Kitchen & Bathroom Design Blog

A comprehensive lighting plan enhances your kitchen design and improves your lifestyle. Kitchen remodels tend toward more open plan layouts, incorporating functional and relaxational spaces. Different activities in the same space require multifunctional lighting, which is easily achieved with a layered lighting scheme.

Plan your lighting from the start of the kitchen design process to maximize its impact. Consider what style to go with and then choose finishes and materials that work in your kitchen remodel. Decide where exactly to position your light fixtures throughout the design, so necessary electrical work can be done as the project progresses.

A well-planned lighting design highlights different parts of your kitchen remodel to help with specific tasks performed in those areas but also to create the right atmosphere for every situation. Here are our top tips to help you plan your ideal kitchen lighting design.

Familiarize Yourself with the Types of Lighting Available

There are several types of lighting that factor into any home lighting design. From task lighting to illuminate key areas to decorative light fixtures that enhance your design style, here are the key types of lighting to consider:

Task Lighting is the most important type of lighting in a work zone such as under cabinets, over islands, and around other workspaces like the cooktop and sink. It’s also important to have task lighting in your pantry, utility, and laundry room if they are part of your kitchen remodeling plans. Position your task lighting so it doesn’t create shadows or glare. Spotlights, pendants, and other task lighting fixtures must be planned as part of your design and included in building work from the start of your kitchen remodel.

Ambient Lighting is perfect for creating atmosphere, but it is also used to segregate certain areas within an integrated kitchen and living area. Layering your light sources also ensures a flow throughout the design and lets you light the areas you wish at any specific time as you have greater control over lighting levels and locations. Installing lighting under an island gives it a floating effect without placing too much focus on this part of the kitchen. Why not use colored lights and dimmer switches to change the feel of a room and make it feel larger, calmer, or ready for a party?

Accent Lighting is ideal for drawing attention to certain aspects of your kitchen design. You can highlight parts of the remodel to accentuate your kitchen design style, such as the cabinets or tile patterns you have chosen. Placing accent lighting over shelves, especially in glass-fronted cabinets, illuminates the contents. Art pieces also look more special when highlighted by accent lighting. Just ensure that the accent lighting doesn’t change the shade or tone of the item it is focused on. include your plan for accent lighting at the design stage of your remodel so you have all the options available. Spotlights, wall sconces, uplights, and track lighting are all excellent ways of accenting a space.

Decorative Lighting offers you the opportunity to make a statement in your kitchen remodel. It is typically the largest investment of all the lighting types, but it really expresses your style. Decorative lighting can range from industrial style exposed bulbs to opulent chandeliers and everything in between. Oversized pendants are a great way to draw attention to a dining table or island. Be as bold as your budget allows but check that your decorative lighting suits your style and a large fitting doesn’t overwhelm your kitchen design.

Choose a Lighting Style to Suit Your Kitchen Design

There are lighting styles to fit any kitchen design aesthetic, with fixtures that will fit your functional needs and enhance your style. Here are some of the top lighting design styles:

Mid-Century Modern embraces clean lines in this stylish retro look. The perfect lighting here is a large arched floor lamp along with bold oversized drum shades. Focus on retro patterns and full-free silhouettes in this 1950’s aesthetic.

Farmhouse Style focuses on upcycling and valuing old items. Repurposing is a large part of this look with mason jars or vintage lampshades being used in a lighting scheme. The end result should be a relaxed and warm lighting plan.

Traditional Style embraces decorative design details but in a classic way. Fixtures, such as double-armed wall sconces, lantern-style pendants, and chandeliers fit a traditional design brief. Intricate shapes and engravings throughout your lighting plan bring a classic traditional feel to your kitchen design. Candle bulbs and shades in rich fabrics are another way to accentuate your traditional look.

Contemporary Style creates a sleek kitchen design that features stylish lighting. A low-key backdrop of matte textures and restricted color palettes paves the way for groups of pendants in sculptural shapes and quality materials. Glass pendants are a classic look that fits the sleek lines of a contemporary style kitchen design.

Transitional Style blends the character of traditional style with the simplicity of contemporary style. It is a popular choice for its versatility and long-lasting style. Include some decorative elements but stick mainly to simple lines and quality materials.

Coastal Style brings a relaxed feel to a kitchen design. It has a reflective quality to emulate the sunny feeling of coastal living. Gold and brass fixtures are perfect in this style of lighting. Glass also gives a light, airy quality while also being reflective. You can also include rattan, rope, and distressed wood in your lighting accessories and remodel for a beachy feel.

Rustic Style works very well with rich materials such as leather and dark natural wood, reclaimed barn wood, and other natural materials. It gives a warm feel to a design, using vintage-style Edison bulbs and rubbed bronze fixtures.

Industrial Style often has exposed light bulbs that feature in a starker way than rustic style. Metal is a big theme in this style and is often used in lighting fixtures to echo kitchen hardware. Industrial style lighting may have to work with features such as exposed pipes, brick, and cement. Materials such as black matte metal, brass, and cast iron are often used in this look which focuses on functionality.

Choose Current Trends to Update Your Design

Smart Lighting

Smart lighting is becoming more common as technology is integral to our lives. As kitchen and living areas need multipurpose lighting plans, a smart design can do more with fewer fixtures. 2023 is offering lighting solutions such as artificial daylight that emulates natural light throughout the day. Motion sensors and voice-controlled lighting are user-friendly and very energy-efficient. With this technology, it’s easy to change the atmosphere of your kitchen remodel or to get brighter task lighting in the blink of an eye.

Dramatic Focal Points

Like other spaces in your home, kitchen designs benefit from making focal points out of light fixtures by incorporating different materials and styles. Treating lighting as art creates a visual aesthetic and takes your kitchen design to another level. Think about each part of a lighting fixture that you want to become a statement piece. The material, style, shape, texture, and color need to stand out but also complement your kitchen remodel’s look. Consider going for a textured material such as rattan or a luxurious metal, like brass, which is huge right now. Even if you are selling your property, an on-trend kitchen design with stylish lighting adds to its resale value. If the lighting style doesn’t appeal to a prospective buyer, it is relatively simple to switch to a different fixture to update the room’s style.

Sculptural Lighting

Sculptural pieces are becoming more popular than ever. This lighting look is sculpted to result in flowing lines, giving a clean and natural feel. The organic design style of sculptural lighting is apparent in many aspects of this year’s interior design. It can combine curves and angles to appear like a mountain range, embracing both nature and a sleek aesthetic, while also bringing a feeling of calmness to your space.

Dramatic Pendants

Oversized pendants have been a trend for some time and remain a top choice for kitchen designs. They are the ideal way to create a dramatic focal point in your kitchen remodel. You can blend with the color scheme of your design and focus on an unusual material, or you can choose a pendant that will contrast with its surroundings. Emphasize the dining area with a large pendant over the table or island or try a group of pendants for a stunning arrangement that draws the eye to that part of the room. Glass pendants are a neutral option with a reflective quality to enhance a design. Metal, fabric, natural or artificial materials can all make their own statement, so choose one to embody your style.

Customized Lighting

Decide where you are going to position your lighting at the planning stage of your kitchen remodel. This provides you with a choice to place light fixtures in the best possible spot. You can cover up wiring under flooring or behind walls at the early stage of the build. Insetting lighting into walls or shelving can guide the eye around the room without taking over the design. Take your chosen style into account and then coordinate each fixture and fitting for a lighting plan that expresses who you are, is on trend, and complements your kitchen design.

Lighting is an important part of any kitchen design. Well-planned lighting embodies your taste and performs efficiently in a multifunctional space. Your lighting plan is made up of many elements so it should work cohesively and not overwhelm your kitchen remodel. Streamlining your lighting into one fixture that performs multiple functions is ideal for a sleek design. Voice control can instantly change lighting levels to set the tone for your room. In-cabinet or toe-kick lighting makes your scheme multi-layered with lighting at different levels. One light fixture should work well with another and within the kitchen design as a whole. Contact us today at Lang’s Kitchen and Bath and let our kitchen design experts advise you on a lighting scheme to suit your budget and style.