In principles of design, there are three basic types of lighting: ambient, accent, and task. These same principles apply to any and every room including the kitchen. How you decide on your lighting would be accomplished working with your contractor, project manager, designer, or all three. Since the principles remain the same, in this blog, we will talk about lighting in general terms because every kitchen will be different.
Ambient
Ambient light is the light that fills up a room allowing you to see everything. It is commonly achieved with pot lights in the ceiling, lamps in strategic areas or even wall-mounted fixtures. You may want your ambient light dimmable.
Accent
Accent lighting is to show off something special, such as the lights inside cabinets that have glass doors, so you can see the contents. Another example would be light over or under art on the wall or Christmas lights on a Christmas tree or in your kitchen if you want your holiday spirit inside.
Task
Task lighting is the lighting that lights up your work or where you need to see. Examples include a fixture over the sink where you stand and wash dishes, or over your counter where you will chop vegetable or roll out dough. It’s important to have lighting where you need to see clearly to accomplish tasks. Some people put small lights underneath lower cabinets where the kick plate is make it easy to see the floor in the dark or underneath upper cabinets to see clearly on the counter.
Your new kitchen should have all three types of lighting determined by your design style and your cooking habits. A professional cook’s kitchen, will likely need more light than the kitchen for someone who doesn’t cook at all. Also, keep in mind that some lighting fixtures can serve more than one purpose, and you may want some of this lighting to be dimmable.
Another consideration is to use LED lighting or at least LED-ready fixtures, so you have the choice of what kind of lamps to use. LED lighting is more expensive up front, but the lighting and fixtures run significantly cooler, and the lamps last longer, making it more economical over time.
If you need help designing your kitchen lighting, give us a call in Langley, BC, at (604) 533-4541.
Elite Kitchens and Bathrooms, based in Langley, BC, is your source for everything custom cabinetry related. As the 2019 winner of the Vancouver Consumer Choice Award, they pride themselves on stellar customer service to match the quality of their cabinets.
If you have any questions about this article or would like to talk to us about cabinets, we encourage you to contact us at [email protected].
