The kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where your family spends a lot of time, where family meals are lovingly prepared and where a lot of memories are made. Children will sit at the table and do their homework, or friend will stand there with a cup of tea and have a well-needed catch-up. With so many uses it is essential that your kitchen is decorated perfectly, and the lighting is the most integral part. It creates ambience and sets the mood.
Under the counter lighting:
The countertops are probably where most of the action happens in most kitchens. Unfortunately, while you are lighting areas such as islands and over the stove, there are occasions when this area gets left behind. There are often dark shadows under the cabinet obscuring your view of things stored on the counter, as well as when you are cutting, chopping and mixing.
There are two types of methods you can use to try and better this situation.
- Strip lights:
These are great to use under cabinets, allowing for a flood of light on the counter, illuminating the space. Strip lights are a strip of LED ceiling lights that are fitted in places that need a lot more brightness than other areas.
Strip lights are also a great addition to the inside of cabinets. This extra amp of light can be extremely helpful when looking for pantry items or trying to navigate your collection of crockery.
- Puck lights:
Puck lights are also LED lights, that are available in around an oval shape. The brightness and spread of these lights can be adjusted. They can be used to create a pool, scallop or spot of light. Puck lights have two definitive uses- creating mood and also illuminating areas.
Lighting your kitchen island:
An island within the kitchen is used for one of the two things. It can be the area over which your kitchen hob is situated, or it can be used for under counter storage in cabinets as well as eating.
The lighting that is used to accent the island should be based upon what it is used. An island that is used for cooking requires brighter lighting so that you can see what you are doing. To achieve this hanging lights and LED lights in combination are perfect. While you are cooking, the LED ceiling lights will provide the illumination you require, but when they are not needed, you can create an ambience with just the hanging lights.
If your island is used more for eating, or generally just hanging out then, pendulum lights are a terrific option. As an alternative, linear lights also look captivating, especially if you have a modern feel to your kitchen.
Whenever you install a light above an island, it is important that you know how long or how high they need to be installed to give you the desired effect. Pendulum lights should be no lower than 32 inches above your island, whereas linear lights require a minimum 40-inch gap between them and the island.