Designers use lights to create their desired ambiance in a room by changing the intensity and color of the light. Lights can completely transform a space depending on the mood and atmosphere— including a kitchen. In the modern world of remote work and distance learning, a kitchen table is often repurposed as a home office, study table, and sometimes used for playing games. Therefore, it is highly crucial to have a well-lit kitchen with multi-layered lights to match the moods.
There are two ways to overcome the issue of insufficient light in a kitchen, and the best-case scenario is to use a combo of both. To ensure that your kitchen is efficiently lit up, hire a company who remodel and design kitchens so they know which color accents and lights will be best for the vibe you want in your kitchen! Another good option is to install solar panels in your home to conserve energy efficiently. Visit this site to know more.
1. Natural Light
The most sustainable and eco-friendly method is to maximize the amount of sunlight reaching the kitchen. Nothing in this world can compensate for the perfect tones and colors of the sunlight. You can do this by:
- Adding a small window or door in any of the walls.
- Replace backsplash with a wide window.
- Narrow windows between cabinets.
- Gable End Window
- Clerestory windows
Although natural light depends completely on the window size you have and whether it faces the sun or not but there are ways to maximize natural light. For example, using light colors in your kitchen will light up your kitchen more.
2. Artificial Light
Having a complete layout for lights in the kitchen is very important as you cannot compensate for it by adding floor lamps or table lamps. You cannot mount a chandelier or two ceiling lights and expect it to light up the entire kitchen. Installing the wrong type of light at the wrong location is the main reason we end up having dark and dingy kitchens. Ideally, experts suggest using the following tri-layered approach for installing lights in the kitchen.
- Ambient Lights— soft lights for moving around the kitchen
- Task Lights— bright lights to illuminate the working stations such as sink, countertop, stovetop, and islands. You will use them while prepping and cooking the meals.
- Accent Lights—- lights with medium brightness for highlighting the decor and design elements.
Ambient Lights
The purpose of these lights is only to illuminate the walls and floor of the kitchen. Their brightness is very low and often used when no one is working there. They are usually in the form of hanging fixtures and recessed lights. Since they should not cast any shadows, to avoid this problem, make sure they are hanging directly above the island or the center of the kitchen. For the latter, the space between them should be equal to half the height of the ceiling. They usually come in a warm white, or yellowish color.
Task Lights
As the name suggests, they are used while working in the kitchen. These should have high intensity, and their position should be above the cooking or prep stations. Since they are very bright, avoiding their glare, hang them at least two and a half feet away from the surface. They are generally in bright white colors. Pendant lights are used to light the surfaces, while LED light strips are used to illuminate areas under the cabinets, inside the cabinets, and drawers.
Accent Lights
Their luminosity lies somewhere between the ambient and task lights. They are used to accentuate the decor or architectural hints in the kitchen. For example, install puck lights in the open shelves or countertops to shine light upon the elegant vases or tea sets. They can be of different colors and depend on the decor items you want to highlight.
Using various layers of lights not only results in a bright kitchen but also makes it look spacious. Moreover, it leaves room for adjusting the lights according to the mood and usage of the kitchen.
