From Planning to Pendants: Kitchen Lighting Essentials
This valuable guide will give you all you need to know about choosing kitchen lighting for fabulous form and function
Joanna Tovia
8 August 2023
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well. Follow her photodocumentary about pets and the people who love them on Instagram @unfoldingtails
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well.... More
It’s hard enough coming up with a design you know will work in the space you have allocated for your kitchen, let alone choosing the best tiles, taps and benchtop materials for the job. If you don’t get the lighting right, however, you’re likely to seriously regret it – kitchen lighting that’s too bright or dull, incorrectly placed, or too big or small in size is sure to irk you for years to come. Get it right, however, and you’ll enjoy spending time in this important room of the house, and it will make life easier too. We’ve consulted the experts for their advice on what works, what doesn’t, and what to watch out for.
Lighting design
With so many colours, styles and lighting combinations from which to choose, it can be tricky to know where to start. You might love a design, but how will it look in your kitchen? And what if the light it gives off isn’t up to the task?
When it comes to pendant lighting, Dan Kitchens kitchen designer Vagn Madsen follows a few simple rules. “Don’t buy pendant lights without first checking the size by creating a mock-up,” Madsen advises. “That 50-centimetre-diameter pendant light might not sound big, but when placed in the room it could easily look enormous.” He suggests bringing a sample home, cutting out the shape in cardboard, or simply measuring it out with a tape measure in situ.
Tip: Don’t choose a style of light that does not match the style of kitchen – it has the potential to be jarring.
With so many colours, styles and lighting combinations from which to choose, it can be tricky to know where to start. You might love a design, but how will it look in your kitchen? And what if the light it gives off isn’t up to the task?
When it comes to pendant lighting, Dan Kitchens kitchen designer Vagn Madsen follows a few simple rules. “Don’t buy pendant lights without first checking the size by creating a mock-up,” Madsen advises. “That 50-centimetre-diameter pendant light might not sound big, but when placed in the room it could easily look enormous.” He suggests bringing a sample home, cutting out the shape in cardboard, or simply measuring it out with a tape measure in situ.
Tip: Don’t choose a style of light that does not match the style of kitchen – it has the potential to be jarring.
Having several sources of lighting in a kitchen allows you to adjust it as needed – an important consideration given that kitchens are often part of an open-plan zone.
The kitchen is a dynamic space used for different reasons throughout the day and evening, says Madsen. Someone sitting at the island to read the morning paper can benefit from the excellent illumination of a pendant light, for example, while turning on range hood lights, ceiling lights and wall cabinet lights makes it easier to prepare meals. Leaving the wall cabinet lights on softly enables people to navigate around the kitchen at night.
In a layered lighting scheme, often recommended for kitchens, there are four different types of lighting: task lighting, ambient lighting, accent lighting and decorative lighting. Task lighting, such as strip lights under cabinets, downlights above an island bench or inside a pantry, allow you to prep, cook and clean up after meals easily and safely.
Ambient lighting, on the other hand, is more about creating a warm and welcoming feel in a room. Accent lights, such as track lights, uplights and wall sconces, highlight features in a kitchen, such as beautiful detailing or artwork, and decorative lighting can be something like a chandelier or a beautifully designed pendant that adds character and pizzaz to the space.
In a layered lighting scheme, often recommended for kitchens, there are four different types of lighting: task lighting, ambient lighting, accent lighting and decorative lighting. Task lighting, such as strip lights under cabinets, downlights above an island bench or inside a pantry, allow you to prep, cook and clean up after meals easily and safely.
Ambient lighting, on the other hand, is more about creating a warm and welcoming feel in a room. Accent lights, such as track lights, uplights and wall sconces, highlight features in a kitchen, such as beautiful detailing or artwork, and decorative lighting can be something like a chandelier or a beautifully designed pendant that adds character and pizzaz to the space.
Madsen advises planning the lighting before or during the design of the kitchen, rather than leaving it until the kitchen is complete.
“To implement some forms of lighting afterwards would be impossible (under-cabinet lighting, for instance), and others very messy (like adding a skylight),” he says. The more you can plan beforehand, the easier it is for electricians to install lighting (not to mention cheaper), and the better the overall result.”
Having said that, Madsen says it can be very hard to visualise how a room will look after renovating (unless you have photo-realistic CAD drawings). “Some aspects of lighting selection can be left to the very end, such as choice of pendant lighting or whether to go with cool or warm white lighting.” If budget is an issue, why not include the wiring for a spectacular pendant or other decorative lighting piece, but leave the purchase of the piece until your finances have recovered from the initial part of the build or renovation.
“To implement some forms of lighting afterwards would be impossible (under-cabinet lighting, for instance), and others very messy (like adding a skylight),” he says. The more you can plan beforehand, the easier it is for electricians to install lighting (not to mention cheaper), and the better the overall result.”
Having said that, Madsen says it can be very hard to visualise how a room will look after renovating (unless you have photo-realistic CAD drawings). “Some aspects of lighting selection can be left to the very end, such as choice of pendant lighting or whether to go with cool or warm white lighting.” If budget is an issue, why not include the wiring for a spectacular pendant or other decorative lighting piece, but leave the purchase of the piece until your finances have recovered from the initial part of the build or renovation.
Ambience
According to interior designer Sophie Seeger, ambient lighting is paramount when choosing kitchen lighting, because it sets the mood of the room and helps you create a welcoming environment in a place where family, friends and guests will often gather.
“If you have an eating nook or island bench in the kitchen, then ambient lighting adds another dimension,” Seeger says. “It is a good idea to consider task and general lighting; I think a lighting combination that offers a range of lighting and that is practical and not jarring is LED downlights, some under top cabinetry, and pendants with dimmers for ambience.”
According to interior designer Sophie Seeger, ambient lighting is paramount when choosing kitchen lighting, because it sets the mood of the room and helps you create a welcoming environment in a place where family, friends and guests will often gather.
“If you have an eating nook or island bench in the kitchen, then ambient lighting adds another dimension,” Seeger says. “It is a good idea to consider task and general lighting; I think a lighting combination that offers a range of lighting and that is practical and not jarring is LED downlights, some under top cabinetry, and pendants with dimmers for ambience.”
The Kitchen Broker’s managing director Brian Patterson says there is a difference in the way light can create ambience. “Isolation of light centres can add dramatically to ambience and feel,” he says. “Lighting floating down glass, stone or tiles on a splashback that can be seen from outer entertaining areas, when all other lighting inside is off, can deliver an experience of style and elegance.”
Dimmers allow you to control the intensity of lighting, and the more control you have over lighting the better. Not all lighting types are compatible with dimmers, however – fluorescent lighting, for example. Checking with the supplier is a must.
Keep in mind, that with dimmers installed for a layered lighting scheme, it can be very easy for other occupants of your home, as well as guests, to alter your perfectly balanced settings, throwing off the carefully curated look and feel of your kitchen. To avoid this – or at least easily recover from it – consider installing a smart lighting system with ‘scenes’ that you can program, allowing you to reset the kitchen’s light layers to your preferences at the push of a button.
Keep in mind, that with dimmers installed for a layered lighting scheme, it can be very easy for other occupants of your home, as well as guests, to alter your perfectly balanced settings, throwing off the carefully curated look and feel of your kitchen. To avoid this – or at least easily recover from it – consider installing a smart lighting system with ‘scenes’ that you can program, allowing you to reset the kitchen’s light layers to your preferences at the push of a button.
But should you choose white or yellow-toned light bulbs?
If Madsen had to pick between the two, he says he’d choose warm white, which is a soft yellow-toned light. It has a few benefits with only one small drawback. “Warm white LED lights make you feel warm and comfortable while generating little heat,” he explains. “It’s an emotional effect that is subtle, but when compared to the starkness of cool white LED light, this effect becomes obvious.”
Research suggests that cool white light is in fact bad for you because it suppresses your melatonin production – the hormone controlling your sleep cycle. “On the downside, warm white LEDs are slightly less energy efficient than cool white LEDs,” Madsen says.
If Madsen had to pick between the two, he says he’d choose warm white, which is a soft yellow-toned light. It has a few benefits with only one small drawback. “Warm white LED lights make you feel warm and comfortable while generating little heat,” he explains. “It’s an emotional effect that is subtle, but when compared to the starkness of cool white LED light, this effect becomes obvious.”
Research suggests that cool white light is in fact bad for you because it suppresses your melatonin production – the hormone controlling your sleep cycle. “On the downside, warm white LEDs are slightly less energy efficient than cool white LEDs,” Madsen says.
Pendant lights
Choosing decorative pendant lighting to go over the island can be the most stressful for homeowners because a design can change the whole look and feel of a kitchen.
Madsen advises to firstly make sure the size of the pendant suits the size of the room. “Too often we have seen pendant lights installed that are too large, gaining too much attention to the eye and dominating a space,” he says.
Choosing decorative pendant lighting to go over the island can be the most stressful for homeowners because a design can change the whole look and feel of a kitchen.
Madsen advises to firstly make sure the size of the pendant suits the size of the room. “Too often we have seen pendant lights installed that are too large, gaining too much attention to the eye and dominating a space,” he says.
But how high should you hang them above the benchtop?
“As a general rule, we position the bottom of the pendant 60-70 centimetres above the benchtop surface,” Madsen says. This dimension can change, however, depending on the size of the pendant – smaller pendants can be positioned lower while larger can be placed higher.
Tip: Madsen advises checking with your supplier that the pendant cord can be extended to suit the correct height above the benchtop. Keep in mind that it’s often harder to extend pendants hung by a chain.
“As a general rule, we position the bottom of the pendant 60-70 centimetres above the benchtop surface,” Madsen says. This dimension can change, however, depending on the size of the pendant – smaller pendants can be positioned lower while larger can be placed higher.
Tip: Madsen advises checking with your supplier that the pendant cord can be extended to suit the correct height above the benchtop. Keep in mind that it’s often harder to extend pendants hung by a chain.
As for pendant design, Madsen says it pays to ask yourself these questions: Does the style of lighting match the style of kitchen? Does it pick up any of the colours, materials or texture present in my kitchen?
Under-cabinet lighting
Getting task lighting right is crucial for preparing or cooking food – focused light on work zones will make life easy, but if it’s too bright, casts shadows or isn’t bright enough, it’s sure to annoy you over time.
The Kitchen Broker’s Brian Patterson says task lighting should be positioned not to throw shadows in the work centres. “This is achieved best by concealed LED strip lighting under overhead cabinets above the bench area,” Patterson says. “This achieves not only good light, but lovely even light that floods the bench area and evenly displays splashbacks and benchtops.”
Getting task lighting right is crucial for preparing or cooking food – focused light on work zones will make life easy, but if it’s too bright, casts shadows or isn’t bright enough, it’s sure to annoy you over time.
The Kitchen Broker’s Brian Patterson says task lighting should be positioned not to throw shadows in the work centres. “This is achieved best by concealed LED strip lighting under overhead cabinets above the bench area,” Patterson says. “This achieves not only good light, but lovely even light that floods the bench area and evenly displays splashbacks and benchtops.”
It’s also important to consider whether you prefer white light or warm light for your kitchen.
Madsen recommends LED downlights in a warm white because they are efficient, provide excellent illumination, have low heat output and are cost effective over the life of the bulb. “It’s only been in the past two years that LEDs have been our preferred under-cabinet light; before then LEDs were simply too expensive and unreliable,” he says.
Tip: Don’t buy cheap LED lights. Although they may advertise the LED will last 30,000 hours, quite often it is the hardware behind the LED that fails first.
Madsen recommends LED downlights in a warm white because they are efficient, provide excellent illumination, have low heat output and are cost effective over the life of the bulb. “It’s only been in the past two years that LEDs have been our preferred under-cabinet light; before then LEDs were simply too expensive and unreliable,” he says.
Tip: Don’t buy cheap LED lights. Although they may advertise the LED will last 30,000 hours, quite often it is the hardware behind the LED that fails first.
Strip lighting
Used the right way in modern, sleek kitchens, strip lighting can look fantastic, not just under the cabinets, but around kickboards, above cabinets, beneath open shelving and in bulkhead recesses, and can be another functional form of task lighting. “We specify either fluorescent or LED strip lighting, depending on the application,” Madsen says.
Used the right way in modern, sleek kitchens, strip lighting can look fantastic, not just under the cabinets, but around kickboards, above cabinets, beneath open shelving and in bulkhead recesses, and can be another functional form of task lighting. “We specify either fluorescent or LED strip lighting, depending on the application,” Madsen says.
Natural light
Where possible, the designers at Dan Kitchens always try to bring an element of natural light into a kitchen, whether through windows or skylights. “Natural light should provide plenty of illumination, and it also has an uplifting emotional effect,” Madsen explains. “For me, nothing beats walking into my kitchen in the morning with sunlight filtering through the window, creating a soft glow.”
On the downside, direct natural light contains UV, which over time will fade some materials in the kitchen. If direct sunlight in your kitchen is an issue, check your kitchen designer is specifying UV-resistant materials in your new kitchen.
Also consider the colours and surfaces in your kitchen. Dark colours absorb light, while bright colours reflect it. Meanwhile, glossy surfaces will reflect significantly more illumination, natural or otherwise, than low-sheen surfaces. Neither one is right or wrong, it just depends on what kind of look and feel you’re going for in your space. So, when you’re fitting out and decorating your kitchen, take these facts into consideration to help you achieve the desired result.
Tell us
Do you have a success story or tale of woe to share about kitchen lighting. Tell us all about it in the Comments. And if you found this story helpful, share it, bookmark it and save your favourite photos.
More
Browse lighting designers and suppliers in your area
Where possible, the designers at Dan Kitchens always try to bring an element of natural light into a kitchen, whether through windows or skylights. “Natural light should provide plenty of illumination, and it also has an uplifting emotional effect,” Madsen explains. “For me, nothing beats walking into my kitchen in the morning with sunlight filtering through the window, creating a soft glow.”
On the downside, direct natural light contains UV, which over time will fade some materials in the kitchen. If direct sunlight in your kitchen is an issue, check your kitchen designer is specifying UV-resistant materials in your new kitchen.
Also consider the colours and surfaces in your kitchen. Dark colours absorb light, while bright colours reflect it. Meanwhile, glossy surfaces will reflect significantly more illumination, natural or otherwise, than low-sheen surfaces. Neither one is right or wrong, it just depends on what kind of look and feel you’re going for in your space. So, when you’re fitting out and decorating your kitchen, take these facts into consideration to help you achieve the desired result.
Tell us
Do you have a success story or tale of woe to share about kitchen lighting. Tell us all about it in the Comments. And if you found this story helpful, share it, bookmark it and save your favourite photos.
More
Browse lighting designers and suppliers in your area
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Hi 94236633, Hmm a Solatube needs some kind of cavity to have the optic fibres passed through. Best idea would be to call the Solatube people and see if they have a solution. They are the best ones to advise you. In saying that I have had Solatubes in both my kitchen and hallway and loved them. Brought the best amount of light and natural sunshine into what were dark areas!
Emily, regarding your high ceiling situation, it is definitely a case of 'if you've got it, flaunt it!' In other words, utilise the lights to show off the height of the ceiling. Hang them from way up there with a , 'yeah, I know it's high and that's how we love it' attitude. for reference check for images of the Mt Gambier library (South Australia) and check out the pendants hanging from the high ceiling there. Awesome! totally changed my POV (struggling with exact same issue myself)