13 Incredible Kitchen Lighting Ideas
Kitchen lighting doesn’t have to be simple and functional, instead, there are plenty of lighting options to choose from for this area of the home that can add interest, depth and style.
Lighting is a simple and sometimes affordable way to make a big difference to your kitchen area.
Enhance your design, brighten the space and make a statement with your kitchen lighting and consider these options for your home.
1. Glass shades
Keep your lighting choices simple with glass shades that focus on lighting rather than the fixture. A clear glass shade will fill the space with warmth and glow. These are a great choice for smaller kitchen spaces that don’t want to have a fussy pendant light, demanding space.
2. Consider the space
If you’ve got a big area to light, then you not only want to consider how many lumens you’ll be using to light the area but also think about whether or not a small pendant is going to get lost in the area. When you’re installing lighting in open plan kitchen and living areas you can afford to go with big, oversized fixtures.
3. LED strip lighting
LED strip lighting might seem a little dated, but these clever designs are often slimline enough that they can’t be seen at all when they’re not on. Plus they can help to bring your shelves to life, as well as offer ambience in the space. Choose LED warm lighting for a more inviting atmosphere.
4. Dedicate lighting for specific areas
If your kitchen layout isn’t a simple four-wall design, you might be able to create dedicated areas for specific tasks, such as a small bar area, or an alcove where you do all your prep. Make sure that you highlight these areas beautifully with their own lighting for the space, it might be that you want a pendant handing low to highlight the area or statement wall lights might draw the attention of the eye to the space.
5. Under Cabinet lighting
Lighting under your cabinets can be a great way to add in some stylish task lighting. There are numerous options on the market, with design-led fixtures that can be seen, super-slim designs or even recessed lighting options. Under-cabinet lighting is great task lighting for when you’re preparing meals in the kitchen, but it’s also a great choice for ambient lighting in the space when you’re entertaining.
Plus, if you have a beautiful backsplash that you’d love to drawer people’s eyes to, this can be a great way of doing that.
6. Don’t forget cupboard and pantry lighting
Lighting the inside of your kitchen cupboards and pantries might seem like a waste of time, but in reality it’s incredibly practical. Ideally, you want a light that comes on automatically when the doors are opened and switched off when they’re closed.
If you have glazed cabinets then lighting installed in these can really help to show off the glassware or china that you’re storing in there.
7. Metallic lighting
Metallic lighting fixtures are a great way of reflecting light around the room. So if you want to ensure that the fixtures you do have enlighten your whole space consider metallic shades that will disperse the light beautifully.
8. Exposed bulbs
Exposed Edison bulbs are a gorgeous way of adding an industrial element to your kitchen space. They’ve been a growing trend for years now, with good reason, it’s simplistic but effective in design terms.
9. Wall lights
If you’d like to make a feature on bare walls in your kitchen, then installing stylish wall lights could be a great option. They are a great way of layering lighting, ensuring that you have overhead and task lighting in place. Plus, if you use them alone, they’re great for a soft effect in the evening. Perfect for an open living kitchen area. Install them with dimmer switches to guarantee flexibility when it comes to this lighting option.
10. Profile lighting
When it comes to kitchen lighting ensuring that you have the right design means considering all your options, and that means lighting fixtures that go from the ceiling to the floor. Profile lighting added to the bottom of kitchen cabinets or installed along the recess of an island might not be entirely functional, but it’ll add style and beauty to the space. This lighting style is great for helping to create a warming, relaxing and inviting environment in your kitchen.
11. Focal lighting
Rather than multiple pendant lights, you might want to choose a more dramatic, larger and stylish light that will emphasise a focal point of your kitchen. If you’re going for one big fitting, ensure that it’s not going to get lost in a big open room, instead, scale to the space. It should always be installed at least 90cm above your worktop too.
12. Install a light above the sink
It might be worth considering hanging a light above the kitchen sink to help frame the space. It offers excellent task lighting, but it can also offer the opportunity to centre the kitchen.
13. Keep it flush
If you really want the focus to be on the kitchen design itself, rather than your lighting options, you might want to choose a flush-mounted fixture that is unobtrusive in the space. There are plenty of stylish designs that sit flush against the ceiling, which is ideal for kitchens on the smaller side.
14. Don’t discard spotlights
Whilst pendant lighting in the kitchen is certainly having a style moment, there’s no need to disregard spotlights. These can still look beautiful in kitchen areas adding plenty of illumination in large areas.