Choosing the right lighting for your kitchen

While not as glamorous as colour schemes and themes, choosing the right kitchen lighting plan is crucial. As electrics and fittings need to be installed at the beginning of any project, it’s a good idea to start thinking about your lighting requirements first. Whether your kitchen is small or large or in-between, there’s a perfect lighting solution for you.

Lighting solutions for a small kitchen

Good lighting really helps to enhance a space and make it feel larger. So, if you’ve got a small kitchen, making the most of natural light is key alongside the installation of clever lighting solutions.

Natural, daylight bulbs, which give off a brighter, whiter tone than traditional yellow-toned bulbs are a great choice for smaller kitchens. When it comes down to the style of your lights, we recommend downlights – as they don’t take up much space. While you can use bigger lighting fixtures, they need to be positioned in a place where they won’t block natural light.

Under-cabinet lighting is another must in the small kitchen. By drawing attention to the spacious worktops and work areas, the lighting helps create the illusion of greater space. Of course, under cabinet lighting is extremely handy too and makes working in a small kitchen more enjoyable.

Lighting solutions for a big kitchen

A large kitchen may already feel spacious – but the right lighting plan will help ensure that wow factor. You’ll need your practical task lighting as well as standout feature lighting, to help create an impact.

For your task lighting, choose LED lights. As well as being efficient and practical, they also boast minimal running costs. Cool white LED lights are ideal for modern kitchens – but make sure that you use a similar colour temperature for all the lights in your kitchen space.

When it comes to feature lighting, the possibilities are endless. You can use it to draw attention to particular objects and design in the room or make a feature out of the lighting itself. You can also different lighting fixtures to add a touch of style to your kitchen – for example, a chandelier for an eclectic or high-end touch or copper pendant lights for an industrial-inspired kitchen.

Bright ideas for any size kitchen

Layering your lights

Layering is a great strategy for your kitchen lighting. To make the most of layered lighting, you need to zone each part of your kitchen according to its use. There will some areas of your kitchen where all the food prep is done and a separate area for dining. Both areas require different types of lighting. And if it’s a wow factor kitchen you’ve got in mind, why not also add some feature lighting?

Make the most of your space

When thinking about your personal kitchen lighting strategy, think about the space you have. Do you have high ceilings you could take advantage of? Could the kitchen units and walls be used as fixture points? Can natural lighting be enhanced with floor-to-ceiling glass windows?

Want to see how we use lighting at Kitchen Design Centre? Head on down to your nearest designer kitchen showroom to see how we’ve worked lighting into our kitchens.

Which lighting styles and features have you opted for in your kitchen? Tell us in the comments below or tweet us @ModernKitchens