Kitchen Lights

Kitchen lights are not just for kitchens but can be used anywhere in the home except bathroom. Any light fitting can be used but what sets them aside is light levels and function. For example, a romantic pendant that gives soft light is not suitable for the kitchen as it will create shadows. This makes cooking and preparing food difficult.

Kitchen ceiling lights can fall into both ambient and accent lighting. Ambient lighting creates an indirect overall light source to enable you to carry out everyday tasks. Accent lighting highlights particular areas of interest or certain objects within the kitchen. A good example would be a pendant light hanging over a breakfast bar or dining table. Our selection of kitchen ceiling lights falls into four main categories, fluorescent, flush, pendants and down lights.

No single kitchen light is best as they all perform different functions. You should aim to use a combination of all lighting types to give the best overall lighting. This will depend on the size and layout of each individual kitchen.

The kitchen main light, down lights and task lights should be as bright as possible without producing glare. Ambient and accent lighting should be more subdued. They should all be separately switched, so you can use each type when needed and build lighting levels in layers.

Fluorescent kitchen lights

Some of us will remember the dreadful fluorescent lights of the past. Typically, they were a plain white metal body with a bare fluorescent tube. They would hum and buzz with a plink-plink until they finally illuminated. Thankfully, those days are behind us. Today’s modern fluorescent lights are fitting with electronic control gear that eliminates the buzzing and flickering completely. The light output from a fluorescent fitting cannot be overstated. It is between four and six times more efficient than any other lamp source, making them very energy efficient. These factors, coupled with contemporary styling and long lamp life make them very hard to overlook.

Many fluorescent style kitchen lights are now available in an LED option. They use a little less energy than a fluorescent fitting, last for a very long time and are available in a variety of colour temperatures. Some use replaceable LED tubes and others have integral LED’s, where the whole fitting must be disposed of at end of life.

Flush kitchen lights

If your home was built in the last forty years or so, the chances are that it will have lower ceilings than older properties. Lower ceilings were introduced to save energy in heating costs by reducing the air volume that required warming. Most modern flush kitchen lights are fluorescent with a few containing ordinary incandescent lamps. They are an excellent choice if you have a lower ceiling.

Kitchen pendant lights

Pendants look fantastic in any kitchen. For those of us lucky enough to have high ceilings, pendants can be positioned almost anywhere to create the effect we would like. They have the ability to bring the ceiling down into the space and make it appear cosier. In reality, most of us are only able to use pendants over a kitchen worktop, breakfast bar, dining table or sink. They perform well as accent lighting and also help to outline different areas of the kitchen, for example, the dining area.

Downlights in the kitchen

Kitchen down lights are very popular as they are versatile, can be adjustable and you can have as many or as few as you would like. They are easy to install, come in a variety of styles including adjustable and eyeball and are available in a huge range of finishes. They provide good targeted light and are dimmable. They are however expensive to run and generate a lot of heat, unless you use LED or fluorescent GU10 light bulbs in them. Down lights can be used in conjunction with any other type of kitchen light. They can be positioned around the edge to target worktops or other areas where a direct light is required. Click here to view our range of recessed lighting. Further information about down lights can be found in our article entitled Recessed downlights explained.

If you require any further help or advice on lights for your kitchen or any other aspect of home lighting, please contact us for friendly, honest and down to earth advice.

Kitchen Lights FAQ’s

Q) What are kitchen lighting fixtures?

A) Kitchen lights are not just for kitchens but can be used anywhere in the home except bathroom. Any light fitting can be used but what sets them aside is light levels and function. For example, a romantic pendant that gives soft light is not suitable for the kitchen as it will create shadows. This makes cooking and preparing food difficult.

Q) What type of kitchen lights are best?

A) No single kitchen light is best as they all perform different functions. You should aim to use a combination of all lighting types to give the best overall lighting. This will depend on the size and layout of each individual kitchen.

Q) How bright should kitchen lighting be?

A) The kitchen main light, down lights and task lights should be as bright as possible without producing glare. Ambient and accent lighting should be more subdued. They should all be separately switched, so you can use each type when needed and build lighting levels in layers.

Q) What is the best kitchen lighting for high ceilings?

A) Pendants for high ceilings can be positioned anywhere to create the effect we would like. They have the ability to bring the ceiling down into the space and make it appear cosier. Use pendants over a kitchen worktop, breakfast bar, dining table or sink. They perform well as accent lighting and also help to outline different areas of the kitchen, for example, the dining area.

Q) What is the best kitchen light to replace fluorescent?

A) Many fluorescent style kitchen lights are now available in an LED option. They use a little less energy than a fluorescent fitting, last for a very long time and are available in a variety of colour temperatures. Some use replaceable LED tubes and others have integral LED’s, where the whole fitting must be disposed of at end of life.

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