Lighting is an area of design that many people often gloss over, but it’s a surprisingly important factor in any space of the home. The kitchen is often considered the heart of the home, getting heavy use throughout the week. A well thought out lighting plan can add value to the space, both literally and figuratively, helping create a space that functions as you need it throughout the day.
As part of our Personalized Design ™ experience, we will work with you to evaluate how you use your kitchen and determine how you could benefit from proper lighting. To understand the different types of lighting that can be incorporated into your kitchen remodel, keep on reading.
Understanding the Different Layers of Kitchen Lighting
Kitchen lighting is divided into three layers: ambient, accent, and task. These three lighting layers work together to create a room that is functional and inviting. Understanding each of these three elements will help bring your kitchen to life. However, lighting is the very last step in an otherwise finished kitchen design plan. In order to decide proper placement for your light fixtures, it’s important to know where everything will be, from cabinets to appliances.
Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting is the main lighting for the space. Depending on the layout of your kitchen, this could be a single centrally located fixture, or it could include a series of lights, such as a track light or recessed lights. When planning the main lighting for your room, recognize that a grid pattern may not be the best plan. Instead, we’ll help you look at the flow and layout. Consider the pathways and the locations of your appliances. Ideally, your ambient lighting should be placed over these pathways, particularly near major appliances such as a stove or a refrigerator.
Task Lighting
Task lighting is exactly as it sounds: lighting that is designed for a task. Kitchen task lighting can include pendant lights over an island, or under cabinet lights for countertop tasks, such as preparing food. We’ll help you determine what kind of task lighting will be the best fit for your space.
Accent Lighting
The final piece of layered kitchen lighting is accent lighting. Accent lighting is more decorative, as its entire purpose is to highlight decorative elements in your space. This includes open shelves, decor on top of cabinetry, or other architectural features you may have in the space. Other examples of decorative lighting could include a light rope beneath your base cabinets to highlight the pathways, or interior lights inside glass door cabinets.
Take note that some fixtures can do double duty and serve as two different types of lighting. For example, when working in the kitchen, under cabinet lights can also work as task lighting. Those same under cabinet lights can also highlight decorative items on your countertops.
By utilizing all the different layers of lighting, we’ll ensure your kitchen will be both beautiful and functional.
Next, check out these 9 features that will make your new kitchen more efficient or learn what mistakes to avoid in your remodel project.
