How to Plan Kitchen Lighting Design

Planning kitchen lighting is as important to designing and remodeling a kitchen as picking out cabinets and appliances, but it's one undertaking that has many people confused. Mounting one central light in the center of the kitchen may seem like the easy route to take, but it will leave the whole kitchen decor in the shadows ... literally. Learning how to plan kitchen lighting will guarantee the kitchen remains the heart of the home.

Instructions

1. Map out the lighting plan on graph paper. Mark off the kitchen layout of cabinets and appliances. Laying out the kitchen on paper will help pinpoint the areas needing lighting and help determine the types of lighting necessary. The best kitchen lighting will include multiple types of lighting.

2. Utilize ambient lighting to provide general illumination for the entire room. This can include ceiling mounted lights, track lighting, chandeliers and recessed lighting. Keep in mind, this type of overall lighting can create shadow areas, so don't rely on ambient lighting alone.

3. Install task lighting over work areas to provide just enough light where and when it's needed. Areas benefiting from tasking lighting include sinks, cooking areas, food prep and the breakfast bar/island.

4. Add accent lighting to create a special mood or highlight an area or piece of art. Think about wall sconces, lamps, in-cabinet lighting or mini-spots for those areas needing highlights.

5. Use dimmers switches to control lighting. This could include enhancing a mood, like lowering the lights over a dining table or to reduce the overall power usage by dimming lights.

6. Use multiple switches for each type of lighting to provide better control. Don't put all lighting on one switch.

References

• Forte Electric: Kitchen Lighting Plans and Ideas – Developing a Kitchen Lighting Plan