The best handmade kitchens are a perfect balance of carefully chosen elements. But once you’ve selected your kitchen cabinet designs and paint finishes, it’s time to light it up.
Choosing lighting for your new kitchen is more than just a finishing touch. It’s a way to showcase your favourite elements, get tasks done with ease and completely transform your space.
Light it up
Before you start choosing individual light fittings, you need to know the basics of lighting your kitchen:
Ambient lighting provides the main wash of light in your bespoke kitchen. You can cast light evenly from the ceiling using recessed or flush mount spots, pendant lights or even a chandelier.
Task lighting brings your work areas into sharp focus. This type of lighting lets you find ingredients, read recipes and do meal prep easily. Think about using strip or under cabinet lighting to eliminate shadows.
Accent lighting adds the wow factor to handmade kitchens by showcasing the elements you love. Adding statement pendants over your island or illuminating a pathway through the kitchen with kickboard mounted LEDs is a beautiful finishing touch.
Illuminate key areas
Layering light in your kitchen is the key to a cohesive design. Start by identifying the areas that need well-defined illumination before filling in with an ambient light wash. Next, focus on your island and under cabinet lighting to eliminate shadows and illuminate your favourite features.
Over the island
An island is the showpiece of most handmade kitchens. It’s where you prep, eat and hang out with family and friends, so you need a clever blend of ambient and task lighting.
A blend of recessed downlighters and hanging lamps works well to light your island. Individual pendants are popular because they combine focused lighting with a showstopping statement. Alternatively, try a linear suspension light and hang at around 30-40 inches above your work surface.
Under cabinets
However strong your general lighting, you’re likely to have areas of shadow under your wall cabinets. Installing over and under-cabinet task lighting is a must for safe meal prep or to find your favourite ingredients. In addition, you can accent beautiful finishing features or a gorgeous worktop.
Strip lights are versatile, especially if you opt for cost-effective LEDs. Use them to illuminate the interior of cupboards or drawers or position them under cabinets for highly effective task lighting. Circular puck lights are another excellent choice, casting focused pools of light right where you need them.
Let there be light
You’ve designed your task lighting and added accent lighting to cabinets and kickboards to emphasise your favourite handmade kitchen design elements. Now it’s time to fill the rest of your space with ambient light.
Focus on the ceiling and position your recessed and flush mount lighting to fill in any gaps. You’re aiming for a general wash of light that makes your bespoke kitchen a welcoming and well-lit place to be.
Flush-mounted light fixtures are a clever choice in a smaller kitchen with less ceiling area to light. If you don’t have the room height for pendants or a chandelier, they can also make a bold decorative statement.
Recessed lighting is another ideal choice. It works well with contemporary and traditional handmade kitchens, allowing you to customise your lighting scheme by directing the light right where you need it. To create even coverage, plot out a lighting grid using your worktops as a guide, and add dimmer switches or use smart lights so you can achieve the effect you want.
Made for you by Hill Farm Furniture
At Hill Farm, we create inspired, individual interiors and handmade kitchens you’ll love. Download our brochure or contact us today to start your dream project.
