When renovating our house, we have to pay attention the the lighting we use in all the rooms as this will make a massive difference in how we perceive the room and can alter our level of comfort. Today we will discuss on how we can efficiently use light in our kitchen.

The kitchen is for most of us the heart of the home. A space which initially had the purpose of just preparing the food, it has become an area with multiple purposes, such as an area where we can eat by adding a table or a breakfast bar, thus eliminating the need of a dedicated dining room; a space where we can socialize with our family and our friends when they come visit; it can even be a space where children do their homework.

With an area that is used for such a variety of functions, lighting can become a very complicated matter that needs to be taken into consideration for different areas which we will discuss further.

General Lighting

This light should be provided for the whole room using one or multiple hanging lights, or by installing spotlights through the kitchen.

Local Lighting

The kitchen will need special lighting up-close to the spaces where we cook, write and socialize in order to avoid accidents and avoid the discomfort that comes with a very poor lighting source.

• Worktops ->  The worktop area would arguably be the most utilized space in the kitchen for the preparation of our food. There should be direct adequate light over the worktops that will allow us to prepare food in a safe and comfortable way. Shadows should be avoided in spaces that we cut vegetables for example, in order to avoid any nasty accidents. Shadows are usually a result of lack of lighting under the cupboards, and in case someone comes in front of our central lighting, they will obviously block the light coming from there. Luckily we can offer a wide variety of lights that are elegant enough to compliment your kitchen, and not draw any attention from the rest of it. One thing to keep in mind when cooking is that the light under the cupboards can reflect in objects such as a tablet, if left on the worktop and the slight blinding effect can be enough for you to make a wrong cut, therefore be careful
• The eating area -> Due to the fact that most flats, especially in London, are very limited in space, and therefore do not allow the luxury of a dining room, most people would like their table to be placed in the kitchen. When doing this, it is important to keep in mind that the table should not be placed in front of a door to avoid the idea of rushing and of blocking the light. Life is to short to not enjoy every delicious meal. A stand alone lighting source is usually used above the dining table, as close attention is paid to the design of it, in the sense that it will compliment the room further. Although it is recommended that light used above the table would be a yellow one as these tend to be associated with warmth, it is also important that the lights under the cupboards and on the central lighting do not come in conflict in regards to the color, as this will be evident and will give bad taste to the room itself.

For small spaces, we recommend that there should not be more than two lighting sources in order to keep the room within good taste. These two lighting sources should be the central source, therefore the ceiling lights, and the worktop lights. If the ceiling lights are strong enough, then that will eliminate the need of having an extra light for the table.

Due to the fact that we live in England, were sun light is sometimes a luxury, it is highly important that consider illumination seriously as it can alter our well-being. Nobody can flourish in a dark place, apart of mushrooms. A few things to take away from today’s post are: make sure there is direct light, warm lights and purposeful lights for the areas of interest in the kitchen.