Funky Ideas to Create Amazing Kitchen Lighting

Gone are the days when kitchen was considered to be just a place to cook meals. Roughly from last two generations, people are thinking about kitchen in a different way. Because of this there has been a dramatic change in the kitchen décor and lighting. Nowadays lighting in the kitchen is an important factor to consider because kitchen is a place which usually includes a dining area, a few cozy chairs to unwind, and even a TV. Kitchen counters have become deeper creating breakfast bars, islands or workstations in the middle of the room, with a smart glowing coffee machine at its one end. Obviously such an attractive décor is incomplete without an equally attractive lighting. However the lighting should be done perfectly without any fault and if some fault occurs, you should have an expert electrician available anytime, like Lancaster electrician – a team of professional electricians offering all electrician services like wiring, switch and socket installations, inspection, appliance repairing, and any emergency work. Some images in this article shows their amazing work.

Why Kitchen Lighting is So Important?

You remodel your kitchen with new appliances, beautiful cabinetry, attractive worktops, pleasant tiles, shiny flooring, and everything you can for a perfect kitchen atmosphere. Still, sometimes you feel that something is missing. At some point of time you realize that you cannot see properly when you are preparing food, as either the existing light is inadequate or it is creating shadows. So, kitchen lighting should be done carefully so that it can provide enough light when you are working, eating or reading, and also you should be able to create a soft glow with it to make the kitchen atmosphere delightful.

Three Main Types of Kitchen Lighting

There are three major types of kitchen lights and if we combine them it’s even better. Actually, in case of kitchen you should not limit to just one, but should show off the room with multiple lights! Here are the three types.

Ambient Lighting: Ambient lighting is a general light you will use for your entire kitchen area. For this, you can use either a single pendant or a group of multiple pendants over your table or breakfast bar to evoke an ambient lighting feel. These lights are not only practical but also come in various striking designs.

Task Lighting: This is a more focused type of lighting. You will need it over your cooker, sink and other working and food preparation areas to see clearly if the work is being done properly. You also may consider down lights, under cabinet lights and track lighting.

Accent Lighting: This type of lighting is used to accentuate the features of your kitchen, like art works, cabinets or any other point you want to show prominently, not only for display, but for convenience too. Wall lights or down lights too can be used for accent lighting. Several different lights are available today which can add a wow factor to your kitchen.

Plus there are various types of traditional and contemporary types of kitchen lighting which you may want to consider.

Recessed Kitchen Lighting

Recessed kitchen lighting is also called downlights or spotlights. They are perfect for creating a discreet yet ambient lighting in the kitchen. They are available in a wide variety from which you can choose according to your décor, like satin nickel, white, brass or chrome. You can use them to highlight certain spots of your kitchen like wall features, floor or units. They also have settings to adjust their intensity.

Pendants for Breakfast Bar Lighting

Breakfast bar lighting is a sort of task light which can be used for eating or reading, as it offers focal interest. A range of small pendants are ideal for installing on your breakfast bar. A rise and fall pendant too can be installed which enables you to lift the pendant to keep it out of the way and lower it whenever you need a more intimate ambient lighting.
Ideally you should create zones in your kitchen. This enables you to switch off the main light and take supper below a soft glow of pendant/s. This is also useful especially when a big pile of dishes are lying in the sink. A good electrician would advise and fit extra switch circuits to divide the lighting in your kitchen.

 

Lighting under Cabinetry, Shelves and Pelmets

Though under shelf lighting was introduced more than 20 years back, there has been a considerable improvement in this type of lighting with time.

Fluorescent Lights: Under shelf fluorescent lighting nowadays uses ultra slim T4 and T5 fluorescent tubes on flicker-free, high frequency control gear. This eliminates the flickers that came with old fluorescent fittings. The latest slimline under cabinet fluorescent lighting reduces your running costs too since the lamp lasts longer and consumes less energy. Under shelf fluorescent lights have male and female sockets at either end, so they are very flexible to connect and give continuous lighting.

Halogen Lamps: Under shelf halogen lamps usually use 20W G4 lamps and run at 12V. Many lights can be run on a single transformer. The light of halogen lamp is white and crisp and looks especially attractive on reflective surfaces like marble, steel and granite. However halogen lamps give more heat than LED or fluorescent lights. If your budget allows, or if you don’t want to fit cornice below your kitchen cabinets, you can also use the more attractive halogen lights built into glass plates or the latest linear led solutions.

Track Lighting

The design of kitchen track lighting is sometimes more complex than its installation. There are thousands of choices available for each track. You can even get the track lighting customized to suit your needs. No matter what type of track you have, you will require a track/rail, brackets, suspension fittings and any connectors if you are connecting two or more tracks in addition to a feed-in for power. Then you will have to select pendants or spotlights for mounting on the track. Track lighting can be a bit tricky and so, you should take help of a really skilled professional like the Lancaster electrician.

Flyover Lighting

These surface mounted or recessed lights can be used in the kitchen cabinet flyover. Cabinet flyover is a broad suspension between two kitchen cabinets. Flyover lighting illuminates kitchen space and also your units.

In short, if you take kitchen lighting seriously into consideration, it will bring a dramatic change in the looks of your kitchen. You will find your kitchen more livable and your guests too. So, apply some of these amazing lighting ideas to your kitchen and make it even more attractive and functional.