4 Tips on Choosing the Ideal Ceiling Lights for Your Kitchen

When it comes to home improvement projects, decorating the kitchen is one of the most exciting as it is considered as the heart of any home. It’s the busiest area in your living space and the different points of activity warrants tailor-made light fixtures first and foremost. Lighting plays a pivotal role as it ensures safety in the kitchen while creating an ambiance. Beyond splurging on upgrading your appliances, cabinets, flooring, and other units, it’s best to dedicate a portion of your costs to layering your lights. Different work stations require specific light fixtures, which will mix the overall atmosphere. Homeowners also have the option to strike a balance between accent lighting with natural light.

Factors to Consider When Planning for Your Kitchen Lights

Tip #1: Consider the Room’s Ambient The ambient lighting will act as the kitchen’s main source of light. As the moniker suggests, it impacts the overall environment, which means it must be cast evenly across the room from your ceilings.When choosing the ideal ambient, it’s best to consider whether or not you want to add to your natural light or fill in what’s lacking. Knowing the difference will help you choose between chandeliers, pendant lights, recessed lighting, flush mounts, and more. Tip #2: Consider Different Task AreasAmbient lighting illuminates the entire room to help with general navigation, but it can leave spots of shadows in particular areas that may need more emphasis. For instance, work surfaces and cabinetry will need the help of task lighting to promote focus in these parts of the kitchen. Task lighting like strip lights and puck lights are designed to support your vision to ensure safety when preparing meals, illuminate recipes for reading, and to easily spot ingredients. Tip #3: Consider the Accent Lighting to Enhance the Kitchen’s AppealAfter layering using necessary fixtures for different work stations, accent lights serve as a cherry on top of your well-designed kitchen. It embellishes the area and enhances the room’s aesthetic appeal - from toe kick lights, cabinet lights, wall lamps, and other accent lights that can highlight visual points of interest in the space. Tip #4: Consider the Right Bulb and Lux for Your Lighting More and more homeowners are considering options that help contribute to energy-savings. When it comes to lighting, fluorescent and compact fluorescent lamps are becoming a perennial, modern favorite compared to traditional incandescent bulbs. Just like LED, their energy consumption is minimal and you can easily place them anywhere. Meanwhile, the kitchen follows a standard of 300 lux illumination. Use this as a guide when selecting your lighting fixtures, though keep in mind it’s best to choose 500 lux for working areas such as counters. Hiring a kitchen designer can help you navigate the more technical aspect of lighting a kitchen. In ConclusionModern illuminating systems have taken the purpose of lighting fixtures on a whole different level. Various designs, intensity, and lux allow homeowners to play around with an extensive selection of fixtures that fit their style. Illuminating particular areas also create a dynamic atmosphere, while tones and colors help match the mood of the room. With that in mind, the tips above should help shed some light on choosing the best ceiling light fixtures for your kitchen needs. If you’re looking for a kitchen or bathroom remodelling in Orange Country, get in touch with us today to see how we can help with your project!