The kitchen is the heart of your home—this is the central hub of activity where you cook meals and, in modern homes with kitchen islands, have dinner with your family. In addition to a layout that ensures the flow of movement, a kitchen should have the right type of lighting.
There are three types of lighting: ambient, task and accent lighting. Here’s an overview of what they’re mainly used for:
The Different Types of Lighting
- Ambient lighting – Ambient lighting casts a soft glow that illuminates the entire kitchen and helps you navigate through it. There’s a reason why ambient lighting is also known as mood lighting. Its soft glow helps create an intimate environment where you can talk with family and friends after a long day. To create ambient lighting, you can install chandeliers (which are a prominent feature of a traditional kitchen design), recessed, track lighting, and ceiling lighting, and mini pendants (which are usually installed above kitchen islands and other areas where you talk with guests).
- Task lighting – Whereas ambient lighting has a soft glow, task lighting—also known as office lighting—generates a contrasting light that, as the name suggests, helps you focus on a particular task to finish it faster. The lighting fixtures that create task lighting are swing arm lamps, pendants, and under-cabinet lighting. Here’s a tip: For task-oriented kitchen islands, we recommend installing downlighting and hanging lights
- Accent Lighting – This type of lighting draws attention towards a particular feature in your kitchen and adds a bit of drama or flair to it as well. Toe kick lights and cabinet lights are just some of the fixtures that can provide accent lighting.
Kitchens would naturally need a layered combination of any of the three. To get the right balance of lighting in your kitchen, you should consult one of your local kitchen remodeling designers.
Looking for experienced kitchen remodelers near you?
The Kitchen Store, a company with more than five decades of experience, offers professional kitchen remodeling services, including the crafting of traditional cabinet designs. To request a free safe private showroom consultation, call us at (310) 572-7515 or fill out this form. We serve homeowners in Culver City, California, as well as the surrounding communities.
