The Importance Of Kitchen Cabinet Lighting

The Importance Of Kitchen Cabinet Lighting

As the kitchen is the hub of your home life, well-positioned and proper illumination is obviously important so you can see what you’re doing. It also serves to set a warm and welcoming mood. Lighting is a critical element for the kitchen; it affects functionality and can have a huge impact on how you feel about spending time in this central area of your home.

Four layers

To create efficient and complete illumination, a combined range of lighting fixtures is required.

Firstly, you have ambient lighting which floods and illuminates the kitchen area evenly. Task lighting is practical, illuminating work spaces and inside cabinets. Accent lighting adds depth and dimension; this is the lighting placed in the recessed areas above wall and beneath base cabinets. Decorative lights, such as sconces, add interest. The source of lighting used generally will be fluorescent tubes, halogen or LED. The latter is of course the top choice as LED lights are the most cost effective and friendly to the environment.

Under the cabinets

Besides adding to the ambiance, under the cabinet lighting is important to illuminate the counter tops so you can see what you’re doing while preparing and cooking food. Puck lights are perfect as they are adjustable and can be directed onto a specific area. Fluorescent lights offer a brighter illumination source which covers more area. These fixtures are installed in the recess beneath the cabinets so you don’t see actual fixtures, only the beneficial light; you can always add a dimmer for even greater control over your lighting.

Inside the cabinets

Lighting fixtures placed within the cabinets can be both practical – such as automated lights which are particularly helpful for locating contents within a deep cabinet – or decorative, such as within a glass fronted cabinet, helping to accent your best dinner- and/or glassware.

Above the cabinets

This is typically ambient lighting used to help create the mood in the kitchen and are usually placed in the recess above wall cabinets that do not extend all the way to the ceiling. LED lights are a practical choice for above cabinet illumination; they can be safely left on overnight as they don’t overheat and also won’t run up your electric bill, so providing a soft light for negotiating the kitchen during the night.

Base cabinet lighting

Toe kick lights are placed in the recessed area at the bottom of your base cabinets. Again, as for above the cabinets, LED strip lights can be used to add to the ambience and also for the practical purpose of lighting the kitchen during the night. Take it to the next level with sensor activated lights that only come on when you enter the kitchen, allowing you to safely navigate your way without stumbling when you need to get something from the kitchen during the night.