Kitchen Lighting Ideas – What Would You Do With It?
When I started out in planning my kitchen renovation, I really didn’t know what to expect. I knew that it was going to be an adventure! I have done many remodels before, and I have found one thing to always be true-there is plenty of room for creative inspiration when you have plenty of light. This was my first time to live in brand new kitchen-my parents were remodelling their old one, so I was going to get the most use out of the space as possible. It was my first time to plan out the lighting, so I was very fortunate to have a kitchen designer to help me with the process.
The first lighting issue we had to address was where to put the light fixtures. My parents did not have a traditional kitchen, so the ceiling was going to have to do double duty. We wanted to have a nice ambient light, but not have it shine directly on our meals. I suggested putting the light fixture over a window so that it shined down and provided some ambiance, but not as harsh as if it was directly overhead. The designer suggested a chandelier style light fixture over the window, which worked great!
Another great kitchen lighting idea was using track lighting. I don’t know why more home designers don’t include this in their designs. You can direct light where you need it most, without shining it directly on your counter tops. The designer even provided lights that could be dimmed, just like your standard desk lamps.
There was also a lot of lighting ideas that we could do ourselves, without having to hire a professional. I realized, while planning, that I didn’t have to have the typical kitchen light fixture above the sink. We hung a small, recessed fluorescent light over the island and it was perfect! A few other lighting ideas we implemented ended up being quite successful, too!
Lighting is one of the most important aspects of a kitchen, if not the most important aspect. We learned that hanging several compact fluorescent lights around the room was going to be very effective. Even one of our neighbors was amazed at how much better my kitchen looks now, compared to when we first decided to remodel. Lighting is one of those things that you are going to have to be very personal in how you plan, but it’s well worth the time investment.
Our neighbor was so impressed that he bought one of our scented bird baths for his own house. I still haven’t bought one for myself. For starters, I like the fact that I can see all of the different lighting ideas that other people have come up with, when I am looking for inspiration. But that’s not the only benefit to lighting. It also makes a house look more warm and inviting.
