Renovating the kitchen doesn’t simply mean replacing the kitchen cabinets and changing the wall colors. You need the right kind of lighting design to show your kitchen in the best possible light. Learn how to use different light fixtures and add warmth to the cooking area. Let’s make the kitchen a warm and welcoming place for your loved ones.
Do you love to cook but often find the ambience of your kitchen dull and dreary? Does the kitchen feel unwelcoming after a busy day? Well, better lighting is essential to showcase the best features of any room. Yet it is the most ignored feature in modern kitchens.
Lighting Tips for the Kitchen of your Dreams!
Installing LED lights all over the ceiling is not a smart solution. In order to make the kitchen warm and welcoming, you need to have a good lighting design that blends ambient, task and accent lighting well. Here are some essential tips to help you get started:
1. Start with Sunlight
A good electrician knows the importance of natural light. It can instantly add brightness to any room plus save you from exorbitant energy bills. If your kitchen is not receiving enough sunlight, discuss the need for skylights, sky tunnel lights and solar tubes. On average, the installation of skylights can cost you $1500. But they do a great job at illuminating the kitchen without any massive recurring expenditure. You can even consider installing a window in a cramped, dull kitchen so as to make it airy and comfortable.
2. Build an Ambience with Ambient Lighting
Create a warm ambience by choosing the right ambient lights. Make sure that you create soft glow all over the kitchen without any harsh glare. Different types of ambient lighting include recessed lights, track lights, wall sconces, wall lights, etc. A typical round LED recessed light panel will cost you $25-$60. Track lighting kits often cost the same. The total cost can increase depending on your choice and the number of panels. You will have to pay $100-$200 as labor.
3. Take Task Lighting Seriously
Task lighting is very important to help you prep meals easily. The most common place to install task lighting is under the cabinets. Under-cabinet lights do a great job of highlighting the backsplash as well as provide lighting for reading recipes on the counter. LED strip lighting can cost you around $50-$60. Remote-controlled puck lights are slightly expensive but they can add a touch of glamor to the area. For a modern kitchen, choose motion activated lights.
4. Accent Lighting to highlight the Kitchen
Often used to add layers to the kitchen lighting design, accent lights can help you build a kitchen of your dreams. You can use accent lighting to illuminate the insides of the cabinets. For example, if you want to focus on fine china, dinner set or glassware, you can install recessed lighting inside the cabinet. It ranges from $40-$100 depending on your requirements. You can also use accent lighting to highlight kitchen toe-kicks. They can double up as safety lights.
5. Decorative Lighting is the Key!
Every kitchen needs to have one wow factor. And, pendant lighting can be the perfect way of doing it. Decorative lighting comes in different shapes and sizes. It can serve multiple purposes as well. For example, you can install decorative lights above the kitchen island as task lighting and still enhance the appearance of the room. When it comes to decorative lighting in the cooking area, the sky is the limit. A simple clear glass light fixture can be purchased for $25 and a crystal chandelier can cost several hundred dollars.
Find an Experienced Electrical enovation Expert!
When you are renovating the kitchen, consider working with an expert. Electrical renovation requires studying the layout of your kitchen in detail and then, providing a lighting design plan. If you want a bigger bang for your bucks, hire a licensed electrician. Doing extensive electrical work on your own can lead to code violations and expensive repairs. So, make sure that you leave the electrical work in the hands of a specialist.