It is often said that the kitchen is the heart of the home. With this, it is important that the space is warm, inviting, and comfortable. However, there are many practical things that take place in a kitchen that require it to be well-lit, such as food prep, cooking, and paperwork.

We have put together five of the top tips for kitchen lighting to help make sure the light in your kitchen is not only visually appealing to look at, but that it’s also highly functional.

Use multiple layers of lighting

One of the first ways to enhance the lighting in your kitchen and create a dynamic space is to utilize layers, such as ambient lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting.

Ambient lighting is soft, overhead light that brightens the space for general day-to-day use and helps you to easily navigate the kitchen. It is usually the main source of light in the room, and it can include fixtures like recessed lights mounted inside the ceiling, small fixtures attached to the ceiling, or even chandeliers that hang from the ceiling by a chain.

Task lighting is intended to illuminate working areas to ensure they are well-lit for functions such as reading recipes, preparing meals, and cleaning. It is typically brighter than ambient or accent lighting to increase precision and productivity on work surfaces such as countertops or sinks. Task lighting usually includes pendant lights that hang from the ceiling, or light strips that mount under cabinets, drawers, or in the pantry.

Accent lighting is designed to highlight specific decor or architectural features in the kitchen, helping to dress up the space and show off displays. It is typically in the middle in terms of brightness, and it includes puck lights or cove lights that are built into the ceiling, or small lights that mount inside or on cabinets.

Take natural light sources into account

When considering lighting for kitchens, the amount of natural light available should be a primary consideration. It’s important to think about how many windows the space has, as well as what direction those windows face. If afternoon sun directly comes in, for example, the kitchen is likely to be well-lit later into the day.

Consider smart LED lights

LED bulbs are energy efficient as well as low-maintenance. Smart lighting gives you control not only over the color temperature, but it also gives you the ability to dim the lights, schedule them to be turned down at certain times, and even remotely turn them off.

Don’t forget about the island!

When it comes to the kitchen island or peninsula lighting, there are a variety of factors to think about and plan for. If you are leaning towards hanging pendants, you will have to decide on:

• The number of pendants
• Where they should be placed
• How high above the countertop they should stop (about 30-32 inches above the surface is standard)
• How big they should be
• How far about they should be spaced

Placing pendant lights above a kitchen island or peninsula aids in adding more light to the overall kitchen, as well as adding decorative pieces to the room and making it more visually appealing.

Consider color temperature

Finally, the last thing to think about for kitchen lighting would be color temperature. Ambient and task lighting should generally be a cooler light temperature, whereas accent lighting should be slightly warmer in color temperature. This helps to balance out the space and add to the layered approach.

Tips for kitchen lighting

By sticking with these kitchen lighting tips, you can be sure that you are creating an inviting space for gatherings, that is also functional and practical, for years to come.