Have you ever heard that the kitchen is the heart of every home? It is definitely true. The kitchen is not just the place where meals are cooked. It is also the place where all family members get together around the table to enjoy food and communicate. No wonder why some people say that the kitchen is the place where life is lived.

It’s hard to imagine a nice and cozy kitchen without proper lighting. When it comes to designing your kitchen, the importance of good lighting should never be neglected. The right light fixtures in your kitchen are crucial for creating a brightly-lit work area. It helps maximize your visibility and safety during the cooking process. Plus, the proper light fixtures will create an inviting atmosphere making your kitchen look beautiful and more expensive.

Let’s dig deeper to find out which factors you should consider while choosing the light fixtures for your kitchen.

Consider the Overall Design of Your Kitchen

If you are planning to purchase a new light fixture that will add more elegance and glamour to your kitchen, consider the design of the whole place first. Choosing the right light fixtures is key to making your kitchen usable and enjoyable. Remember that the light fixtures you install should match your kitchen and provide the necessary illumination levels.

Analyze the size of your kitchen. The number and size of the light fixtures you can pick depends mainly on this parameter. If you are not going to renovate your kitchen, but just plan to add some light fixtures, consider the style of the lamps you want to keep. The style of new light fixtures should match the already existing lamps. Otherwise, there will be no harmony in your kitchen.

Ceiling Light Fixtures

In fact, it doesn’t matter whether your kitchen is large or small. The proper kitchen lighting starts with ceiling lighting. Ceiling light fixtures fulfill an extremely important function – they reinforce the natural light that enters your kitchen. Pendants, flush or semi-flush light fixtures will serve this purpose perfectly.

Support Lighting

No doubt, overhead lighting is crucial for your kitchen. However, it is not enough for creating balanced lighting in this room. The spaces around ceiling lighting should be well-lit as well. It would also be great to illuminate some specific areas in your kitchen. The good news is that it can easily be achieved by means of support lighting.

If there is an island in your kitchen, you should illuminate it properly as well. Nice light fixtures over this area will make the process of cooking and serving meals more pleasant and comfortable. If your island is large, you can install several pendants over this space. Three pendants will look really great if they are evenly spaced. A small chandelier or two pendants will ideally illuminate a smaller island.

Do not forget to illuminate the dining area. It is a great spot to add a beautiful chandelier or a pendant that will bring elegance to the whole space.

Choosing Your Light Fixture Shades

When it comes to choosing a light fixture for your kitchen, you should also consider the material the light fixture shade is made of. If you would like to illuminate brightly your entire kitchen, think about buying a light fixture with clear glass shade. An opal glass shade provides even illumination and a more diffused glow in comparison with a clear glass shade.

A metal shade will look particularly fabulous over the kitchen island or dining table. This type of shade will cast the light downwards creating a cozy atmosphere. A light fixture with a linen shade will look fantastic in the dining area as well. It adds style and personality to your kitchen. However, you should keep in mind that it is not recommended to install a light fixture with this type of shade near the sink due to the constant moisture in the air.

The Size of Light Fixtures in Your Kitchen

Keep in mind that the size of the light fixtures you should purchase depends on the number of lamps you are going to install. The layout and the size of your kitchen matters as well. There are some important questions you should answer before making the final choice. Is your kitchen connected to the other rooms in the house? Do you have enough vertical space to install the light fixtures?

If your kitchen is small, think about selecting small light fixtures such as recessed lamps. In small spaces, track lighting is also worth considering. It is an incredibly convenient option that allows focusing light in the area that you need. In fact, track lighting has many more benefits that will really surprise you. Track lighting fixtures come in any material and style. They provide the versatility of light and save space. As you know, standard light fixtures are fixed and can’t be moved. When it comes to track lighting fixtures, they can be easily moved the way you need. These light fixtures are not just highly practical, they are also pleasing to the eye.

For a large kitchen, you may choose large light fixtures along with recessed lamps that will definitely help to add more light to the room. Avoid using flush-mount lights due to the fact that they won’t be able to illuminate a large kitchen effectively.

Consider the Placement of Light Fixtures

It’s worth mentioning that the light fixtures should be placed high enough. Otherwise, you will be staring directly into the light. When you install a light fixture above the dining area, make sure that it is not too low. 35-40 inches above the dining table is the ideal height that will minimize the risk of hitting the lamp when passing food during the meal. Long pendants can be placed about 30-36 inches above the kitchen island.

There is a wide variety of light fixtures available on the market today. However, you do not necessarily have to follow the trends. This is your kitchen and you have the right to choose the light fixtures just to your liking. And most importantly, light fixtures can be customized in case you cannot find the lamps that ideally suit your space.

Selecting the appropriate light fixtures is a very interesting, challenging, but at the same time rewarding experience. If you are armed with the knowledge, the process of choosing the light fixtures for your kitchen will bring you immense pleasure and joy.