The kitchen is perhaps the most visited place in the house. Food is prepared in this room, family members gather here, guests are received here. Kitchen lighting determines whether it will be cozy, comfortable and multifunctional. How to ensure that this room is conducive to pleasant and long family gatherings? The tips in this article will help you do just that.
Kitchen lighting: views
Relatively recently, there was nothing to choose from. A single chandelier, which was traditionally placed in the center, was responsible for lighting the ceiling in the kitchen. This option can hardly be called convenient, since many important areas remained in the shade.
Fortunately, this state of affairs is a thing of the past. At the moment, several types of lighting are at the service of the owners:
- general;
- lighting the dining area;
- illumination of the working area;
- decorative lighting.
Decorative role is now able to take over the working lighting of the kitchen. Modern lampsable to compete in beauty with works of art.
What should be the lighting of the kitchen
Where to start? To get started, you should figure out what the requirements are for lighting the kitchen:
- Light sources should not be too bright. Otherwise, they will blind people.
- They should be positioned so that the dining area and work surface are not in the shade.
- Some light sources should organically complement others.
- The color scheme of the kitchen must be taken into account. Obviously, dark walls and furniture will reflect less light than light ones.
- Working and dining areas need lighting of different power.
- Lamps should be at the proper distance from water sources. Well, if it is at least 60 cm.
Central lighting
Views on kitchen lighting have changed over the years. However, it is still impossible to do without a central light. Ceiling chandelier can be mounted near the dining table or in the center of the room. Instead, it is allowed to use flat lamps, you can also stop at built-in lighting.
It's great if a rheostat is provided, which allows you to control the intensity of the light flux. With it, you can change the atmosphere in the kitchen.
This is just a small part of what you need to know about kitchen ceiling lighting. Photos shown inarticle will help in choosing the best option. The stretch ceiling deserves special attention.
Stretch ceiling
Lighting in the kitchen with a stretch ceiling should be considered separately. What options are there?
- Directed. The backlight is used to highlight the dining table, kitchen cabinets and so on. It can be used to draw attention to specific items.
- Accented. The method involves the use of track or recessed fixtures. Such lighting makes the kitchen more voluminous, visually pushing the walls apart.
- Decorative. The effect is achieved through the use of overhead lamps, chandeliers. Such light is called architectural sophistication, its use makes the room more interesting.
- Scattered. Soft light is reflected from the stretch surface, flooding the kitchen space. To organize such illumination, floor lamps made of opaque materials are used.
Work area
Thinking over the design of kitchen lighting, special attention should be paid to the work area. Cleaning vegetables, cutting meat, kneading dough - this is where all the important processes take place. Enough bright lighting is necessary for comfortable work, but how to provide it?
Light sources can be placed directly on wall cabinets. In this case, while cooking, you do not have to strain your eyesight. The light will fall directly on the work surface, will not hit the eyes. Canstop at a set of furniture where holes for lamps are already provided. It is not forbidden to install separate light sources. Don't forget the stove and sink, which also need lighting.
LED strip can be a great alternative. It is attached to the bottom surface of the cabinets. This method is characterized by uniformity, efficiency. Also, the tape will become a kind of decoration of the room, it will help to designate separate zones.
Dining area
Thinking through the lighting of the kitchen, you can not help but pay attention to the dining area. Suppose that the room simultaneously serves as a dining room. In this case, you should take care of high-quality lighting of the table at which the whole family gathers. What options are there?
- Large pendant lamp with spectacular shade or shade. This device is located directly above the center of the countertop. The optimum height from the surface to the bulb is 1.5 meters. You can lower the lamp lower to give the dining area a cozy and homely look. If you raise it higher, a festive and solemn atmosphere will reign. The lamp should gently diffuse the light so that it does not hit the eyes of those who are sitting at the table. Devices with translucent shades made of frosted glass perfectly cope with this task.
- Several elegant pendants with small shades. This option is relevant if the table has a rectangular or oval shape, while for round or square lightingproducts are best limited to one device. It is enough to install two or three lamps. They can be distributed along the central axis at the same distance from each other or hung in one group.
- Spots or sconces, the luminous flux of which is directed downwards. This solution will be an excellent choice if the table is pushed close to the wall. Unfortunately, in this case, part of the countertop will still remain in the shade. In addition, the sconce does not organically fit into every interior style.
- Suspended design with recessed spotlights. This method is easy to organize when it comes to a large kitchen.
Decorative lighting
What is decorative kitchen lighting? From the name it follows that a specific function is not assigned to it. Decorative lighting is used primarily to decorate the interior, with its help you can visually enlarge the space and give the room a zest.
For example, you can organize the lighting of kitchen cabinets. This is especially true if they have transparent doors. You can also highlight the space between the kitchen unit and the ceiling with LED strip. This option helps to visually make the room taller, and also gives extra soft light.
You can also highlight the plinth of the kitchen set. This will create the illusion that the furniture is floating in the air, and also increase the space. The solution is optimal for small kitchens. We should not forget about the possibilities that candles have. With their helpcan create a romantic or festive atmosphere.
If the kitchen is small
What about lighting a small kitchen? Of course, the area of the room is important to take into account when it comes to choosing lighting fixtures. The mistake is made by those who limit themselves to placing one chandelier in the center of the kitchen. There should be several light sources in order to make it comfortable to work and relax in the kitchen.
Compact spotlights or spotlights will be an excellent solution. You can also opt for spots that allow you to easily adjust the direction of the light, direct it to certain areas.
Low ceilings
What should be the lighting in this case? In a small room, it hardly makes sense to create a stretch or suspended ceiling. Therefore, you have to forget about spot lighting. It is better to give preference to a concise and compact chandelier model, which will allow you not to overload the space. The lamp should not be too small, otherwise it will only draw attention to the diminutiveness of the room.
It is better to refuse devices with a suspension. The plafond should be located as close as possible to the ceiling surface. It is good if the light is directed to the ceiling, and not down. Do not choose plafonds in the form of boxes and plates, as the light will be dim.
Which bulbs to choose
Kitchen lighting can be done with various types of lamps. The following varieties are currently the most popular:
- Incandescent lamps. A few years ago, they met almost inevery house. Now people prefer more economical types.
- Fluorescent lamps. They are more economical, provide brighter lighting. However, we must not forget that their cost is higher.
- Halogen lamps. They are not only economical, but also presented in a huge variety of types and shapes. With their help, it is easy to create original interior solutions.
- LED lamps. They are renowned for their long service life as well as their high light output.
Light fixture material
The above is about how lighting in the kitchen can be. The photos in the article will help you make your choice. It remains to pay attention to the materials of lighting devices. They should be made of quality plastic or glass, which will allow them to withstand prolonged exposure to steam and high temperatures.
Of course, you can opt for fabric lampshades. This solution is often found in Provence and country styles. It is important not to forget that the material should be easy to clean.
Conclusion
Creating good lighting means developing a clear plan. Even at the repair stage, it will be necessary to lay the wiring, which should not be forgotten. If the kitchen project is already ready, it will be quite simple to decide on the size, color, type and number of fixtures. We should not forget about the area of the kitchen and its position relative to the cardinal points, as these factors also affect the result.
