Top Ideas for Kitchen Lighting Designs
How can you achieve the kind of kitchen design you see in magazines and design websites? You could have the latest kitchen cabinets and island, stylish flooring, and accessorize with flair but it will look flat without a proper lighting plan.
Kitchen designs have evolved to meet modern requirements by incorporating layouts, specialized storage, and functional areas that allow a variety of people and activities to co-exist in the same space. A multi-functional room like this also requires a multi-layered lighting design.
To truly embody form and function, your lighting design should be planned from the start of the renovation process. You need to think about where fixtures should be positioned and the styles, colors, and materials that would work with your kitchen remodel as a whole. A well-thought-out lighting scheme can differentiate certain areas of an open-plan kitchen and aid in completing tasks with ease, all while creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Here are our top ideas for kitchen lighting designs, from styles to practicalities.
TYPES OF LIGHTING
There are a few basic types of lighting that should be included in a kitchen lighting design.
1. Task Lighting
Your initial priority is task lighting for workspaces in your kitchen design, including in your pantry. Opt for lighting under cabinets, over islands, and around workspaces such as your sink and cooktop. It should be positioned to avoid both glare and shadows. Plan windows from the very start of your remodel, as natural light plays a key role in your overall lighting plan too.
2. Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting creates a warm space but is also used to segregate different areas and establish a flow around an open-plan kitchen design. Different light sources create a multidimensional feel as well as give you control over what you wish to highlight. Colored lights and dimmer switches create different moods and contribute to the illusion of a larger space or to instill a sense of calm. Underlighting an island, for example, makes it look like it is floating while also providing an ideal soft light source and light that helps you easily navigate the kitchen at night.
3. Accent Lighting
This lighting is essential for illuminating pieces or specific design elements of which you are proud. Your kitchen design is the ideal place to express your style with color, cabinets, art, or tile patterns. Make sure the color of a lampshade doesn’t affect the appearance of any artwork it is highlighting. If you consider accent lighting at the planning stage of your remodel then you have options such as track lighting, uplighters, wall sconces, pendants, or spotlights. Accent lighting over shelving or in glass front cabinets illuminates contents beautifully.
4. Decorative Lighting
These are the most expensive types of lighting as they express your personal style. They can be anything from chandeliers to pendants to exposed bulbs for a vintage look. Be as dramatic as you like in your choice but they should be appropriate to the size and style of your kitchen remodel.
THE LATEST TRENDS
2023 sees exciting new trends in lighting design that can be incorporated into most kitchen designs. This instantly updates your remodel and adds to its resale value.
1. Dramatic Focal Points
This year sees homeowners creating focal points with light fixtures in unusual materials and styles. Viewing lighting as an art installation creates visual interest and upgrades your whole kitchen design to something special. Consider each element of a fixture you want as a focal point. Choose the material, style, shape, texture, and color to make it impactful but also complement your kitchen remodel’s look. Try a textured material such as rattan or a trendy metal, like brass. This is a low-risk investment as it can be changed relatively easily in the future.
2. Sculptural Lighting
Sculptural pieces are becoming more popular in 2023. This type of lighting is sculpted with flowing lines to give a clean and natural feel. This organic design is seen throughout the interior design world this year, with curves and angles coming together like a mountainscape. Use sculptural lighting in conjunction with this style in your kitchen design for an overall feeling of calmness.
3. Customized Lighting
Planning your lighting at the design stage of your kitchen remodel gives you the freedom to position it exactly where you want it. Furthermore, you can conceal wiring under flooring or behind walls. Insetting lighting into walls or shelving can guide the eye around the room without looking too obvious. Combine each fixture and fitting to make a lighting scheme that expresses your personality and complements your kitchen design.
4. Be Smart
Smart lighting is becoming more common in kitchen remodels as technology is integral to our lives. As kitchen and living areas need multifunctional lighting plans, a smart design can do more with fewer fixtures. This year sees innovations such as lighting that appears as natural as daylight from morning through to evening light. Customized motion sensors and voice-controlled lighting are easy to use and extremely energy efficient. It’s also possible to change the mood of a space or get brighter task lighting in a second.
5. Oversized Pendants
The oversized pendant trend is not going anywhere this year and is a perfect way to create a focal point in your kitchen design. It can be the same color as its surroundings to focus on its shape and material or stand out in a contrasting tone. Place one over a table to emphasize the dining space or group pendants of varying heights over an island for a stylish spectacle. Glass pendants can pick up accents in the rest of your design if used on their own or with complementary metalwork.
6. Chandeliers
2023 is welcoming glamor into kitchen designs. Chandeliers complement surrounding materials like warm metal hardware such as gold, copper, and brass as well as natural stone, like marble. They also work well with natural wood, especially if it has a gloss finish. A chandelier can be used to draw the eye to one area and catch the light. You can choose a traditional style chandelier or a streamlined version that attaches straight to the ceiling. A drum chandelier has an understated elegance that won’t overwhelm the room.
LIGHTING STYLES
There are many styles of lighting. Choose one that’s the same style as your kitchen remodel or a different style to complement it. Here are some of our favorite styles.
1. Rustic Style
This is a warm look that uses exposed Edison bulbs, rubbed bronze, and distressed or vintage-style materials. It works well with leather, dark natural wood, and textiles.
2. Industrial Style
This style also favors exposed light bulbs but is a more pared-back look. Metal fixtures pick up on other industrial-style hardware in this kitchen design aesthetic, which highlights functionality. It works well with exposed brick and pipes and on-trend matte black metal is featured, along with brass and cast iron.
3. Mid-Century Modern
This is all about clean lines and a vintage feel. Arched floor lamps and oversized drum shades in bright, retro colors bring character and style to a kitchen remodel.
4. Contemporary Style
This stylish look has a sleek, abstract aesthetic that makes the lighting a feature in itself. It uses matte textures and pared-back patterns and color schemes. This allows you to focus on a design style such as groups of pendants rather than the materials used. The shapes are sculpted in simple metal or luxurious natural stone.
5. Coastal Style
Coastal-style lighting reflects around your kitchen design for a relaxed feel, like the sun in a coastal setting. Brass and gold fixtures bring a maritime characteristic along with accessories in rope, distressed wood, and rattan. Glass works really well in coastal designs for a light, natural quality.
6. Farmhouse Style
This look encourages sustainability and treasuring items from the past. Try repurposed items such as mason jars or vintage shades to complement a farmhouse kitchen remodel that is cozy and stylish.
7. Bohemian Style
This lighting uses natural materials which have been ethically sourced. Materials such as silk, rattan, or paper bring texture to a characterful design. You can focus on interesting materials for lanterns and pendants with extra touches like embroidery or fringing for an exotic and global aesthetic.
8. Traditional Style
Traditional design is all about decorative detail and this lighting style is no different. Classic fixtures such as double-armed sconces and crystal chandeliers embrace engravings and intricate shapes. They pair well with candle bulbs and pleated shades for a comforting style that stands the test of time.
What do you need in a kitchen lighting design?
Lighting sets the scene in the theater and no less so in your kitchen remodel. Your lighting design should be tailored to your taste and requirements and perform in a multifunctional setting. Your lighting plan must work well as a whole, to make sure your kitchen is well-lit without being overwhelmed.
You can also streamline your lighting plan so one fixture can serve multiple purposes in your lighting design. For example, task lighting over an island can be dimmed with voice control to create a softly lit dining area. Toe-kick or in-cabinet lighting gives a multi-layered feel to your design that can be pre-programmed with smart technology.
Your lighting design should enhance your kitchen remodel and planning them in tandem lets one inspire the other throughout the whole process. Contact us today at Woodmaster Kitchens. Our experienced kitchen design experts can help you create a lighting plan to take your kitchen remodel to the next level. We can work with you on all aspects of a home remodel and install your ideal kitchen design.