Kitchen Lighting Tips

The Kitchen is one of the most used rooms in your home. We use the kitchen for everything, cooking, home work and socializing. That is why it is so important to have proper kitchen lighting. There are several types of Kitchen lighting. Ambient lighting is the light cast for general illumination. This typically comes from a dinette chandelier, fluorescent light or ceiling lighting. The next type of lighting is task lighting. This is used to bring more light in work spaces such as counter tops and food preperation areas. This can be done with under cabinet lighting and recessed cans.

Tip 1-
Fluorescent lighting is a great way to add general lighting to your kitchen.  The most most popular fluorescent lighting comes in 2 light and 4 light configurations.  The 2 light fluorescent is ideal for kitchens up to 220 square feet. Anything over this size you will want to consider using a 4 light version or adding 2, 2 light fluorescent light fixtures.  Fluorescent lights are a great light for energy wise home owners. They use less energy than a similar lighting fixture while still providing the same amount of light. There are many Energy star rated lighting fixtures by manufactures like Minka, and Sea gull lighting.

Tip 2-
Many people wonder what is a good size light for my dining table. Well a good rule of thumb is that it should be roughly 2/3 of the table diameter. This will create a good balance of size and functionality. When considering a chandelier or pendant think about how the light will be disbursed.  This will affect how low you hang the light and how efficiently the light with be used.

Tip 3-
Consider using under cabinet lighting for task lighting on your counter tops.  This will bring lighter and brighter work areas as well as bring a ambiance to your kitchen. There are several types of under cabinet lighting from LED, Strip lighting and puck lighting. These all ofer different types of light and if used to manufactures recommendation will bring sufficient light to your work surface.