Truly, the kitchen is crucial to every family because it is the center where all the effective operations occur. That is the place known as the kitchen where the food is prepared, served and often the place where families gather together.
A good choice of lighting must ensure that the kitchen remodeling services in saratoga california is well lit in addition to giving it a beautiful outlook. Good lighting can transform your beautiful design while giving you the necessary lighting in the areas you need it.
We will discuss ten things to understand when planning the lighting in your kitchen. Well, it is high time to break some light on great kitchen lighting!
Key Factors to Consider for Optimal Kitchen Lighting
The first process in planning your lighting design of your kitchen is to determine what is most important to you. Which of the lighting features are most relevant to how you employ your kitchen? Some key considerations include:
• Brightness level – Calculate the lumens required over kitchen main areas including counter tops, sink areas and the stove. Although most fluorescent light sources could be used for general lighting purposes, one must consider dimmers which could be adjusted as necessary.
• Ambiance lighting – It itemizes focalized lighting on food preparation sections, storage space, dish washing, etc.
• Task lighting – Integrate those that focus on a specific area within the full kitchen.
• Style- Ensure you select stylish fixtures that will complement the style of your kitchen interior.
What Sets Kitchen Lighting Apart from Other Lighting Types
kitchen remodeling services in saratoga california can combine different types of fixture according to its specific architecture and requirements. Common kitchen lighting options include:
• Functional ascendants – These are lights that hang from above to provide focus on islands, sinks, and tables.
• Pendant lighting – This is a suspended lighting system with darkened areas for recessed tracks and spotlighting.
• Can lights – Indirect lighting from ceiling incorporated light fixtures.
• Chandeliers – These are the right types of lighting fixtures to consider as they serve both the purpose of the focal point and functional light source.
Desirable Lumen Amount for Kitchen Lighting
It is advised that proper lighting of the kitchen should be around fifty units per ‘square foot of kitchen fixtures’. This leads to sufficient light levels for typical kitchen activities.
Traditional kitchen: for an 8×10 (80 sq ft) kitchen, you’ll need 80 x 50 lumens = 4,000 lumens.
Provide adequate dimension in spaces and search for lumen levels in the lights. Some sample recommendations:
• Pendant lights – more than 600 plus lumens
• Under cabinet lights – From 300 to 900 lumens
• A recessed ceiling light shall be at least 750+ lumens.
Also as far as possible incorporate light from natural sources. Specify fixtures to complement them to areas of need.
In which particular stage of a kitchen layout should task lighting be incorporated?
Strategically supplement your overall kitchen remodeling services in saratoga california lighting design with task lighting in key zones where focused illumination is needed for cooking, meal prep, and clean up.
Is it possible to integrate lighting at different temperatures in a kitchen?
Yes, you can fit different lights with different kelvin ratings to make it functional as well as warm or cool depending on what you desire. Recommended kelvin levels for kitchens are:
• 2700K to 3000K: This colored light is perfect for general or widespread lighting.
• 3500K to 4000K: Luminance of brilliant white light suitable for work zones over countertop and sinks. It improves visibility for preparation of food.
Which finish for fixtures is least noticeable to kitchen grease?
Due to routine exposure to cooking oils, grease, etc, choosing kitchen lighting fixtures with easily cleanable finishes is key for best resilience and easy maintenance. Recommended finishes are:
• Stainless steel: Prevents grease residue, easy to wipe up, sleek design.
• Matte White: It conceals grease and wears far better than gloss.
• Matte Black: Stylish option where the grease has a tendency of mixing with the finish better.
• Glass: This feature creates texture and a functional aesthetic(for example, obsessed with a silver finish that has a constant tendency to attract smudged, grimy fingerprints).
• Brushed Nickel: Tough and shiny silver finish that hides grease and dirt quite well.
Where to install overhead lighting in kitchens?
Optimize overhead lighting on zones of essential work including islands, sinks, stoves and counters. Integrated ceiling downlights extend some of the lights over the entire extent of the fully open kitchen.
Mini pendants provide directional task lighting towards counter and island work planes. And chandeliers or hanging lights bring both fashion and the rays of light from above.
Live in a Kitchen with Lamps or Install Dimmer Switches for Them?
Switches such as dimmers allow you to have more control of the amount of light required from just general to working light. They also enable how you would want to set your lighting for dining and parties convenience.
Definitely use dimmable LEDs and smart dimmers, as these types of bulbs are compatible with all conventional systems and allow you to control the light intensity. App controlled smart dimmers with preset lighting scenes controllable through a smartphone to interchange lighting from daytime cooking to evening mood.
What steps should I take when designing the lighting for a new kitchen?
Make a list of the positions of sinks, stoves, preparation areas, eating areas and cabinets/counters. First show general overhead lights then add focused lights in corners where there are none or above countertops with no light.
Next are exquisite pendants across the peninsula or island. Last on the list, mark locations where accent lights are needed in order to illuminate patterned tile, glass doors or display shelves for example.
How to Make a Small Dark Kitchen Lighter?
Proper positioning reflects all the difference in the small, cramped area of the kitchen remodeling services in saratoga california. Overhead lighting should be placed with focus on preparatory work and mainly over the upper cabinet.
Replace dark coloured walls with light coloured paints, for the backsplashes, go with the reflective types. Use accent lights above the dinnerware glass display case and bounce more light around the room.
Conclusion
Having a proper 3-tiered lighting system in the kitchen makes having fun with cooking and hosting guests in the kitchen a great pleasure. You could use a general accent to task lighting along with beautiful pendants and danglers and even maintain your kitchen looking great and eminently useful at the same time. Simply consider these important strategies to design kitchen lighting layouts for a bright inciting space to fit your requirements.
FAQs
What is the upper limit of lighting in the kitchen?
As for requirements of lighting standard, it is suggested that the floor area of the kitchen remodeling services in saratoga california must have at least 30 to 50 footcandles of general ambient lighting. Critical prep areas should have 70 to 100 foot candles so accuracy can be maintained while accidents can be avoided.
How can I layer and layer kitchen lighting fixtures?
The critical issue here is to get consistent in the style of the fixtures and the metal finishes, the glass and the lamps. In matters concerning the kitchen lighting fixtures, the possibilities for blending and extending are just numerous.
Which watts of LED are suitable for the kitchen?
Common wattage for general kitchen lights range from 15 to 20 watt LED lights. For the task lighting specifically under cabinets where there is more seeing to be done, 20 to 25 watt LEDs are used. For Island and sinks, more conspicuous 24 to 30 watt multi head LED pendants are sociable and perfect for the job