Designing Room-by-Room: Illuminating the Kitchen

LIGHTING LAYOUTS : THE KITCHEN

Not strictly spaces dedicated to food preparation, kitchens are focal points in the modern home.

While the traditional cooking and cleaning functions endure – requiring specific task illumination – the kitchen is the hub of household activity. We entertain, eat and perform several other activities in our kitchens, from homework to balancing bank statements

Strong overhead lighting is necessary for general illumination and can be attractively accomplished with a larger-scale flush mount fixture. However, the multipurpose nature of a kitchen necessitates incorporation of all three lighting layers.

BREAKFAST NOOKS

These may be lit with a single glass globe, a decorative pendant or even a cluster of smaller pendants hung at varying heights for maximum visual impact.

In Smaller kitchens a secondary overhead lighting source might not be necessary. A wall-sconce or two may provide additional ambient lighting, focused on the eating area.

ISLAND COUNTERS

Just like one wrong measurement can make or break a recipe, not having enough task focused lighting can disrupt the functionality of your space.

The optimum brightness for preparing food is 500 lumens per square meter. Multiply the square meterage of the countertop area by 500 to determine the luminous flux of light you will need. Then select pendants or island fixtures that can be lamped to accomplish you goal. Remember to leave at least 75cm between the fixture base and the counter surface.

DINETTES

A Dinette is smaller than formal dining tables and should be lit with appropriate fixtures – either pendants or smaller chandeliers. When selecting a fixture for positioning above round table, make sure the fixtures diameter is approximately 30cm less than the diameter of the table.

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