Lighting Up Your Kitchen

Adding light to your kitchen area is all about balancing task lighting with general and ambient lighting. If you have a large kitchen with an island bench and added seating, your kitchen may not only be a place that you cook, but also relax and entertain in. Taking all of this into consideration, having the correct balance of light in your kitchen is important. 

Task lighting

Some of the most important lighting you’ll need in the kitchen is lights that illuminate your work spaces so you can see what you’re doing when you’re preparing meals. Lights underneath kitchen cupboards is great for this as unlike ceiling lights, these lights will provided a clear, non-obstructed beam of light where you need it most. 

Kitchen island bench lighting

Right now pendant lights in a uniformed row above a kitchen island bench is what you’ll see in contemporary and modern apartments. These lights are simple and stylish, adding illumination whilst also creating a focal point in the kitchen. 

Cabinet lights

Cabinet lights with sensors for your main pantry is a useful lighting solution and a worthy investment. These internal cabinet lights allow you to see your food items clearly, even in the middle of the night. 

Ambient lighting under bench tops and above cupboards

In many contemporary apartments strip lighting is used underneath bench tops and along the top of kitchen cabinets. These lights provide a warm, soft form of light perfect for adding an extra layer of gentle, ambient lighting to your kitchen. These lights are easy to install, are non-obtrusive as you don’t seem them, yet they add a sophisticated touch to any new kitchen space. 

Track lighting

Track lighting is a wonderful alternative to downlights in the kitchen. Track lighting consists of a track that has a series of lights which clip on to the track. They are easy to move and swivel so you can create task, accent and general lighting easily using track lights. Installing these with a dimmer will allow for optimal illumination control too. 

When looking for ways to better illuminate your kitchen consider the different lighting options available and what forms of lighting will be needed in different areas of your kitchen. 

By Katie Preston Toepfer, author, creative writer and content coordinator for GoLights.com.au. GoLights is an online retail destination offering premium lighting solutions for both residential and commercial applications.