Modern Kitchen Lighting

What Defines Modern Kitchen Lighting?

One of the busiest rooms in the home, the kitchen needs to be outfitted with proper lighting to ensure your daily routine is always well-lit. Modern kitchen lighting is any form of lighting design that is suitable for the homes of today. A variety of lighting designs can be used within a kitchen space including pendants, chandeliers, sconces, recessed lighting, lamps, and more. Depending on the size of your kitchen, a combination of multiple lighting designs may be best to ensure you get the most out of your space and create a warm and welcoming entertainment space. 

Choosing Which Modern Kitchen Lighting Is Right For You

When choosing lighting for your kitchen, you want your space to be bright enough for daily use, without any glare that makes it feel like you’re in a warehouse or department store. You will want a combination of ambient lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting for a balanced space that notifies family and friends that this is the social center of the home. Recessed lighting saves ceiling space and provides ample ambient light to touch every corner of your space. When deciding on an appropriate wattage amount, you’ll want to multiply the square footage of your kitchen by a factor of 1.5. For example, a kitchen that is 15 x 20 would have a total of 300 square feet. Multiplied by 1.5, this kitchen would require a wattage of 450 for accurate brightness. Task lighting can assist with more direct needs and can be found in the form of under-cabinet lighting, mini spots, or track lighting. These are ideal for specific work areas in the kitchen or for highlighting appliances or service areas. Accent lighting in the form of decorative pendants – individually or in a cluster, can bring both light and color to your kitchen while adding a visual focus to your space. 

What Else To Think About When Buying a Modern Kitchen Lighting?

When selecting modern kitchen lighting for your home, you will want to consider the type of bulbs your lighting fixtures operate with. LED bulbs are the most efficient and powerful, requiring little maintenance as they last for many years of use. Most modern lighting is LED compatible, but not all, so best to check before purchasing. You will also want to consider the aesthetic you are trying to match within your kitchen when selecting modern kitchen lighting to make sure everything fits within the scheme. For a modern farmhouse kitchen or French country kitchen, more rustic fixtures with hints of texture or mixed materials can make for a wonderful accent. In industrial and Scandinavian-inspired kitchens, pendants in shades of black, gray, white, and brown keep things simple and sleek. If your kitchen has a small dining area, you might want to consider adding a chandelier to not only brighten up the space below but add a focal point that draws the eye upwards and accents your kitchen nicely. 

Modern Kitchen Lighting FAQs

• Should All Kitchen Lighting Match? 

While not all modern kitchen lighting needs to match in terms of shape, using fixtures in the same color/material family is typically the best idea. Ensure the hardware of your lighting matches the hardware of your kitchen drawers and cabinets as well for a well-coordinated space. 

• How Bright Should My Kitchen Lighting Be?

Depending on the size, the lighting in a kitchen should be between 3,000 and 4,000 lumens for the proper brightness for daily use. For further information, check out our lighting color temperature guide here. 

• What Is The Latest Trend In Kitchen Lighting?

LED lighting offers endless possibilities for your kitchen lighting and throughout your entire home. LED lights are dimmable, so you can always set the mood or adjust the brightness for your current needs. Energy-efficient, LED bulbs, save money and reduce your carbon footprint while providing an equally powerful experience that can last for many years with hours of use each day.