Ensuring Sufficient Kitchen
Lighting
Kitchen lighting is crucial in today’s homes. Many homes today have kitchens that serve a
number of functions, from family dining to gathering places for friends, and
neglecting proper lighting can lead to a dark or unappealing space in the very
room you use most often.
Before ordering any kitchen lighting, take a good, long look
at the room and determine what the various lighting needs are as well as what
obstacles there are that need to be overcome.
While there are a variety of kitchen lights available, you will need to
find just the right ones for your particular style and size kitchen.
Outdated Kitchen
Lighting
Overhead kitchen lights are often a source of
dissatisfaction for homeowners. There
was a trend in the 1960's to the 1980's toward fluorescent lighting in
kitchens. Unfortunately, many of the
fluorescent lighting fixtures from this era are ugly and outdated. The harsh light can also seem cold and
unappealing. Of course, there were many
reasons for using these lights. They
were economical, easy to install and took up very little ceiling room, which
was an advantage for many homes with low ceilings in the kitchen.
If you have this problem, talk to a contractor or home
interior specialist. You may discover
that your kitchen has a drop ceiling, giving you room to work with some
solutions such as installing a tray ceiling, removing the drop ceiling tiles or
using a newer, flush mount ceiling fixture that uses incandescent or halogen
bulbs for a warmer look.
You may also want to consider can lights or recessed
lighting in the main area of the kitchen.
Both of these can be installed to create pools of light scattered around
the room, which will give a brighter, airier appearance as opposed to just one
central light fixture. If you have dark
cabinets or lack natural lighting from windows, this is a great kitchen lights
solution.
Kitchen Lighting for
Every Function
Your kitchen can be divided into various zones depending
upon how the space is used. If you have
an eat-in kitchen, you have a zone that's primarily for dining, although you
may also use your table for homework, as a work desk or as a conversation
area. Sufficient overhead lighting is
crucial in this area.
A chandelier is an excellent way to add decorative charm and
much needed lighting to the dining area.
Consider using a dimmer switch so that you can use low light for dining,
then switch to a brighter light for studying or paying bills.
The prep area of your kitchen includes any counter space
where you prepare food, your stove, and the kitchen sink. If you have a kitchen island, this is also
part of the prep area. Two wonderful
options for task lighting are pendant lights that are suspended above these
areas or recessed lights to target the prep areas. Under Cabinet Lighting, such as puck lights or small, halogen strip lights
installed underneath your upper cabinets can provide additional task lighting
as well.
Finally, accent kitchen lights are crucial for a warm,
inviting kitchen. If you have dark wood
cabinets, dark walls or lack plenty of natural light from windows, you should
consider adding small lights inside any cabinets with glass fronts. These will lighten up the look of the room
and help you avoid a gloomy feeling. If
you own decorative china pieces or some particularly attractive glassware or
crystal, cabinet lighting will showcase them beautifully. If you don't have glass fronts, you can add
puck lights or a few recessed accent lights in the corners to visually push
back the walls and make the room more inviting.
Take a look at your kitchen with fresh eyes,
then talk to a lighting specialist who can help you choose the best kitchen
lighting for your home. The result will
be a wonderful, inviting space your friends and family will love.
"Definitions"
is a feature of Profile-Lighting through its parent company, Profile
Supply, an on-line home improvement and building supplies retailer
selling architectural details and decorative millwork, home lighting, home furnishings and household plumbing fixtures and related products.
www.crown-molding.com | www.profile-lighting.com | www.profile-furniture.com | www.profile-plumbing.com