6 Simple Ways to Add Beautiful Lighting to Your Kitchen

Today’s kitchen is more than just a place for making meals. For many [city] homeowners, it’s the family room, dining room, and at times, even an office. Keeping this area well-lit not only ensures people can see what they’re doing (useful when you’re trying to keep your food from burning!), it also gives your kitchen a beautiful glow.

Below are 6 simple tips to help make your kitchen lighting look amazing.

Use Light Fixtures that Complement the Entire Home

A common mistake people make when trying to spruce up their kitchen lighting is choosing random light fixtures—usually the cheapest they can find in the store. But when it comes to lighting, you want to keep your design fluid by using lights in your kitchen that compliment your home’s overall style. Although basic light fixtures work, you can get creative by using pendants or even chandeliers to light up your kitchen.

Hide Your Task Lighting

With their focused and narrower beam spread, task lights help you see what you’re cooking or working on. Instead of installing multiple lights in the ceiling, you can place your task lights under your cabinets and cupboards. This not only prevents glare in the kitchen caused by having too many exposed lights, it also brings your light sources closer to your primary workspace. Hiding your task lights also lets you turn them on and off only when you need them. Round cupboard lights with LED light bulbs are a good option for task lighting.

Avoid Dark Corners

Add general kitchen lighting near walkways, sinks, cooktops, and prep areas. This way, every corner of your kitchen is well lit and free of dark spots. But as mentioned earlier, you also want to avoid adding too many light fixtures to prevent glare.

Instead, combine your general lighting with task lights, such as LED strips installed under countertops and cupboards to shine a light on specific areas. You can also install track lights to emphasize the cooking and washing area, as well as decorative pieces like art or photographs.

Use a Light Fixture as a Focal Point

You can always use a beautiful light fixture as your kitchen’s focal point. Choose a unique piece that not only looks beautiful but also matches the other light fixtures in the space. Don’t hesitate to get creative with your primary light fixture if you want it to be one of the main attractions in the room. A chandelier is always a good choice, but avoid using one that’s too big for the kitchen or has too much going on.

Layer Your Lighting

Place light fixtures in different levels in your kitchen. Combine under-cabinet light fixtures with task lighting. Add a pendant or a hanging fixture to create a focal point. If you can, use dimmable lights like LED bulbs so you can easily adjust how much light you want in specific areas of the kitchen.

Use as Much Natural Light as You Can

Sunlight will always have the best quality of light, so use as much of it as you can. Keep your windows open during the day and add some reflective decorative pieces to help catch natural light and bounce it around the kitchen.

Follow these tips to avoid have a bright and beautiful kitchen you actually want to spend time in. Remember, kitchen lighting not only serves a functional purpose, it also improves the aesthetic appeal and atmosphere of the space.