The Only Guide You’ll Ever Need for Kitchen Lighting

Jan 5, 2024 Reading time : 6 min

Long gone are those days when putting up a single light tube onto a kitchen wall was enough to say we were done with the work. Having smart appliances and home devices is not enough to get a modern look.

With the increasing consciousness about health, proper illumination is also kept at stake. As you hear this talk, you might wonder if you would probably have to give up the aesthetic to ensure health.

Don’t worry, that isn’t the case. You merely need knowledge about different illumination to have the perfect setting without giving up the aesthetic. And that’s what we are going to offer you.

Read on to find out more about getting the perfect kitchen lighting in the UK.

7 Golden Rules for Kitchen Lighting

Before moving further in this kitchen lighting guide, it is necessary to know about 7 golden rules that you should follow while planning the kitchen interior:

Do not forget to place the lighting 12 inches in front of tall elevations.
Always install lights in the center of the island.
Do not rely on a single source of lighting. Instead, use multiple sources.
Install the lighting under your cabinet.
Direct the lights towards the working areas like the cooking area, cleaning area, apron sink area, etc.
Check out for joists as per your ceilings.
Align the lighting with the edge of the counter if the cabinets are above the counter.

You can also choose the perfect macrame cord and a luxury acrylic mirror to contrast them with your kitchen lighting ideas.

Common Kitchen Lighting Problems

Not all kitchens are rich with a well-placed window to get natural light. That’s why it is necessary to add enough artificial lights in such kitchens. However, while planning for it, you may encounter some common issues. They include the following:

Storage Areas: It is possible that your kitchen is lit up properly, but some areas like drawers, shelves, or under-cabinet are still dark. To solve this issue, you can use LED strip lights. Downlights or cabinet lighting mounted inside units are also a nice choice.

Fixture Sizes: It is important to focus on fixture size while setting up the kitchen lighting. An oversized or too-small pendant can make the look worse. Try to scale the fixtures as per the area of your kitchen to make them appealing.

Shadows and Glare: Task lighting or overhead lighting can cast shadows on the working surfaces. On the other hand, a bright task light will impede comfort and functionality. That’s why a proper brightness of task light with ambient light is required. Also, avoid strong lights against the reflective surfaces of steel or granite.

The lighting type also depends on the interior. For example, you can try something aesthetic with a modern rustic interior design theme. Further, let’s explore some main types of kitchen lighting.

Main Types of Lighting to Install in Kitchen

Normally, there are three prime types of lights in a kitchen, which include the following:

General Lighting

Such lighting is mandated for the kitchen. These are the basic illuminators that even light up the kitchen space. You might be thinking, what’s so special when the traditional tube lights too proffered the same function? These are more sophisticated. That’s the basic difference.

How to arrange them to avail the best illumination:

These illuminators function best when hooked to the dome without clogging things—like an aloft storehouse, fan, etc.
Likewise, you can employ a wall-mounted fixture in the absence of a faux ceiling to create consistent lighting for the space.

Regardless, general lighting is exclusively pretty feeble.

Task Lighting

This lighting obliterates shadows and assures that you have adequate illumination for slicing vegetables or executing any other prep job. These are typically placed over the countertops or beneath the cabinets to focus on the slab for working purposes.

Look here to arrange them to avail the best illumination:

Connect them beneath the aloft storehouse in the kitchen to suppress the cables and the buttons near the light.
Likewise, you can even employ an LED kitchen tape illuminator, and the overhead space discreetly constructs stable, linear task lighting over the bar.
The number of fixtures to be connected entirely counts on the measurement of the kitchen counter. Nevertheless, add them solely above the primary prep spot if you have a funding constraint.

Decorative Hanging Lighting

These kitchen lights are perfect for aisle or breakfast models. They undoubtedly lend a mesmerizing vibe to the space. Decorative lighting likewise runs as chore lights, securing a friendly layout element to an otherwise entirely operational space. Here are some key points to remember to arrange the decorative lights in the best possible manner:

Nail these decorative lights straight above the kitchen aisle, operated for preparing feeds.
These embellishing illuminators work best in clusters. Assessing the width and length of the kitchen island, try to set them in clusters to relish the aesthetics.
While setting them above the island, suspend them at least 30-34 inches above to appreciate their luminance to the highest.

You can also select the kitchen lighting as per their material like glass, porcelain enamel, wicker, wood, concrete, and fabric to get amazing illumination and look.

Lighting As Per Kitchen Layout

The layout of your kitchen greatly influences the lighting plan. Here are some tips to work on the kitchen lights as per their layout:

U-shaped Kitchen
This layout is suitable for large spaces and hence requires a broader lighting plan to avoid shadows. You can pair a U-shape kitchen having an island or a peninsula with a series of pendant lights.

Galley Kitchen
In such kitchens, you can install track lighting along the hallway for general lighting needs. Evenly spaced flush mount lights may also work well.

L-shaped Kitchen
This layout is designed for small spaces and because of their openness, these kitchens require ample overhead lighting. Here, you can pace LED recessed lights for general needs and can be positioned as an evenly spaced grid.

Straight Line Kitchen
These types of kitchens are also designed for limited spaces, with one section along a single glass backsplash tiles wall. Here, you can install task lights with LED strip lights.

These tips can help you fill the large spaces effectively and give the small spaces a luxury look just by choosing the best lighting options.

Final Words

No matter what you say and what people assume, we all know a house without a kitchen is nothing but just a space too long around. Now, it’s not just enough to keep your kitchen clean and odor-free. Illumination is an important segment of the kitchen for decor purposes and from the functionality point of view.

So, what are you waiting for? Apply the above-given tips to find some amazing lights to glam up your kitchen space.