Naturally, you want your kitchen to look good. So, when seeking light fixtures for it, you want to find ones combining practicality with aesthetics.
It’s a task easier said than done — but, for the doing part, it could help if you closely account for the different areas of your kitchen and thus what type of lighting would best suit their intended purposes.
Some Ideas For Weaving Style And Function Into A Cohesive Whole.
Consider What Happens In Each Part Of The Kitchen
Many activities that occur in your kitchen could likely be separated into two broad categories: preparing food and eating food.
Spaces like worktops, the sink and above the hob are usually reserved for the former and so would call for task lighting. Meanwhile, if your kitchen has a dining area, you should look at sourcing mood and accent lighting for this, where creating a relaxing atmosphere is imperative.
Choose Lights Reflecting Your Kitchen’s Visual Character
Jennifer Markowitz of JNR Designs tells Real Homes: “Choosing a statement light fixture can seem daunting but I always tell clients to take the design elements they love in their home and apply it to the light.”
So, while a fixture in rattan or another natural material could suit a coastal vibe, a beautiful crystal chandelier should probably be sought instead for a more traditional space. Markowitz explains: “The most important thing is to have fun with it, and make it your own.”
Install Bold Pendants Alongside Subtle Spotlights
You don’t have to struggle to find bold pendants, as many are included in the wide range of pendant ceiling lights by Pagazzi.
However, to create a multifunctional space where users can enjoyably prepare, cook and eat food, you could also add a series of spotlights nearby.
“For ceiling spotlights, my advice is to be as discreet as possible, ideally white frames and a simple grid pattern,” kitchen designer Emma Cowburn tells Ideal Home.
Use Lighting To Divide Your Kitchen Into ‘zones’
If you have an open-plan kitchen lacking many discernible, physical boundaries between cooking, eating and entertaining areas, you could use lighting to better distinguish these from each other.
For example, spotlights could be used strictly in one particular zone, while pendants could be saved for another. Doing this can imbue a kitchen’s appearance with more depth and interest as well as leave the overall design looking more orderly.
Add A Dimmer Switch To Your Kitchen
It’s easy to overlook just how much this can add to a kitchen in a practical sense. This applies no matter how large your kitchen is and how much you intend to spend on its lighting.
Dimmer switches basically allow you to adjust how brightly electric lighting shines quickly and easily. Consequently, you can tinker with the light settings as your household’s needs change throughout the day.
For example, you could reduce a light’s luminance for dinner parties but bring it back up again later if you will be reading a book in the space.
