Many people dream of their perfect kitchen – the exact type of countertops, backsplash, shiny new appliances, and layout. One part that is often an afterthought is the kitchen lighting. The kitchen is one of the most used rooms in a home, and often a gathering place, so you want to get the lighting just right. You will need bright light for working, task light for highly used areas, and ambient light for entertaining or for nighttime.
In new construction, recessed cans are used to provide bright light throughout the kitchen as opposed to fluorescent fixtures of the past. Correct placement of recessed cans will provide plenty of general lighting for the space, then you can spice things up with decorative lighting and task lighting.
Many new kitchens have an island where decorative lighting would be appropriate. The size of the island often dictates the type of decorative lighting to be used. The options are numerous: down-facing mini pendants, elongated island fixtures with multiple lights in one, and large lantern-shaped pendants with candelabra bulbs, to name a few.
The kitchen sink area is where a lot of the action happens, so you will want to make sure you have lighting above it. If there will be decorative fixtures over the island, usually the best option for the sink is a recessed can. Some people envision a pendant over the sink, which would also be okay if there aren’t lights over the island. It is also a nice feature to have the island lights, recessed cans and sink light all on their own individual switches. This gives you the flexibility to have one turned on without having to have them all on at the same time. You may even consider putting them on a dimmer.
Another consideration is undercabinet lighting. There are multiple options for this as well, ranging from LED strips, to LED tape light or hockey puck lights. Undercabinet lighting accomplishes two goals – providing task lighting to the countertop while also providing another option for ambient lighting when the main kitchen lights are off.
So as you can see, kitchen lighting is a little more complicated than just a pretty fixture, or just a couple of light bulbs. Make sure you think through your lighting plans when dreaming of that perfect kitchen!
Provided by Joseph’s Electrical Center
