Kitchen Lighting Ideas that Enhance Your Home

September 9, 2024

Lighting is essential in any space in your home. It serves the vital function of keeping key spaces illuminated so you can see to perform tasks and move safely throughout your home. Modern homes employ a layered lighting plan that allows you also to set the ambiance for your space. You can easily change the lighting levels depending on your needs and the time of day. Light fixtures also often enhance your room’s aesthetic with everything from modern chandeliers to traditional sconces or bold pendants.

White kitchen with wood floor and black island

A kitchen design is no exception. Today’s multi-functional kitchen design serves as a space to not only cook, store food, and dine, but also to relax, entertain, and work or study. Each of these functions requires unique lighting levels, sources, and styles, so it is essential that you carefully craft a lighting plan as part of your kitchen design. Thoughtful planning for your kitchen lighting will ensure you can go from helping the kids with homework to prepping appetizers to sharing food and drinks with friends with ease.

Let’s explore some of the key things you need to know about kitchen lighting design.

Layered Lighting is the Key to a Well-Lit Kitchen

Layered lighting is the key to a modern lighting design. It illuminates essential spaces while also creating a balanced atmosphere in a busy kitchen design. What does this mean? Layered lighting simply means you incorporate multiple light sources that work together to meet all your lighting needs. It could also mean that you employ tools like a smart lighting system or dimmer switches to easily adjust light levels throughout the day as your requirements change.

View of a white kitchen

Here are the key types of kitchen lighting to consider when planning a layered lighting design:

A Kitchen Island Countertop | kitchen and bathroom remodeling

There is typically an overlap among the light fixtures that fulfill these roles in your lighting plan, especially when paired with smart controls that let you change light levels. A carefully considered lighting plan is even more important in large, multi-functional, kitchen designs. Make sure you discuss your requirements at the planning stage with your kitchen design expert.

Let’s explore some of the key lighting features that often form part of a kitchen design lighting plan.

Statement Pendants Combine Style and Functionality

Pendants are a popular choice in kitchen design, particularly in a larger, multi-functional kitchen. They are often found over dining areas or kitchen islands, where they draw attention and become a stylish focal point. When choosing pendant lights, you must look at the size, material, purpose, and placement of the lights. This will depend on the specifics of your kitchen design.

Large pendants are a top choice but make sure you do not overwhelm your space with too large a light fixture. Instead keep it proportional to the size of your kitchen design and the area it is to cover, for example, the kitchen island. Pendants that are too big can overpower a small space, while fixtures that are too small become lost in a spacious kitchen.

A larger pendant light becomes a natural focal point for your design, while smaller pendants are more subtle choices that blend with your room’s style. Likewise, pendants that match other fixtures and accessories like cabinet hardware and plumbing fixtures will not stand out as much as pendants chosen in a contrasting tone or a bold color. Consider also the height of your pendants, which depends on your ceilings and where you plan to hang the lights.

Pendants can be found in a wide variety of materials, shapes, and colors to enhance any kitchen design style, from modern to industrial or vintage. Popular materials for kitchen pendants include glass, metal, fabric, or even natural materials like rattan. The material you choose will also impact how much direct versus ambient light your fixtures provide.

Under-Cabinet Lights Elevate Functionality

Task lighting is essential in key areas including kitchen countertops, where you need to see clearly to chop vegetables, prepare meat, read recipes, and much more. Extra light directed at the countertops helps you to operate safely and efficiently in your kitchen. Undercabinet lights fulfill this need by lighting up spaces that are otherwise difficult to reach with overhead lights. They also serve as a softer light source when used on their own and are ideal for creating ambiance in the evenings.

View of a kitchen

Undercabinet lights may include LED strips or puck lights, and they can be integrated into a smart lighting plan or installed as motion sensor lights to enhance their functionality and flexibility. There are energy-efficient options for undercabinet lights that are ideal for helping the environment and your energy bills. These lighting features can also serve as accent lighting, by helping to draw attention to your backsplash and countertops.

Recessed Lighting is a Minimalist Choice

Recessed lighting is ideal for a kitchen and can stand on its own as your primary lighting or serve as a more general light source paired with other fixtures like pendants and chandeliers. On their own, recessed lights are especially suitable for a modern, minimalist kitchen design.

View of a kitchen

You must carefully plan the placement of recessed lights as part of your kitchen design, in terms of where you need them and how they will work together with other light fixtures. Make sure you include enough recessed lights to illuminate your space and avoid shadows in key work areas. Likewise, don’t overpower your kitchen with too many recessed lights, or you risk giving your space a clinical feel that won’t seem welcoming.

Choose the right bulbs for your needs, based on their lighting tone, brightness, and energy efficiency. Dimmer switches are a must-have for recessed lighting, so you can control the light level depending on your needs and the time of day. Otherwise, recessed lights can be overpowering when they are always on at full brightness.

Chandeliers Add a Touch of Luxury

Modern chandeliers are becoming a more popular choice than ever for kitchen designs, especially in multi-functional, open-plan kitchens with dining and living spaces. By placing a chandelier over a dining table or breakfast nook, you draw attention to that space and help delineate different zones within your open kitchen design. A chandelier could even be placed at the center of an open plan area to create a centerpiece around which the rest of the room’s layout, style, and activity revolves.

Chandeliers come in a range of styles, so you can choose one that is right for your home. Classic chandeliers fit a more traditional kitchen design style, while modern chandeliers give your space an updated, contemporary look. You can also mix classic chandeliers with contemporary kitchens, or vice versa, to give your space an eclectic edge. Choose a fixture that fits your kitchen without overwhelming it, and pair it with a dimmer switch or smart controls to manage the lighting levels.

View of a kitchen

Dimmers and Smart Lighting Controls Enhance Flexibility

We have mentioned the role of dimmer switches in a modern kitchen design, particularly in a multi-functional, open-plan kitchen. A more effective and flexible solution is to install smart lighting controls that let you adjust brightness, color temperature, and mood with your smart device or a remote control.

Demand for smart lighting controls has grown in recent years and are now a must-have for most kitchen designs – and it’s easy to see why. Smart lighting controls can be linked to a phone or other device, making the ability to change your lighting highly accessible. You can also get a system that allows for voice control, making it even easier to change light levels to meet your needs. This also enhances safety, particularly if you have reduced mobility since you no longer need to fumble around for light switches or try to grip dimmer switches.

View of a kitchen

Smart lighting controls are also a style accessory for the modern kitchen design. They let you change the level, color, and temperature of your lighting, which immediately changes the mood in the room. You can use this to transition your space from work to relaxation or to promote wellness by matching natural light levels more closely. Many systems allow you to save presets so you can more easily recreate your favorite settings for a family game night or an intimate dinner party.

Natural Lighting Lets You Make the Most of Daylight

View of a kitchen

When planning lighting for your home, don’t forget to factor in one of the most important light sources: natural light! Sunlight plays a significant role in creating an inviting and open kitchen, while also connecting you to outdoor spaces. Look at the placement of windows, glass doors, and skylights when planning your kitchen remodel to optimize daylight. Consider how you will blend natural and artificial light to maximize your lighting throughout the day. Your kitchen design expert can help you better understand these dynamics, and determine if an update to your windows, glass doors, or skylights would benefit your kitchen’s lighting and energy efficiency.

Create Your Ideal Kitchen Lighting Design to Elevate Your Home’s Style!

These are just some of the key components of a kitchen lighting plan. Kitchen lights can also incorporate wall sconces, floor lamps, and even candles. Strategic lighting choices elevate your entire kitchen design so be sure to carefully consider and plan for lighting as an essential part of your kitchen remodel.

Contact us to start planning or visit our design showroom to see our full selection of lighting fixtures. We have everything you need to bring your kitchen design vision to life, from products and materials to design and remodeling expertise!