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Lighting For Your Kitchen And Cabinets

Lighting For Your Kitchen And Cabinets
Jamie Ho Snodgrass

Kitchen Lighting

Kitchen lighting is a form of home lighting specifically for the functional purpose of a kitchen. In the kitchen several requirements need to be met and these must be aided by precise lighting. Thus kitchen lighting is mostly task lighting and ambient lighting and less of decorative lighting. Good kitchen lighting, from an aesthetic and functional standpoint, incorporates both ambient and task lighting.

From the perspective of a professional lighting designer, the kitchen is one of the more interesting and versatile projects one can tackle. Filled with numerous nooks and crannies, cabinets and appliances, shelves and other specialized areas such as islands, kitchens can present more lighting challenges than any other room in your home.

Start with the task areas. These are best lit with bright, shadowless light. Fluorescent tubes are particularly well suited for this. You want to get the fixture close to the task area so as to get maximum light concentrated on the area you wish to work. In kitchens this would be counters, sinks, and tables. Spot lights and directional lights also provide task lighting in kitchens. For pantries or other closets, small Under Cabinet Lights provide good illumination. They can be mounted inside the closet above the door header to provide glare free lighting on the closet contents.

Ambient Lighting

Ambient light is the general, overall light that fills in shadows, reduces contrast, and lights vertical surfaces to give the space a brighter feel. Fluorescent tubes are well suited to the job of providing ambient light. They provide broad, even illumination and their efficiency makes it possible to fill the space with light without turning it into an oven. Incandescent down lights are more dramatic and give a brilliant white light but require several fixtures to avoid shadows in a kitchen.
Direct Lighting

Direct lighting is achieved by using conventional recessed lights, surface lights or light fixtures that are on a pendant or chain. These types of lights work well to provide bright lighting for work surfaces and general purpose lighting in the kitchen area. Rope lighting and small recessed lights are budget friendly.
Accent Lighting

Add a layer of accent lighting. You may be lighting artwork, architectural details, collectibles, or a food presentation area.

Kitchen occupancy sensors can be used in place of expensive complicated 3-way switches in kitchens with multiple entrances. If the sensors can "see" all the entrances from their mounting location, they will turn on the lights automatically whenever anyone enters the room from any direction.

The importance of kitchen lighting is often overlooked. The traditional kitchen has been replaced by a modern one where people interact in quietude over the counter. Thus kitchen lighting is evolving with the needs of modern households.
Cabinet lighting

When it comes to interior, cabinet décor is a matter of high attention as beautiful cabinets make the place more attractive specially kitchen. Normal type of lighting has a problem of shadows and reflections and it hampers the quality of light. There are under cabinet and cabinet lightings having different types of uses and specialties. Cabinet lighting has a variety of old and new-fashioned lights with a great variety. Polished with brass and silver the lights look more attractive and they make the cabinets look brighter. These days there are a lot of lights having a great finishing touch with a variety of colors. There is a great lighting including ambience lights and halogen lights that are used for enhancing the quality of cabinet brightness.
Types of Cabinet Lighting

The types of lights depend upon brightness, consumption of voltage, color and temperature. There are some adjustable lights that can be moved in a full circular motion. Some people have a problem of heat from the lighting so for them lights with an effect of florescence can be of a great use. Like the halogens radiate heat and create a problem for the people who cannot sustain heat these are a convenient option. There are some lights that have a brightness adjustment effect and they are very useful in each time of the day. Another good point is efficiency of energy and flickering free technology that can cut down maintenance cost. The life of lamps is more due to usage of xenon and hence they are worth of their price.
Usage of Cabinet Lighting

Most of the cabinet lighting is used fro display of things or to provide a sufficient amount of light for normal working. Most of them are used in the office for desktops, at hospitals, studying rooms or library, bathroom closets, bedroom shelves, nooks and corners along hallways and stairways, living rooms, family rooms and anywhere else where a little brightness is required. For the kitchen installation one thing should be kept in mind that it should be in front or near the cabinet. It will be beneficial for providing the exact amount of required light with an added elegance of brightness to the kitchen cabinet. Hence by the usage of these tips you can enhance your cabinets.

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