Just the same as using a nightlight for reading or lamplight whilst working, kitchen task lighting increases visibility to help you in preparing and cooking food. Kitchen task lighting introduces a direct source of light onto a specific kitchen area, usually the worktop, cooker and sink area.
For example, lights integrated within the bottom shelf of your wall units provide superb illumination for the workspace beneath. They also remove the need of an old-fashioned pelmet or track. Other examples of task lighting include pendants over an island lighting up the area underneath, shelf lighting or cabinet lighting which easily show cupboard contents, and extractors over a hob with integrated spotlights to light up the cooking zone below.
Accent or feature lighting has a primarily decorative purpose, enhancing the select features of your kitchen that you want to stand out. This might be illuminated wall units, glass shelves, light up drawers, or plinth lighting. LED strip lights around a mirrored splash back, or along the underside of a kitchen island worktop create a stunning and contemporary kitchen appearance, or for islands can be used to create a floating kitchen effect. With high energy efficiency, a long lifespan and a pliable, tailored fit for small spaces, LED lights are ideal for a modern kitchen look and for highlighting kitchen features.
Accent lighting in combination with ambient lighting creates a three dimensional feel, which in turn enriches the tone that has been set within a space. As with task lighting, it is possible to change the colour of lights as well as dim them to create different effects, and they do no need to be switched on all of the time, or at the same time. This is particularly appealing for homeowners who want to bring wow factor to their kitchen and for entertaining guests.
Lighting will affect the look and feel of a room space and so for a small kitchen, lighting options to create the illusion of more space are an absolute must! A light gloss furniture tone is best for reflecting light back across a kitchen, but darker matt finishes can work beautifully too, as long as you include the right lighting within the right places. We can help you plan your task, ambient and feature lighting for the best possible results in a small kitchen. We know the best lighting tones and colours to use to show a finish at its best; we know where to locate lighting to enhance a feel of space, and we also know it’s those extra touches that really finish a room off. Whether this be a run of LEDs along a worktop edge, drawer lights, uplighters above tall cupboards, or decorative plinth lighting.
The kitchen is both a work and social setting, so lighting must be practical where needed, yet in all cases should still express character and personality through individual style choices!
As the kitchen is the most frequented room of the house, it is this that says the most about you! Choices for task lighting, ambient lighting and feature lighting are many and far between, so when planning a new kitchen you should be sure to explore all your options and remember that the best kitchen designs are those that incorporate all three types of lighting. This guarantees comfort, usability safety, and of course…style!