Sitka Projects Blog

This remodeled kitchen in Seattle has many layers of light.

These days, the kitchen is the social hub of any home—party guests congregate there, and families share details of daily life there. To provide a warm, inviting atmosphere for social engagement, kitchen lighting fixtures should “pop out” as unique. Yet the kitchen must provide utility as well as beauty. There must be sufficient lighting for preparing food and reading recipes.  For the best results in kitchen remodeling, it’s important to carefully consider the best lighting setup. This article will suggest three remodeling kitchen lighting ideas to make your remodeled kitchen pop.

Interior designers divide lighting into different categories: Task Lighting (to see what you’re doing), Ambient Lighting (which provides an overall glow), Accent Lighting (which shows off artwork or other eye-catching features) and Decorative Lighting (lights that are decorative in and of themselves).  The best-lit rooms feature all four types of lighting. Below, we provide a remodeling kitchen lighting idea for each of the first categories types of lighting.

Task Lighting—Under-cabinet lighting is a wonderful way to ensure sufficient task lighting while adding visual appeal to any kitchen. By installing small, bright lights underneath your kitchen cabinets, you can guarantee enough light to prepare food. Additionally, designers love under-cabinet lighting because it brightens up the normally cave-like space at the back of the kitchen counter. Although they might not consciously know why, your guests will be drawn into your kitchen by the under-cabinet lighting.

Ambient lighting— Really, ambient lighting is not meant to show off—it provides overall light for the room. Recessed lighting is a common method of providing ambient light in custom kitchen remodels. Recessed lights are sleek and classy—they fit snugly into the ceiling. Kitchens may also have hanging fixtures overhead to provide general light.

Accent Lighting—Accent lighting is the most dramatic type of lighting; it is used to highlight an art piece or sculpture, or otherwise draw the eye to a certain part of the room. Right now, the trendiest type of ambient kitchen lighting is track lighting. Track lighting uses rows of small, extremely bright lights to direct attention to certain parts of the room. It is a great way to show off your culinary treasures and other artwork. Use accent lighting to highlight your kitchen’s focal point.

Finally, hanging pendant lights are a popular choice for remodeling kitchen lighting, since they fulfill both the task lighting and accent lighting roles. Moreover, because hanging pendant shades are available in hundreds of tones and patterns, you can find just the right ones to create the mood you’re looking for in your custom kitchen remodel.

Whatever lights you end up choosing, don’t install them yourself unless you’re a professional electrician. Otherwise, it’s best to bring in a dependable local remodeling contractor to ensure the job is done right the first time.

Photo: Daryn Nakhuda

Share This: