Our 5 tips for lighting your kitchen
The room where we all sit down to eat. The kitchen is first and foremost a living space where pleasantness and comfort must be at the same level as functionality. It is therefore not to be neglected. Discover our 5 tips for lighting your kitchen.
The kitchen is one of the most versatile places in the house. In its original conception, the kitchen is the room where we prepare food, but that was before. Today, it has become a space where we eat our meals, meet with friends to discuss, read our favourite book, or work in front of our computer. For all these reasons, it is important that this area is well lit. As a general rule, kitchen lighting is chosen according to its configuration. Different types ofwall lamps are needed depending on whether your home has an open or closed kitchen.
Do not neglect functional lighting
A kitchen is said to be perfect when it is at the same time design, functional and comfortable. When individuals design their kitchens, they tend to think primarily about furniture, flooring, wall coverings and appliances. Kitchen lighting often takes a back seat, but it's on this that the success of the desired ambiance depends.
You are mistaken if you think that general lighting, even at high power, is sufficient in a kitchen. As it only illuminates the space as a whole, the comfort lighting and visual comfort will be missing. Don't be satisfied with just this main lighting and rely much more on functional lighting.
Functional lighting will be of great help when you are above the stove. It will allow you to properly illuminate the places where you usually practice your art, such as the sink, the worktop or the cooking plate. Thanks to the wall lamps wall lights functional lights that are scattered all over, you will find the pleasure of cooking.
Although functional lighting performs the same functions in a kitchen, it differs depending on the areas to be illuminated. For example, to illuminate a work surface, a homogeneous light placed underneath the wall units is an excellent alternative. To achieve this homogeneous effect, you can opt for extra-flat Spotlights LEDs, LED strips or strip lights.
The need to install a pendant light or other light source in the center of the room
A pendant light or a ceiling light is perfect for the main lighting in the center of the room. Both of these fixtures will allow you to illuminate the kitchen in a nice even manner when you're not turning on the functional lights. As for the pendant lights itself, you'll be spoilt for choice, but the current fashion is for the ball, pendant light wicker and spider chandelier. As long as you use an LED bulb with your pendant lights, the energy savings will always be optimal.
Beware! Just because the pendant light is the main light in your kitchen does not mean that you have to equip it with a powerful LED. The dazzling effect produced by the powerful LED bulb may cause discomfort to the occupants. It will make the room lose its charm.
Lighting the inside of furniture to gain depth and light
The interior of the cabinets should be illuminated in the same way as the various areas of the kitchen. Just like the fridge or dressing rooms, interiors that light up instantly when you open them will make it easier to find the accessories you need. Similarly, it's also easier to store items in cupboards and credenzas that are illuminated on the inside.
There are many lighting solutions available for the interior of furniture. You can choose between LED lighting with a switch and stand-alone LED lighting with batteries. Rest assured, it is not at all exhausting to use the switchable LED lighting for furniture interiors. In fact, this model is compatible with the roller switch, which is easily positioned behind the furniture door and intuitively activates the light when the door is opened.
As for the battery-operated LED light, it is especially recommended for lighting the inside of a piece of furniture that is far from an electrical outlet. Generally, this lighting is accompanied by a motion detector that activates the light when it detects the slightest movement. Since it is powered by batteries, energy consumption is reduced.
Choosing the right colour temperature
The color temperature is an important data to take into account when you want to optimize the lighting of a kitchen. Expressed in degrees Kelvin, the color temperature is the materialization of the light source. It can be warm white, cool white, blue, yellow or red, depending on the characteristics of the bulb.
For general lighting or ambient lighting, the ideal is to opt for a warm white light of 3000 degrees Kelvin. For functional lighting, it is preferable to use a neutral white light with a color temperature between 4000 and 4500 degrees Kelvin.
If you want to create a cozy atmosphere in your kitchen, a warm yellow light with a color temperature between 3000 and 3500 degrees Kelvin will do the trick. On the other hand, for a refined and design atmosphere, a white light with a color temperature between 4000 and 4200 degrees Kelvin is more appropriate.
Care must be taken when choosing light sources if you want to mix. A certain harmony must be created if you want to turn on the main lighting and the functional lighting at the same time. Too much difference in color temperatures will not create the best effect.
Do not hesitate to install Spotlights and wall lamps above the cupboards
The Spotlights recessed, Spotlights fixed and wall lamps placed above the cabinets will help to highlight this furniture, but also its contents. To further accentuate its aesthetics, the cabinet or credenza, you with the choice between a warm light and a diffuse lighting. It is true that there is a little space between the top of the cupboard and the pendant light, but as the LED does not heat up very much, it can stay on permanently.
You can also light the bottom of the furniture with warm white or yellow ribbon lights, this will make them look like they are levitating.
