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Versatility
The kitchen can be the most versatile and frequently-used room in a modern home. Often incorporating a breakfast bar and family dining space as well as the food preparation, storage and work areas, today's kitchens have everything plus the kitchen sink.
This versatility sets challenges for the installation of functional and attractive lighting. Good kitchen lighting doesn't happen by accident – perhaps more than anywhere else in the home, it demands careful planning.
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Layering
The principle of layering is the basis of sound lighting design. In most rooms, this means providing for at least three sources of light, each with a different role: ambient lighting to provide general illumination across the broader space; task lighting for specific locations; and mood lighting for subtlety. In combination, the layers offer a variety of lighting options and, with the addition of dimmers, the versatility becomes even greater.
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Ambience
Good ambient lighting in the kitchen comes from well-positioned ceiling fittings. Recessed halogen downlights are a popular option, giving good general light without intruding into the space. For a more dramatic design statement, halogen bulbs on an exposed trapeze look very cool and have the functional benefit of being easily adjustable to highlight a working space. Neon lighting, especially the colour-improved fittings, provide good, clear, white kitchen light. Standard incandescent globes are also appropriate. Choose a high enough wattage to generate the maximum brightness you need, then control the intensity with dimmers – you'll save on energy and make the bulbs last longer.
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Work lights
As a task-centred work area, the kitchen needs excellent task lighting that highlights the sink, stovetop and benches and minimises shadows in places where clear vision is essential. Consider the use of two or three-globe spotlight fixtures, which give an intense directional light to a specific space without washing into other parts of the room.
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Mood lighting
Most kitchens incorporate a dining area or perhaps merge into an adjoining dining/entertaining space. When the meal is served, no-one wants to eat under the bright light that was required during its preparation. Pendant lighting can be an element of the room's ambient light. If you can lower a pendant shade that is positioned above the table, you immediate create an intimate, softly-lit space. Again, dimmers add to the flexibility of the mood.
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Special lighting
With their tables, islands, benches, cupboards and cabinets, kitchens are often complex rooms. This complexity offers some interesting opportunities for creative and effective lighting. Options to think about include hidden fluorescent strip lighting above kitchen cabinets, adding to the ambient light or softening the mood; or the same strip lighting below hanging cupboards, to light benchtops underneath. Hidden strip lighting can also be used to make a focal point of the items in a glass-fronted display cabinet. Each kitchen is different – sketch your lighting options into the room design.
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