How to light up your kitchen

Lighting is certainly one of the fundamental aspects of interior design and among all the rooms in the home that of the kitchen is certainly one of the most important, and therefore requires special attention in the lighting design.

To illuminate the kitchen at its best, it is necessary to evaluate the area where you are going to intervene and choose the type of adequate lighting, the right arrangement and the light intensity needed to meet the different needs required in the various areas of this environment.

In fact, in the kitchen we spend most of the day, from breakfast, lunch and dinner, to the time, spent preparing meals, but also to entertain friends or simply help the children with homework. The kitchen is undoubtedly the fulcrum of the whole house, the place where we carry out various activities, which, as mentioned, require different types of lighting.

The kitchen lights should provide the right light for any time of day and for every activity. Here are a series of suggestions on how to light up your kitchen to achieve a functional and aesthetically pleasing result.

Different types of light

The first thing to remember when choosing lamps for this room in our home is that the kitchen needs three types of lighting:

·        General: General lighting is used to give uniform light throughout the room. This can be achieved with a ceiling light or a ceiling light placed in the center of the space, or with LED spotlight located at various points in the room. Choosing a solution rather than another will depend on the space available, the height of the ceilings, the type of furniture and kitchen.

·        Functional: The functional light is directed towards the work surface and the hob. In this case, it is better to use spotlights or LED bars positioned under the wall unit line. This lighting will help you prepare your favorite dishes safely and comfortably.

·        Environmental: Ambient light is used to create a welcoming atmosphere. You can use hanging lamps on the island, or on the table, recessed spotlights in a window or in a niche, wall sconces to emphasize a detail or plaster frames to be placed on the ceiling.

Which areas of the kitchen light up?

There are areas of the kitchen that require more precise lighting than others.

One of these is certainly the area of ​​the stove; in this case, often the modern extractor hoods also perform an excellent illuminating function.

Even the worktop needs to be well lit in order to prepare meals in comfort and safety; in addition to under-wall lighting, the best way to avoid reflections and shaded areas is to place directional ceiling spotlights positioned in front of the wall units. In this way, as well as excellent functional performance, you will also enhance the furnishings.

Even the table is a focal point of the kitchen, functional, but also rich in meaning; it is the meeting and sharing place par excellence, where guests are welcomed and confronted with the family. To emphasize this important area of ​​your home, the best solution is to place a suspension lamp, about 60/70 cm from the table top; at this distance, it will illuminate perfectly and help create a relaxing atmosphere

Even the interior of pantries and wall units can be illuminated with arm-mounted spotlights or LED bars, so as to clearly identify everything inside them at any time.

Light, especially in the kitchen, can enhance the details and make even a modestly sized, elegant refined environment appear.