So beleuchten Sie Ihre Küche geschmackvoll

How to tastefully illuminate your kitchen.

An essential in the kitchen, lighting must be placed elaborately care facilitate daily use. Spotlights, suspensions or wall lights, the types of luminaires that make it possible to adjust the lighting in your kitchen to adapt it to different needs. Preparing meals on the work surface or on the island for example requires, for example, ample lighting in order to handle the ingredients, peel the vegetables or measure ingredients with precision. Conversely, when the kitchen hosts a dining area, the light should be rather subdued and soft to create a warm place.

Lighting brings real comfort in everyday life in the kitchen. Especially since we spend a lot of time there! It has become a space for cooking, entertaining and telecommuting . Think about it. A place of reunion or withdrawal, the kitchen is no longer just a technical room. It requires a versatile layout. Its lighting should be able to adapt to everyone's desires and to the many activities that take place there throughout the day. In direct and indirect light, the areas that should be illuminated are also dictated according to the layout itself, the room and its configuration. 

Two types of lighting for one kitchen

The light in the kitchen needs to be functional. The lighting should complement the natural light. It requires special attention for the washing and preparation area in order to have optimal comfort. But the light also should have a decorative side with lit niches. An important aspect especially if the room is very open. It should match the rest of the interior, a dimly lit kitchen next to a bright living room, especially in a studio apartment arrangement would be uncomfortable to work in.

The best idea in a kitchen is to vary the sources of lighting to combine direct and indirect light.

These two types of lighting should coexist and compliment each other within the same room. They are both complementary, but also very different, so they need to be well balanced. In the kitchen, you can seperate direct and indirect light. You can localize the direct lighting on the technical parts and have ambient, natural light to unify the overall lighting.

Consider indirect lighting in the kitchen

Kitchen layouts often have a lot of places to mount integrated lighting and as such the kitchen can afford to integrate lighting into the furniture.  When the kitchen has tall cabinets and counters, there are almost always lights underneath to avoid creating shadowy area. This type of layout is perfect with direct and flush lighting installed into the bottom of cabinets.

Enjoying suitable light without seeing the light source itself also adds a certain atmosphere. At the bottom of the cabinet, it's simply nicer to have invisible lights. There is a real practicality in the accessibility of certain solutions.
(Pictured is the CROSS 60 by Panzeri)

Indirect lighting allows for a functional and aesthetic kitchen.

Consider dimmable lights to adjust lighting to needs and desires

It's perfect in a kitchen! With very different needs, dimmer switches are the answer. They allow to adapt the intensity of the light, going from 2700 to 6000 Kelvin according to the specific use. The ability to manage the intensity of the light and change the atmosphere at different times of the day is a real advantage. The dimmer allows you to adjust the light in the morning when you arrive in your kitchen or the evening, when we crave a calmer atmosphere. Be careful to ensure that the lights and bulbs chosen are suitable for this system of switches with dimmer. 

Ceiling lights in the kitchen

Spotlights or suspensions, there are many types of ceiling lights with high practicality and efficient lighting while still looking good. Ceiling lights need to be installed with purpose and thought. If you wish to have spotlights integrated into the ceiling or a large chandelier, the lighting must be targeted on a particular area, such as a large island or dinner table.

A warm, atmospheric light such as the IGUAZU JUTE L is a perfect light for both the dining and kitchen area.

The ceiling is a blank canvas for beautiful lighting in the kitchen.  It can be useful for lighting a dining area, for example.

Choosing one type of light over another also defines the style of the room and its atmosphere. If there are no wall cabinets in the kitchen, pendant lights can be installed above the counter. In a small kitchen , a large pendant light provides beautiful lighting. We also really like non-recessed spotlights, depending on the style of the room. They allow you to skip the installation of a false ceiling and they have the same advantages as classic spotlights but have a more interesting aesthetic with many design possibilities and a wide choice in terms of style.

Sconces for a softer atmosphere

With the desire to create a universe in its own right in the kitchen, it is interesting to multiply the types of lighting and to spread them out. With a friendly spirit, wall lights invite themselves into a living kitchen. It's not always easy, but when the kitchen has a blank wall available, wall lights make it possible to break up direct light. Juggling between wall lights and a suspension, for example, creates a pleasant atmosphere. It's very nice to have a combination of several light sources in different places. The light sources don't have to be very different, just their mounting styles, in the picture below, you can see the Aballs series of lights from Parachilna mounted on both the wall and ceiling.

Sconces bring a decorative spirit to the kitchen.

LED lighting is a must in the kitchen

With lots of advantages, LED lighting has been popping up more and more in the kitchen for several years. They’re renowned for their durability but also their ability to save energy. Another strong point and less known, they has 100% instant brightness. Very handy in the kitchen!

Choose the right lighting temperature

Once the choice of fixtures is made, their bulbs also contribute to the functionality and character of the room. Beyond the type of lighting itself, it is the temperature of the light that will impact the atmosphere. With 3000 Kelvin, the coloring is yellow with a cozy atmosphere, whereas with 4100 Kelvin, the lighting is colder and closer to white, so everyone chooses the desired temperature. 

The light intensities also adapt to the needs of the many activities in the kitchen. Strong, white lighting is recommended on the worktop. For the atmosphere and dining area, we favour a softer, warmer light.

Ultra-practical everyday lighting

Even if it sometimes looks like a living room, the kitchen remains a technical space where the numerous innovations bring a certain well-being, comfort in use to simplify certain tasks. It is possible to equip the kitchen with sliding doors that have lighting to help with identification and offer more practicality. Just like installing a detection system that turns your kitchen on or off just by passing your finger. It allows for smoother day-to-day use.

Warning: the three mistakes to avoid when choosing the type of lighting in your kitchen!

With multiple light intensities in a single kitchen, some unity is important to maintain. It is necessary to take care not to mix the lighting temperatures in the same space. Between a hood and under a kitchen cabinet, for example, it is necessary to harmonize the light.

It is essential to vary the sources of lighting while harmonizing the light in the room.

Another essential point: the electrical installations. In order to have the necessary connections, the location of the lights and their desired type must be thought out as soon as the kitchen plan is drawn. 

Lighting is also a question of good balance! Be careful not to do enough or too much. For example, not lighting your worktop enough or lighting the kitchen too much in general. Lighting is quite instinctive, it must be done with common sense.