The Right Light: Kitchen Lighting Choices-

Discover the different types of lighting and how to layer them to get a well-lit and stylish kitchen.

Having the right lighting makes a huge difference in the style, functionality and ambiance of your kitchen plans. It can direct the eye to focal points like your island or a beautiful mosaic, light up prep areas and give your kitchen a cozy feel. You will get the best effect if you layer multiple types of lighting. Here is a guide to the different types of kitchen lighting and how to use them.

Ambient lighting–This is a soft light that fills the room and bounces off the ceiling and walls. It can come from pendant fixtures and sconces, especially ones with frosted shades, which diffuse the light, although large high hats also provide ambient light. Some homeowners add another level of brightness to their kitchens by installing cheap to operate LED over-cabinet lights. An additional source of beautiful ambient light is the natural light from windows and skylights.

This is the lighting that will make your kitchen feel warm and welcoming and is a baseline for your other lighting choices.

Task lighting – This lighting brightens up work areas like countertops where you prepare food, above the stove or sink or in a pantry. They are more focused and may include high hats with a narrower beam over your work areas, under counter LED strips and battery powered stick on lights inside pantries.

Decorative lighting – There are some lighting sources that are purely for decoration, not being a major source of light. This includes wall washers, back-lit mirrors and other stylish lamps and fixtures.

Accent lighting – The purpose of accent lighting is to add dramatic effect and highlight special decorative focal points. Track lights are the most common accent lighting, as they can be adjusted and pointed at your desired area.

Lighting Design Trends

Large pendants - In kitchens being designed now, we are seeing larger pendant fixtures over islands rather than multiple smaller pendants. Consider choosing one or two larger pendants to light your area. The pendants will create a lot of visual interest and can tie in the rest of your kitchen design together.

Interesting shapes – Try out a rectangular or drum-shaped lighting fixture instead of the usual oval fixture to add interest.

Toekick lights – Although you can’t really call toe kick lights task lighting, it does add a small amount of ambient light and serves as a nightlight so midnight snackers don’t stub their toes. You can even put these on a motion sensor so they go on when someone enters the kitchen.

Inside cabinet lighting – If you display art, crystal or fine china in glass front cabinets or open shelves, why not illuminate it? It will create another dimension of light in a line of sight that is rarely lit.

Talk to your kitchen professional about how to layer the right lighting in your kitchen for maximum beauty and function. Don’t have a kitchen professionals yet? Upgrade to Plan Right™ now and get connected with up to three kitchen professionals in your area who have met or exceeded our strict criteria.