Make Your Kitchen Beautiful & Functional
At N-Hance Boise we understand how important it is for you to have a kitchen that not only looks beautiful but also serves its purpose effectively in your home. Your kitchen should be a source of joy, a space where you can prepare meals with ease and enjoy the company of your guests. However, without proper lighting, these tasks can become challenging and take away from the amazing space you’ve created.
It goes beyond just aesthetics. Adequate lighting is essential for functionality. It allows you to see what you’re doing, making tasks like food preparation much easier and more enjoyable. Imagine having a well-lit countertop where you can effortlessly chop ingredients or a bright overhead light that illuminates the entire room, creating an inviting ambiance.
When planning your remodel, it’s crucial to consider task lighting as an integral part of the design. According to HGTV, a trusted source in home improvement, incorporating good task lighting should be a priority. By achieving the right levels of illumination, your kitchen will not only be visually appealing but also energy-efficient and fully functional.
Things to Consider For Good Kitchen Lighting
One ceiling-mounted light fixture is not enough: It’s nearly impossible to properly light your entire kitchen with a single light source, so please don’t try. Instead of relying on a single fixture, let your remodeling contractor make suggestions and help you choose different types of lighting and the best locations.
Layer your lighting: A well-lit kitchen will make use of decorative, ambient, task and accent lighting. Using these different types of light applications can really change the look and feel of your kitchen. It also gives homeowners the ability to easily convert the lighting style for different functions, such as cooking, family events, casual entertaining or even a romantic dinner.
Plan ahead: A kitchen remodel will often include new cabinet designs, new appliances and fixtures as well as relocation of electrical outlets and wiring. It’s important to understand where lighting fits into all of these aspects and planning for your new light fixtures needs to be done earlier rather than at the end.
Make Use Of Task Lighting
Doing even the simplest kitchen tasks can be exasperating without enough light. In order to create a well-functioning kitchen, you will need proper illumination in all parts of the room, not just the central work areas.
Task lighting is designed to brighten a specific area in the kitchen; instead of relying on a single centrally located light, you can have a perfectly-lit area for each & every job, from rolling sushi and washing dishes, to preparing lunches for tomorrow and doing homework.
Good task lighting sources include:
Pendent Lights – Can offer great light while simultaneously adding a nice design element to the space. You should consider adding one or more pendent style lights over the kitchen island or other stand-alone features.
Recessed Lights – A general rule of thumb is to have one over the sink and one for every 4 feet of counter space. Your electrician or remodeling contractor can offer advice on exact placement.
Under-Cabinet Lighting – LED’s will likely be the best option here and are a great option for task lighting in food prep areas. They provide bright task lighting while adding a sense of drama and finish to the room.
Benefits of Task Lighting:
- Better Illumination – Task lighting helps substantially when prepping food, snacks, doing dishes as well as other family necessities like homework, paying bills and doing school projects.
- Reduce Eye Strain – Reading and working without proper lighting is not only challenging but also risky. Slicing and prepping with sharp knives requires focus and attention. A brighter workspace not only helps prevent accidents but can help reduce eye strain. It’s a good idea to install lights under your kitchen cabinets and other work areas.
- Saving Energy – Task lights give you the ability to light certain areas of the kitchen without having to turn on every light source. Especially if you’re using LED lights, task lighting helps to consume less energy when large overhead fixtures aren’t constantly in use.
For a kitchen to both look stylish and function well, it requires lighting that’s been carefully thought out. Good lighting should be an integral part of every kitchen remodeling project, so be sure to make room in your budget for a variety of decent quality, properly placed fixtures.
In order for your kitchen to function well and look good, it will require a lighting arrangement that has been well thought out and precisely implemented. Good lighting is always an important part of any kitchen remodeling project and should be given a good amount of attention, well budgeted for and include input from your designer, contractors and family.