When it comes to lighting in a kitchen, what is considered an ideal layered combo and why? As with all other rooms in the home, you want your layered lighting to consist of ambient lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting. Layering your lighting in the kitchen serves a functional purpose, but it also brings a room to life visually - a combination of lights prevents your room from appearing boring.
How does one decide where downlights belong and is there a guide as to how they should be spaced? To start with you need to ask yourself the following questions: - How large is the kitchen? - How high is the ceiling? - Is it one room or an open plan space? - Which areas of the kitchen require special focus? Draw a plan of your kitchen and measure the space to determine how many lights you need. You’ll probably need one recessed light for every 4 to 6 square feet of ceiling space. Place your recessed downlights 12″ apart from each other and 12″ to 18″ away from any cabinets to illuminate counter areas.
Where are pendants, chandeliers and wall lights best placed in the kitchen? A common place for pendant lighting in the kitchen is over the kitchen island or above the sink. Chandeliers also work over the island. If you have a dining table in your kitchen then a chandelier will work here too, depending on the size of your space. Wall lights are not common in the kitchen as the wall space is usually occupied by cabinets and shelving.
Is task lighting in a kitchen the main priority or should atmospheric lighting also be considered, as one would do for a living area or bedroom? You need both. Atmospheric/ambient lighting will give the space its general illumination so that you can move around it safely, but task lighting will provide you with focused lighting necessary for activities like chopping vegetables and reading recipe books.