Useful Kitchen Lighting Tips

First of all, it should be noted that ceiling, wall and furniture lamps can be used for kitchen lighting. We will talk about how to combine them and where to install them.

Primary requirements

To carry out the correct installation of lighting in the kitchen, first of all, you need to familiarize yourself with the requirements that combine questions regarding the comfort and safety of being in this room.

So, the main requirements are:

• light should not create shadows from various objects;
• brightness light sources should not blind a person;
• different types of fixtures should complement each other;
• for reasons of energy saving, lamps should be fluorescent, halogen or LED. Classic version - incandescent lamps have low efficiency and short service life;
• When creating a lighting project in the kitchen, consider the color finish of the walls, because the efficiency of the use of lamps depends on this. For example, light walls are able to reflect up to 80% of the light, and dark walls only 12%;
• correctly calculate the number of fixtures, as well as their power. There is an opinion that for the working area the power should be at least 100 W / m²and the norm for dining is from 50 W / m² ;
• the distance from the lamps and switches to water (in our case, washing) should be at least 60 cm;
• one powerful lamp on the ceiling will not replace the local and general lighting in the kitchen.

Backlight Options

As we have already said, today it is customary to illuminate the work surface, the area above the dining table and individual objects that require lighting. Now we will talk about the most effective options.

Total

The general lighting in the kitchen serves to illuminate the entire room with a soft light that does not strain the eyes, but at the same time covers all the dark corners. Most often in this case, ceiling lights are used that are installed in the center or around the perimeter of the room.

Among the products are popular:

• spotlights with LED lights;
• chandeliers with three or more bulbs;
• articulated lamps;
• LED strip.

As for spotlights, they are mounted in a suspended or suspended ceiling. The advantage of the products is a neat appearance, easy installation and a long service life. This option can also be installed in furniture (for example, in a kitchen cabinet).

Chandelier Connection also used in general ceiling lighting.Most often, chandeliers with several lighting levels are used. For this, it is necessary to additionally install a two- or three-key switch.

Hinged lamps have proven themselves very well, because from the general illumination of a room you can make a local one by directing the products to the desired zone. Such lamps are installed in the center of the ceiling in a small group.

LED strips are used for concealed ceiling lighting. They can completely “flood” the stretch ceiling with soft light, while you cannot see the tape itself, because she will be hidden in a special eaves. Such an idea can be used not only as a general, but also as decorative lighting for the kitchen.

It should be noted that when installing hinged fixtures, it is necessary to direct the bulbs to the ceiling whenever possible. This option will not dazzle your eyes and at the same time create a soft and comfortable atmosphere that is characteristic of general illumination.

Local

Local lighting is used to illuminate the work area in the kitchen and dining table. In addition, it is recommended to direct light to the following elements:

• sink (apron);
• kitchen stove;
• shelves of lockers;
• bar counter;
• kitchen island.

For these objects, a bright and at the same time directional backlight is needed. The best in this case are the spotlights built into the furniture, the places for landing of which are created in advance by the manufacturer. Such products are best installed under the hood, in the visor of kitchen shelves, as well as directly in the suspended or stretch ceiling.

An alternative is lamps on movable arms (hinges), which we have already mentioned. Such lamps are really very convenient and allow you to adjust the direction of the light flux with your own hands.

It is also customary to use sconces mounted on the walls. In this case, you can “kill two birds with one stone”: make local lighting in the kitchen and add “zest” to the interior (if connect sconce with decorative trim).

Well, the last of the popular options is the installation of lamps on clothespins. Products work from the outlet, so sometimes they can interfere or not reach the working area. The advantage is that such lamps can only be used when necessary. Otherwise, they will not interfere, because they can be put in the pantry.

Our advice is to use directional ceiling lights or products built into furniture. The advantage of this option of local illumination is that the products will have a beautiful appearance and compact dimensions.

How to make the highlight of the working area in the kitchen, you can see in this video example:

We also recommend that you read the article - how to make your own kitchen apron backlight!

Decorative

Well, here we come to the last option of lighting the kitchen - decorative. In this case, the functionality of light fades into the background, because we can only dilute the interior in various ways.

We recommend that you use a hidden ceiling and floor lightingwhich works from diode tapes. Such products are self-adhesive. All they need is a special curtain rod. The only caveat - the shape of the room should be rectangular or square. On curved sections of the ceiling, LED strip does not always look good.

In addition, in the large kitchen you can install designer floor lamps, selected according to the style of the room. You understand that in a small-sized kitchen (from 9 to 12 square meters.) There should not be any floor lamps. You can also see interesting options for lighting the kitchen in the video below:

The role of natural light

Applying some features of natural lighting of the kitchen you can save money on electricityby making the most of daylight. For this window, you need to create large, curtains - translucent, and wall decoration as light as possible.

We draw your attention to the fact that natural light can also be in excess, thereby reducing the comfort of being in a room.

That everything was in moderation, we recommend that you consider the following recommendations for lighting the kitchen:

• If the windows face north, they should be perfectly clean, as dust can absorb up to 1/3 of all natural light.
• The southern arrangement of windows is very often the cause of an excess of daylight. In this case, it is recommended to close the windows with curtains of dark shades.
• The most effective device for adjusting the brightness of the room is the blinds. Install them on the windows so that you can adjust the light intensity.
• Do not forget about the color scheme of the walls, it also affects a lot. For the southern arrangement of the windows, you can lower the illumination with the help of the correctly selected color of the wallpaper (or tile). It is recommended to give preference to lilac, blue and green shades.
• If in the daytime the natural light does not cope with its task, set fluorescent lamps daylight, they are a worthy alternative and also save electricity.

Useful Tips

To your attention, tips that will most effectively make lighting in the kitchen with your own hands:

1. The dining table can be illuminated with a ceiling lamp, the design of which allows you to change the height of the suspension relative to the table. In this case, you can create a festive atmosphere by raising the lamp high above the table, or vice versa, to give the atmosphere of family comfort, lowering the lamp low. For kitchens with a low ceiling (as in Khrushchev), this option may not be suitable.
2. To be able to adjust the intensity of the light flux, use dimmers (one of types of switches) In this case, you can use the lighting to change the atmosphere in the room (bright light will be comfortable for cooking, and a little dim for a romantic dinner).
3. The modern option is installation of concealed ceiling lighting creatively complement the interior. In this case, it is necessary to install an LED strip inside a special cornice.
4. Use ceiling and wall lights for directional lights. With their help, it is possible to concentrate the luminous flux at a certain point, which is especially suitable for the working area.
5. Do not use cheap Chinese products, they quickly fail, often have poor-quality fasteners and are also unsafe.
6. To illuminate a small and narrow kitchen, it is best to use spotlights. Firstly, they will not clutter the small ceiling, and secondly, each lamp will serve the desired area.

Photo examples

To your attention the most original photo of the idea of ​​lighting in the kitchen:

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