How to Choose Kitchen Lights
Lighting sets the mood for any room in the house, especially the kitchen. And since the kitchen has many important functions, such as preparing meals and being the center for family and friends to visit, the atmosphere put out by the lighting is crucial. Before making any final decisions on the type of lighting you want, you must first decide what atmosphere you are trying to create. And when you know this, the rest of your creative ideas will shine through naturally. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Determine the amount of light needed in your kitchen. Some kitchens are small while others are large and this will determine the amount of light needed. For small kitchens, overhead lighting is compatible for the functionality of the kitchen. Larger kitchens may require overhead lighting fixtures as well as task lighting fixtures, which focuses light primarily on areas where work is done. Accent lighting is also important as it helps to promote the kitchen's features and spaces, such as on top of cabinets, inside your cabinets, or along the base of the cabinets.
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Research the different types of light bulbs and the kind of light they emit. This will give you an idea of the type of fixtures to buy. For example, if you have a galley kitchen, which is long and narrow, consider using fluorescent tubes to help spread the light to both ends of the kitchen. Fluorescent lighting puts off a bright enough light to reach all areas of your kitchen. If you have a kitchen that is large and square with an island, consider placing multiple single lights overhead and then hanging lights over the island. For this type of lighting you can use single screw-in type light bulbs, such as CFLs (compact fluoresent lights) which also last up to ten times longer than a regular incandescent light bulbs. CFLs are also more more energy efficient as they use a small fraction of electricity compared to incandescent bulbs.
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Consider placing dimmer switches and dimmable (incandescent) lights in the areas that need brighter lights sometimes, but not always, such as in the task zones. That way, when you are done cooking, you can turn down the light to crerate mood and ambiance rather than turn it off completely.
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Visit local hardware, home improvement and lighting design stores to get an idea of the styles, finishes and colors of fixtures immediately available in your area. Ask sales people if they have special order lighting catalogs for you to browse through. Some big home improvement stores have lighting catalogs available for purchase so you can take them home. This allows you to match the products in the catalog with the mood, ambiance, and style you would like to add to your kitchen. If you decide to special order light fixtures, keep in mind that it will take 14 to 21 days for the fixtures to arrive. Plan ahead so they will arrive when you are ready to install them if other renovations are being completed on the kitchen area, too.
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- Photo Credit at the restaurant image by Dmitry Nikolaev from Fotolia.com
