The Importance of Choosing the Right Kitchen Lighting
Life happens in the kitchen. This is the room where meals are prepared and served, conversations shared and the family meets. It’s the hub of traffic in the home; all of this activity is the very reason why it is vital to choose the right kitchen lighting. During a renovation or simply to freshen up the room, the fixtures that you install in this room will make a major impact on your daily life.
What Type of Lighting Is Needed in the Kitchen?
Activities in the kitchen involve heat and sharp instruments are often used during food preparation. These dangers mean that bright lights are needed to fully illuminate the area and keep you safe.
The main areas that require focused lighting include the sink, eating area and preparation surfaces such as the counter. If there is an island in the kitchen, this spot should be well lit on its own. Pendant light fixtures or recessed down lights can be used over the eating area and prep surfaces, while the room itself can be well covered with a central overhead fixture, such as a fluorescent or multi-spot strip kitchen lighting.
An individual overhead light is best in the sink area, with a recessed fixture used most often to hide the light fixture away and create a flush appearance. Be sure that it is positioned to avoid shadows while you are standing at the sink and avoid the use of wood or fabric components in the fixture. Relying on the ceiling room fixture to light this area is a bad idea, since the person standing at the sink will most likely block a majority of the illumination and shadow the work area.
Incorporating Lighting with Your Kitchen D?cor
As with any household lighting, the fixtures that you choose for the kitchen will contribute to the overall d?cor as well. Kitchen lighting should be bright and direct for function, but the design, shape and even colour of the fixture can add to the decorative element.
Contemporary kitchens are very popular, as are country styled rooms. Both d?cor themes require very different fixtures even though the basic lighting needs are the same. You can shop online or at a local lighting retailer to view the options that will suit your particular style.
Often recessed lighting provides a clean look, while more elaborate lights can create a formal feeling and work well over eating areas and kitchen islands. Strip lighting is modern, but depending on the design it can also be used in more traditionally decorated rooms.
Include the right type and style of kitchen lighting in your home for the optimum function and feel of this important room but also stay safe and comfortable with quality, well chosen lights.
Choosing the right home lighting for any room in the home may take some time and can really effect the appearance of your home, have a look online at the best wall and ceiling lighting to help find the right fixtures for your home.