Lighting in the kitchen: the right light for a good taste

Candlelight dinner is certainly romantic, but most people prefer to eat and cook in a good light. Currently, there is a tendency in the world to move from central to diffuse lighting, therefore there are clear rules for the organization of it. Let’s talk about proper lighting in the kitchen in more detail!

Zone lighting

All appliances and work areas should be well defined. Therefore, all light sources are divided into functional groups:

Ceiling

The most powerful fixtures are traditionally used on the ceiling around the perimeter. Single lamps in the center of the room go into oblivion.

Work area lighting (countertop and sink)

Here, low-power furniture fixtures or LED strips at the bottom of the kitchen cabinets are ideal — of course, put into a protective box. If the surfaces are dull, you need lamps of greater power. The matte layer is reflective light.

Dining area lighting

This is important for creating a comfortable atmosphere. Lighting designers choose luminaires with a wide shade. They give a wide stream of directional light. Ideally, you should choose a model with the ability to adjust the intensity of the light flux.

Compliance with norms of lighting

Back in 2010, scientists calculated what the luminous flux power was comfortable for the person’s body. For the kitchen, they produce 150 lux per 1 square meter. Each lighting device has a certain level of luminous flux, which is measured in lumens. For example, an LED lamp – an analog of a 100-watt incandescent lamp – the level of luminous flux is approximately 1100 lumens. Converting lumens to suites is quite simple – 1 lux is equal to 1 lumen multiplied by an area of 1 m². Accordingly, the total light flow for a 20 m² kitchen will be 3,000 lumens.

Not necessarily fit into the norm, but too much difference should be avoided. For example, general illumination of 4000 lumens for the same kitchen of 20 m² will be uncomfortably too much.

Proper highlighting of natural light

Another clear trend is to squeeze maximum efficiency out of natural light. Ideally, the kitchen should have enough light. Of course, a lot depends on the size of the windows and the landscape behind it – if the neighboring house obscures the whole world, you can not do without additional lighting. However, sometimes the full potential of daylight is “dense light” and the decoration of the kitchen. Another unobvious enemy of natural light is dust on double-glazed windows. You will be surprised to find out that windows that have not been cleaned for a long time let in 30% less light than just washed.

Bright and clean windows won’t change dependency from their height and time of the day. Daylight lamps will solve the problem. According to the spectrum, they are most close to the sun’s rays.

Secrets of lighting large and small kitchens

Pendant lights are not recommended a better option will be a ceiling lamp in a minimalist style. The sophisticated design draws attention to the small square ceiling and visually narrows the area of the kitchen.

Finally, we would like to note that any lamps in the kitchen are very important elements of its interior. Therefore, all sources should be combined in terms of design, and ideally – should be made in the same style.

If you enjoyed our article about Lighting in the kitchen, be sure to follow us on Instagram and Pinterest!