Things to Consider When Choosing Kitchen Lighting for Your Remodel

Tony Thomas April 19, 2023

A kitchen remodel is an excellent investment in your home for many reasons but it involves a lot of decisions. Depending on your kitchen remodel, you may be choosing new cabinets, countertops, flooring, backsplash, appliances, hardware, and one extremely important detail – lighting. Kitchen lighting is essential for the safety and effectiveness of completing tasks, of course, but it also sets the mood for the kitchen, highlighting the beauty of design features and elevating the overall aesthetic appeal. 

When choosing kitchen lighting for your remodel, it is important to think about the different types of lighting you need in the space because there should be various types of lighting. You will need task lighting for things like reading recipes, as well as preparing and cooking food. But, you also need general room lighting as well as accent lighting. Sophisticated and effective lighting designs used a layered lighting approach, often having 3 or 4 different types of lighting in the space. 

Task Lighting

Think carefully about common kitchen functions and how you will use the space when choosing task lighting. You will want to be able to have adequate lighting when preparing and cooking food so you want adequate task lighting on your countertops, and over your sink. Undercabinet lights are a great way to add task lighting where you need it most. For a great way to add both style and function when choosing sink lighting, consider a stylish pendant light over the sink. And, pendant lights are also an excellent way to provide useful kitchen island lighting for dining, working, or hosting.

General Ambient Lighting

Every room needs adequate light no matter what time of day it is. Recessed can lighting is great for ambient kitchen lighting because it seamlessly integrates into a layered lighting approach without taking up additional space or influencing the overall design aesthetic. An additional ambient lighting option would be semi-flush-mounted or flush-mounted ceiling lights. 

Accent Lighting

You’ve worked hard on your kitchen remodel and you want to show off all the beautiful and unique design features and finishes. Accent lighting such as puck lighting on top of your cabinets or in-cabinet lighting can highlight the beauty of your kitchen design while adding another layer of visual interest.