The Impact of Lighting on Kitchen Design
Read Time:3 Minute, 53 Second
Because kitchens must perform many tasks, its many activities together with mood lighting can steal its beauty and utility.
Bringing ambient, task, and accent lighting together for the perfect kitchen environment. See how dimmer switches and the layer lighting options help to create the perfect mood for every situation.
Functionality
As home kitchens are the heart of the home and the focus for the ‘family meal’, this is where gathering and preparing food is done, as well as for socialising in most homes – the lighting might want to be a bit more inviting and stimulating for these kinds of events in this central and important part of the home.
Most importantly, use the natural light wherever you can, then add reflective surfaces (mirror backsplashes and glossy countertops) to maximise the illusion of size. But also make sure you layer your lighting so that you have enough light for every kitchen task.
For example, select lighting that complements your colour scheme, as warm lighting will be better with earthier tones and more traditional kitchen looks, while cooler lighting will work better with sleek, modern kitchen design. Lighting techniques allow you to use accent lighting to draw the eye to architectural features like a supporting beam, as well as to decorative lighting fixtures, such as pendant lights or chandeliers, and transform these key design elements into design focal points.
Ambiance
Lawson believes that your kitchen should be warm and snug or invitingly lit for meals – or restive and energising when you use it for coffee or morning food prep. Whatever the job, ‘layering’ lighting allows you to set the right mood.
And as with any shared space, a kitchen that maximises natural light with well-placed windows and skylights is a room in which everyone wants to gather, though even the brightest kitchens benefit from artificial light, for both best use and mood.
You will also need task lighting to provide good above-work surface illumination, and indirect fixtures (recessed or pendant-hung indirect fixtures) are the best way to do this. Accent lighting – especially lighting that highlights architectural forms, like crown moulding and columns, or decor – is another facet you might consider adding to your kitchen design. And decorative or ‘architectural bling’ fixtures can be used to create visual impact and drama. Sure, decorative lights might or might not be necessary for your general working and task needs, but they can certainly help with making your dining and socialising areas seem more ‘atmospheric’ and inviting.
Aesthetics
Kitchens are more than places for cooking and eating: they also help to set a mood for the rest of the house and – along with furniture – they serve to zone space. Lighting must form part of any plan for a new kitchen.
To create an effective lighting plan you need to layer several lights over one another, because the goal of lighting any kitchen is not only to create a beautiful environment but also to make sure that your space is functional and, most of all, safe. Ambient, or general lighting – typically provided by ceiling lights and wall sconces – casts a glow over the space, creating a pleasant sense of comfort; task lighting is designed to work on our food prep stations so we can see what we’re doing and do it well. Accent lighting pinpoints certain features (such as decorative items or architectural aspects) within a space and brings depth to it.
To maximise the sunlight, and hence lowering the power bills, and improving the positive psychic atmosphere, it is a good idea to include more large windows and skylights.
Space
Homeowners who invest in the design of their kitchens should take into account every element of this room, from smaller details, like custom cabinetry and classy tile work, to larger ones. These carefully thought-out aesthetic decisions can make the biggest impression in terms of the functionality and atmosphere of the space.
Many other aspects of a space, such as their lighting (often forgotten in design), can have a significant impact on the way in which colours present. Bright light may drain certain colours of their vibrancy, while others dazzle in the same condition, but glow under the precise conditions they require.
Layered lighting at work: ambient, task and accent lighting work best together Ambient lighting (fixtures mounted in the ceiling or recessed lighting) gives overall light to a room. Task lights (under-cabinet or pendants over islands) cast light on the cooking and works surfaces, while accent lighting (LED strips or spot lights) adds depth and dimension to your Flagstaff kitchen. Used correctly, each of these layered lighting options can turn your Flagstaff kitchen into a kitchen getaway.
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