Shine A Light On Your Kitchen With These 3 Key Elements
The modern kitchen has evolved into more than just a place to fry eggs and simmer soup. It's now a centerpiece of family life, home entertainment, and stress relief. To accomplish all that's required of it, though, the kitchen must have the right lighting. And a good kitchen lighting plan includes three different but important lighting elements. Here's what you need to know about them.
Accent Lighting
Accent lights are what make the kitchen into a room of beauty. Accent lights could be lanterns, pendant lamps, or string lights that don't throw off much brightness but add interest. Look for accents that enhance your favorite features of the room. For instance, puck lights installed underneath the upper cabinets could highlight your one-of-a-kind backsplash or bring out the gleam in marble you personally selected.
More than the other forms of light, accent lights contribute to the personality and theme of the kitchen. Consider what each one adds to the mood you want for the room, add avoid cluttering up the space with too many accents.
Overhead Lighting
Overhead, or ambient, lighting is mostly about safety and function. These are the lights that spread over the entire room so you can enter, move around safely, and exit the space. While they're not the only lighting feature, they should be sufficiently bright and plentiful to do the heavy lifting in the kitchen.
But today's kitchen owners have many choices when it comes to overhead lights, so you don't need to feel restricted to old-fashioned fluorescent tubes. Consider recessed lights that soften the glow while providing plenty of wattage. You can even have fun with minimalist flush-mounted lights, pendants, or even chandeliers.
Task Lighting
The right task lighting depends on your style of kitchen use. It is added to boost functionality and safety in key areas, including the stove, prep areas, sink, or cabinetry interiors. Think of these lights as an extra layer targeted where it will make the most difference for you.
If you like to bake, for instance, you might add a bright, low hanging lamp over your butcher block. A coffee bar, on the other hand, might feature a desk lamp specifically for those early morning wake-up calls before the whole house has arisen.
If you balance these three types of lighting, the design will be attractive, useful, and customized no matter how you use the kitchen. Want to learn more about accent, overhead, or task lighting? Reach out to a company like Lightstyles Design.