Western Advocate

Kitchen lighting: Tips and tricks to have you cooking in style

The kitchen is a place where memories are homemade and seasoned with love. Picture: Supplied
The kitchen is a place where memories are homemade and seasoned with love. Picture: Supplied

This is branded content for Lighting Style.

The saying "Life happens in the kitchen" exists for a very good reason.

Our kitchen is one of the central rooms in the house where we often spend many hours cooking delicious food. So, it is important that we give this room the lighting it deserves.

How do you do that? Here are our 13 top tips and tricks.

1 Create a lighting plan

The kitchen has critical spots which are immovable such as the stove, kitchen island and sink. If you put the lights in the wrong places, you will forever have dark pools in all the wrong places which cannot be fixed. So plan ahead.

2 Beware of shadows

The trick to avoiding shadows is through layering the lights. For example, by having ceiling lights as well as a wall light. You will cast your own shadow, so it is important that the lights are not directly over work points.

3 Designer goes a long way 

Boring lights make boring kitchens. Be bold and you will love the impact. Your aim should be: How can I make my kitchen look beautiful?

4 Three is the perfect number 

A professional interior designer trick of the trade is to hang three pendants in a row. The effect will be stunning!

The ideal way to place pendant lights in a kitchen is in a group of three. Picture: Supplied
The ideal way to place pendant lights in a kitchen is in a group of three. Picture: Supplied

5 Chandelier over the dining table

If you have a dining table in the kitchen, hang a modern chandelier over it. It will instantly become the centrepiece and the talking point of the entire kitchen.

6 Use dimmers

Most of the time you will want the kitchen brightly lit, but at times - such as when you are relaxing at the dining table - the light should be subdued. Dimmers are great for precision control over the illumination.

7 Brass and bronze wall lights.

Wall sconces with lots of brass or bronze are very in and look lovely.

8 LED strip under cabinet lights

These are long thin lights that are fixed flush to the undersides of cabinets. They do not use any space, can be installed at any height, and provide superb light along a length rather than from a point.

9 Don't forget internal lighting

With the advent of cheap, efficient LED lights, many kitchen owners are choosing to install lights inside kitchen cupboards. This is particularly important for the pantry.

10 Don't forget natural light

While it is vital to get the kitchen illumination just right, nothing beats natural. If you are building your kitchen then put in oversized windows that will cast direct light onto your kitchen bench and dining table.

11 Use warm white

White light comes in warm, cool and daylight. For a cosy feeling use warm white lights and globes.

12 Play with contrast

If your kitchen colour is white on white, try black pendants to create a stunning contrast and a balanced feel.

13 Vintage light bulbs

There is no reason why you can't use vintage light bulbs here and there to make your kitchen simply beautiful.

For the largest range of kitchen lights in Australia, with thousands of products, see Lighting Style.

This is branded content for Lighting Style.