose –
a) Rustic Wooden Fixtures:
If you prefer a farmhouse styled rustic lighting, go for the wooden wheel or framed fixtures that have bulb mounts. These will give you a countryside vibe and as wood is non-conductive of electricity and heat, safety is guaranteed. Cleaning is also convenient with a damp cloth on regular basis. Farmhouse styled rustic lighting brings a soothing atmosphere with their soft glow and rugged look. It makes your kitchen comfortable and well-lit.
b) Clear and Textured Glass Shades:
Talk about elegance and you have the hanging light fixtures with glass shades that diffuse the light for a warm and cozy ambience. Suitable for small kitchens and dining spaces, these fixtures are available with clear, textures, grainy or bubble patterned glass shades. Regular maintenance is needed to keep the shades free of grease.
c) Iron and Aluminum Fixtures:
With a perfect blend of rustic and contemporary, the metal fixtures are the most durable options. Numerous frames like spiral, geometric and floral motifs are available in this segment and these are also low-maintenance while being pocket-friendly.
02. Pendant Lights For Countertop
Often used as task lights, the pendants add elegance to the kitchen so that it looks as sophisticated as the other rooms. While ambient lights leave some corners overshadowed, pendant lights will offer a spotlight-like glow for specific spaces like the kitchen countertop, sink and prep area. Hanging pendant lights directs light on the surface like the kitchen surface or provide general lighting. Formal lightings also have pendant lighting above the dining area. These options can be considered –
a) Hanging Pendant Light Fixtures:
As task lights, the hanging pendant fixtures will help you focus on preparation of meal with a bright glow. You can go for the ones with adjustable rod so that adjusting the height of 30-32 inches from the kitchen island or the countertop is possible. According to the size of the island and countertop, you should choose the number of pendants, although, for a decent-sized island, 2-3 lights will be fairly sufficient.
b) Wall Light Fixtures:
Wall-affixed task lights are useful for illuminating cabinets, racks and sink. If you have the kitchen island adjacent to the wall, 2-3 wall light fixtures will be more beneficial than hanging pendants. These are also available in glass shades or metal cages if bulb mounts seem basic for you.
c) Wall Fixtures with Adjustable Arms for Sink:
The most convenient option for changing the direction of light according to your task is the wall light with adjustable arm. What makes these lights so popular is that you can work simultaneously at two adjacent places, for example, a sink and countertop just by facing the light wherever needed. This will help you cut down on electricity as one light works in a versatile way. You do not need to clean these fixtures often as these are always on the move so that shoot, oil and stains cannot accumulate.
03. Ceiling Accents And Chandelier Light Fixtures
There are many types of accent lighting – while some are affixed on ceiling, some are installed under or over cabinets. The recessed lights will highlight fancy glass cabinets or open racks, the toe-kick lights with LED tapes or rope lights will illuminate the kitchen pathway (and to keep your toe from banging on the cabinet edges!) and the cabinet lights placed between ceiling and cabinet top or between racks or beneath the cabinet will help finding kitchen items easily.
Coming to chandeliers, there is a plethora of choices available – metal framed, ceiling flush mounts and decorative textile or glass shades. Installed in a recessed down lighting design, you can either add one decent-sized fixture in the center of the ceiling for thorough brightness. In large kitchens, you can highlight the high-use sections by gridding out light fixtures in straight lines along the axis of the island or counter. Chandeliers and flush mounts work better with dimmer switches to let you adjust brightness.
04. Wall Sconces For Specific Sections
In recent years, the wall sconces are trending for their variegated shapes, decorative shades and durability. Available mostly in metal holders and bases, these sconces have small arms and the light is diffused as these are installed in close proximity of the area where you need brightness. You can place two flush mounts on both sides of the window for ambient lighting when natural light is unavailable or add one over the sink, countertop and cabinets.
You can even know about various types of lighting in your home interiors as well. All you need to do is click here:
Final Takeaway
Apart from these, the ceiling flush and semi-mounts are quite popular in small kitchens and for adjusting brightness, you will also get dimmer switches. Many posh houses also make use of the recycled metal pipes as bulb holders for rustic elegance. LED strip lights along cabinet overhead storage or puck lights below the cabinets can be affordable choices with ease of operation.
Some chimneys come with built-in lights and if you want more brightness, go for a flush-mount LED fixture. If budget is not an option, there are automatic light fixtures that turn on as you open the cabinets.
Choosing the pattern and design is up to your choice and budget, but these five types of fixtures are required in almost every kitchen.
We hope that you enjoyed reading our article on various light fixtures for kitchen. Besides kitchen, know about various light fixtures to be kept for other parts of room in your homes. Also about various ways to set angle of lighting:
5 Little Known Ways to set Angle of Lighting
‘And God said…Let there be light!’ (The Bible)
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Author Bio
Sanjukta Ganguly – I am Sanjukta Ganguly from Kolkata. I have 9+ years of experience in content writing. I have written for multiple niches and genres like, health, travel, pregnancy, love and relationship, dating, hosting services, and WordPress, Press Release, Web Designing, Case Study, Thesis, Proof Reading, Academic Writing, etc. I can handle the work of 4000-5000 words daily.