Your Mini Guide to Choosing Kitchen Lighting Fixtures

I remember as a young child the single fluorescent fixture that hung in the middle of the kitchen in the home I lived. At time this kitchen light was to bright when you were looking for a snack in the middle of the night. When there was cooking or baking to be done in the kitchen it was to din to read the recipes we were trying to use. Kitchen lighting has come a long way since then. 

In today’s modern kitchen there are several different types of kitchen lighting to help us accomplish what we need in the kitchen. In some of today’s modern kitchens the type of hardware and doors that are being used in the kitchen along with the correct choice of lighting the kitchen becomes a display area and adds a great look of elegance to our homes. 

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We will look at a few popular types of fixtures used in the kitchen and see what they have to offer.

Track Lighting

This is a great way to offer halogen, fluorescent, and high-low voltage lights that will help you to direct the lighting where you need. There are several different type of track lighting that can be configured in hundreds on different combinations. You can also use the existing electrical box from the light already installed in the kitchen as a starting point. A wide variety of fixtures available for track lighting will help to add to the look you are looking for as well as being placed to highlight the areas you need the light the most.

Once you select the fixture you will want to align them in a way as to not cast shadows on the work area where you will be working. 

A good example of this would be to place a fixture overhead on the left and right side of the sink. 

In this manner you will not be blocking the light from the work area the way you would if you add a single overhead fixture. You will want to do the same over other work areas such as the cutting area and over the cooktop.

Under Cabinet Lighting

Under cabinet lighting will add light where you need it most. In a lot of cabinet configurations, the upper cabinets will block the light from the areas under the top cabinets. This is the area where a lot of the small appliances such as the microwave, coffee pot, and blenders are located. This type of lighting will also help to illuminate cutting boards and cookbooks for easier reading. Under cabinet lights are available in three different bulb varieties. Fluorescent, halogen, and incandescent. Fluorescent lights will cast a cool white glow under the cabinets. These bulbs are available in several different sizes to help accommodate the lengths of your cabinets.

Halogen lights are available in strips as well as disk and puck style. These lights will cast a warm glow that is not overpowering but will provide a great light to work with. Halogen lights are almost the same ambient light as sunlight. Surface mount as well as recessed fixture are available for halogen bulbs. Incandescent bulbs are also available in a variety of fixtures that will burn smaller bulbs giving you the light you need without producing too much heat. Whichever type of under counter lighting you choose be sure to mount it to the front of the upper cabinets to light up the work area more. If they are mounted closer to the back the fixtures will light up the wall instead of the needed work area.

Recessed Lighting

Most of the recessed lighting you see in the kitchen are standard “can” fixtures with different types of bulbs. These canister lights as they are also known are basically used around the perimeter of a room. They tend to light up walls, floors, and cabinet fronts. The canisters can be installed with different types of lights sockets that can be directed anywhere you need the light. These two types of sockets are known as eyeball and wall washers. 

You can easily upgrade existing canister lights by switching the trim package. You can utilize the same canister but change the trim package to except the different types of light bulbs that suite you the best. One thing to keep in mind is the fact that the trim packages for canister lights are made to fit the same canisters of the manufacturer.

Dimmer Switches

Dimmer switches can be a great addition to any lighting package. There are times when you will not need the kitchen light to be fully bright. If you are cooking, reading recipes, or cutting and chopping you will need the light over your work area. Perhaps you will want to enjoy a nice dinner you can then turn the dimmer down to help create that special atmosphere. 

A dimmer switch will allow you to have general lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting from the same lights in your kitchen. Dimmer switches will add an extra touch of versatility to your kitchen lighting.

Bulb Options

We have many more bulb options today than we have had in the past. In the past our main choices of bulbs were incandescent or fluorescent. They were good for lighting but there were a couple of things that were disadvantages of these bulbs. The incandescent bulbs were bright and put off plenty of light but they also but of a lot of heat. Fluorescent lighting gave us a different type of lighting but at times the bulbs took a few minutes to get started. 

With today’s bulb choices such as CFL’s, LED’s and halogen bulbs we have a brighter and truer colors in light offerings today. Not only do these bulbs offer great lighting they also help us to cut energy cost and save money. 

When you are ready to upgrade the lighting in your home be sure do your research and take a look here for your lighting needs,

Make your Bathroom and Kitchen stand out with a Mini Chandelier

Spaces like the kitchen and bathroom are one of the most important rooms for most homeowners like yourself. The bathroom for one is where you soak out all the stress of the day in a warm bubble bath. It is where you take you morning shower to get that hangover out of your system before you start the day. The kitchen is where your mom used to make your favorite cookies and where you rush to for a cold beer after a hard day of work how about making such spaces all the more special by hanging a mini chandelier over them?

Transglobe 3 Light Chandelier with Antique White Finish

The lighting in your bathroom will set the ambience for many a long bubble bath and endless soaks. In addition, not only does the right lighting illuminate a small space it makes it appear larger.

Bathrooms

For Modern Bathroom Décor: Mini chandeliers are particularly designed for modern bathroom décor since they give the space a luxurious feel without taking up too much of it. See how the mini chandelier above the bathtub draws the eyes. It is whimsical and dramatic. Hanging a mini chandelier over the tub will really make a mid-day soak more relaxing.

Antique Decor: Of course, not every type of chandelier is designed to suit every type of décor. For instance, a Victorian chandelier might not suit modern décor.

Take a look at how a homeowner incorporates an antique chandelier in this vintage style bathe. You should have noticed how the small space seems larger with the mini chandelier above it. The old look of the lighting fixture also suits the theme of the décor.

A Focal Point in the Kitchen: A mini chandelier can serve as a stylistic focal point in an otherwise drab kitchen. In other words, it will draw in the attention of anyone who steps into the space and away from the peeling paint above the kitchen cabinets.

See how this charming mini chandelier perks up the kitchen. Placing it above the island gives just enough light to prep dinner and lay out the pie to cool. It also adds to the theme and personality of the space.

For instance, a kitchen that is designed according to a black or white color scheme would stand out with a chandelier that has white or opalescent components like this one. A black chandelier would just have blended in and would have done nothing to draw the eyes.

Do not hang an ornate mini chandelier too close to the kitchen table. Fixtures that look heavy take up a lot of visual space. Placing it a few inches higher will de-clutter your vision and make the space shine. Also make sure that your chandelier comes with dimmer switches. They might come in handy for dimming the harshness of the light and setting the ambience.

Chandeliers were once a sign of opulence and wealth. In other words, only the wealthy could afford them. That changed after mini chandeliers were introduced. The décor above should give you a fairly good idea about the type of chandelier that would suit your space the best.

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SpecialtyLightingandBulbs.com, North Miami

Task Lighting - Mini Pendants for Kitchen Islands

Kitchens offer storage for everything from utensils to electrical appliances. However the need for storage space means that there is less work space for anyone who uses the kitchen. This is why interior designers came up with the idea of kitchen islands. These are in the form of counter tops that are centrally located for cooking needs such as food preparation. This is also why kitchen islands usually double as kitchen tables in most homes across the country.

Let’s see how you can use mini pendants to add a touch of elegance to your kitchen -

Contemporary Styled Kitchens: Always pick pendant lighting that complements the design of your kitchen. For instance choose a contemporary style if the décor is contemporary as well. The lighting in this décor draws the eyes upward. Notice how the weathered wood ceiling complements the dark metal finish on the hanging fixtures.

Tuscan Style: Traditional kitchen island lighting might be made from frosted glass or any other older styles. Decorative metallic details add to the traditional pendant lights on top of a kitchen island.

Look how the tapered glass pendants in this modern kitchen design suit the streamlined surfaces of the décor without seeming too old or out of place on top of this rustic kitchen island.

Eclectic Style: Of course, you might have decided to play around with the décor of your kitchen and decided to go for a mix of both modern and traditional styles. Notice how these pendants fit perfectly into this eclectically designed kitchen. You can see how the fixtures also mirror the rustic feel of the floor tiles.

Mini pendant lights offer a number of unique and wonderful choices for homeowners looking to make their kitchen islands stand out. They define the space and add some personality to it without being too overbearing. Their small size accounts for that. Just make sure that you keep the finishes and hardware of your kitchen and kitchen islands in mind before you purchase mini pendants that complement them.

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Lighting Design Concepts for Kitchen

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To achieve good lighting, you will have to apply the layered technique from various sources of light. Let us understand what layered lighting is all about. Take a look at the picture shown in the screen, you will see the first layer of lighting under the wall cabinets. The second layer would be the recessed lighting on the top and the third layer would be the indirect lighting at the top of the cabinets.

Let us take a look at this kitchen and understand how a four-layer solution can be found for this.

 

First and most important layer would be the under cabinet lighting. It is an ideal light source as it provides task lighting and is installed exactly where it is needed. It can also be called as the foundation upon which the other lighting layers could be built. Under cabinet lighting is also a perfect place to use newer and energy efficient technologies such as LED or compact fluorescent.

The second layer would be the recessed lighting on the ceiling where the edge of the fixtures can be 30 inches from the wall. In this location, the lighting provided by these lights supplements the task lighting provided by the under cabinet lights. It also provides general lighting for the space. One of the recessed lights in the layer should also be placed directly over the sink. This fixture should be switched separately from the others and can be installed with a dimmer. This light can be used when you enter the kitchen in the middle of the night and don’t really need the other set of lights. In this particular kitchen, it is also very useful to use a reflector lamp, which will direct the light exactly where it is needed.

The third layer would be a decorative fixture hanging above the kitchen island. This has become a very popular trend in the recent years to use decorative lighting in all rooms of the house including bath and bedroom. It is important to use fixtures with shades, which will conceal the bulbs. Fixtures that have exposed bulbs, creates an uncomfortable glare. The shades in the fixture should direct the light downwards on the work surface and carefully selected shades can also provide general lighting and ambient lighting in the space.

Now in this space the fourth layer of lighting would be indirect lighting in the form of LED lighting strip placed on top of the wall cabinets. This type of fixture can create a very elegant environment when installed with a dimmer. It can also be used as a primary light to create the appropriate mood while entertaining.

In conclusion, the concept of lighting in layers provides multiple lighting options, to create task lighting and also general lighting.