Kitchens
10 Kitchen Lighting Tips To Brighten Up Your Space
Author: Amanda Tucci
Published on February 1, 2018
In the hardest working room in your home, tactical lighting is a must. There’s a science to lighting a kitchen just right, and we’re sharing the measurements and formulas you need to know. Click through for kitchen lighting tips that are sure to provide the perfect ambience for whipping up your favorite dish or enjoying a casual meal around the kitchen island.
Keep sight lines open. As with dining rooms , hang all pendants 30 inches to 36 inches above an island or peninsula so that sight and conversation lines aren’t interrupted, and fixtures remain out of the way of meal prep.
Photographer: Maxime Desbiens
Source: House & Home June 2017
Designer: Mélanie Cherrier
Install dimmer switches. A dimmer switch in designer Erika Floysvik’s avant-garde Toronto kitchen ensures that meal prep is an easy affair, while dinner always has a relaxed ambience.
Photographer: Valerie Wilcox
Source: House & Home March 2017
Designer: Erika Floysvik
Address all work areas. To guarantee that all prep areas in the kitchen are well-lit, install pendants above the island or peninsula, task lighting under upper cabinets and recessed lights in the ceiling.
Photographer: Alex Lukey
Source: House & Home March 2017
Designer: Samantha Farjo
Install a trio of pendants over large kitchen islands. Larger islands look best with three pendant lights spaced at equal distances from the center of the island, with at least 20 inches between each light.
Photographer: Virginia Macdonald
Source: House & Home February 2017
Designer: J Gibson
For smaller kitchen islands, use two pendants. Ensure that the pendants are spaced at equal distances from the center of the island, with at least 30 inches between them.
Photographer: Alex Lukey
Source: House & Home March 2017
Designer: Sarah Hartill
Be mindful of cabinetry color. Darker kitchen cabinets don’t reflect light as well as their lighter counterparts, so more fixtures (or lightbulbs with greater wattage) may be required.
Photographer: Janet Kimber
Source: House & Home March 2017
Designer: 31 Westgate
Be strategic about placing your pot lights. Divide your ceiling height in half to calculate how far apart recessed lights should be. An eight foot-high ceiling should have lights spaced four feet apart.
Photographer: Colin Way
Source: House & Home July 2017
Designer: Aly Velji
Don’t forget about natural light. In a room as frequented as the kitchen, natural light is not only an energy saver, it’s integral to creating a warm, inviting atmosphere. Designer Sophie Burke maximized the amount of natural light in her own Vancouver kitchen with a bank of windows along the back wall and a skylight above the stove.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home April 2017
Designer: Sophie Burke
Choose lighting that complements the rest of the home. Streamlined light fixtures in architectural shapes are well-suited to homeowner Alison Gordon’s industrial-cool kitchen.
Photographer: Stacey Brandford
Source: House & Home March 2017
Designer: Shirley Meisels
Try a new take on pot lights. The black flush lights seen here in architect Darcie Watson’s Toronto kitchen are sleek and spare, adding a graphic punch without overwhelming the design.
Photographer: Naomi Findlay
Source: House & Home January 2017
Designer: Darcie Watson