The kitchen is one of the most versatile spaces in any home. Originally conceived as a place to prepare meals, times have changed. Today, it’s an area where we eat together, catch up with friends, read a favourite book, or even work on our laptops. For all these reasons, it’s essential to get the lighting just right. As a general rule, your kitchen lighting should be tailored to the room’s layout. You’ll want different types of wall lights depending on whether you have an open-plan or a closed kitchen.
Kitchen lighting➞
Don’t overlook functional lighting
A perfect kitchen is as stylish, practical, and comfortable as possible. When remodelling a kitchen, people often focus on furniture, flooring, wall coverings, and appliances. Kitchen lighting usually comes second—but it’s the key to creating the ideal atmosphere.
If you think general overhead lighting, even if powerful, is enough for your kitchen, think again. Since it only offers broad illumination, visual and lighting comfort will be lacking. Don’t rely solely on the main light—prioritise functional lighting, too.
Task lighting is invaluable when you’re at the hob. It ensures you have bright, clear light in the areas where you need it most, such as over the sink, the work surface, or the cooker. With practical kitchen wall lights placed throughout the room, cooking truly becomes a pleasure.
While functional lighting serves a common purpose, it’s tailored to different parts of the kitchen. For example, to light up a countertop, installing an even, uniform light beneath the overhead cabinets can be an excellent solution. To achieve this seamless effect, you can choose ultra-slim LED spotlights, LED strips, or light bars.
The importance of installing a pendant light or other central light source
A pendant light or a ceiling light makes the ideal primary lighting source for the centre of the room. Both of these lighting fixtures will provide even, overall illumination when the functional lighting is switched off. When it comes to pendant lights, you’re spoiled for choice, with current trends favouring globes, wicker pendants, and spider chandeliers. As long as you use an LED bulb in your pendant, you’ll enjoy excellent energy savings.
Kitchen pendant lights➞
But beware! Just because the pendant is the main light source doesn’t mean you need a super-powerful LED. An overly bright bulb can cause discomfort and glare, ruining the room’s ambience.
Light inside cupboards for added depth and brightness
Inside your cupboards deserves as much attention as elsewhere in the kitchen. Like a fridge or wardrobe, interiors that instantly light up when opened make it easier to spot what you need right away. Similarly, organising cupboards and splashbacks with interior lighting becomes much simpler.
There are plenty of cupboard lighting solutions available. You can choose LED lights with a standard switch, or battery-powered LED units. Don’t worry—using a switched LED for the inside of your cabinets is very straightforward. This system is compatible with a roller switch, easily placed behind the cabinet door to automatically turn on the light when opened.
Battery-powered LEDs are especially recommended for cupboards too far from a power socket. These usually feature a motion sensor that turns on as soon as movement is detected. As they’re battery-operated, they use very little energy.
Choosing the right colour temperature
Colour temperature is an important factor for optimising kitchen lighting. Measured in degrees Kelvin, colour temperature defines the character of your light source. Depending on the bulb, it can be warm white, cool white, blue, yellow, or red.
For general or ambient lighting, a warm white of 3000 Kelvin is ideal. For functional lighting, opt for neutral white with a colour temperature from 4000 to 4500 Kelvin.
If you want to create a cosy vibe in your kitchen, a yellow, inviting light with a colour temperature between 3000 and 3500 Kelvin is perfect. For a clean and modern look, a white light in the 4000 to 4200 Kelvin range works best.
If you’re planning to mix different lights, choose your sources carefully. There should be a sense of harmony if both the main and functional lighting are turned on at once. Too much contrast between colour temperatures won’t have the desired effect.
Don’t hesitate to install recessed (and fixed) spotlights and wall lights above cabinets
Recessed spotlights, fixed spots, and wall lights placed above your cabinets accentuate both the furniture itself and the items you store there. To highlight aesthetics even further, you can choose between warm light or a soft, diffused glow for your cabinets and splashbacks. There’s often little space between the top of your cabinet and the pendant, but since LEDs generate minimal heat, they can safely be left on all the time.
You could also add warm white or yellow LED strips below your cabinets to give them an eye-catching floating effect.
