With the evolution of modern kitchen design and furnishings, there has also been an evolution in modern kitchen lighting.
In this article, I’m going to explain everything you need to know about how to light up a modern kitchen, avoiding annoying shaded areas and enhancing the environment.
Importance of lighting in the kitchen
The kitchen can be defined as the beating heart of the home, as it represents a livable and welcoming environment that aims at practicality without giving up on design.
In this, lighting plays a fundamental role, since the choice of suitable lights gives importance to the whole kitchen, making it stand out in its smallest details.
The first characteristics of the modern style are essentiality and brilliance, this means that the modern kitchen lighting must have at least two or, better, three different types of light in order to avoid shadowy areas or dark corners:
- Ambient Light: A light source that provides illumination to the entire kitchen.
- Task Light: Light sources used in smaller areas where more intense light is needed, such as on the kitchen worktop.
- Accent Light: It is used to highlight objects (e. paintings) or architectural features of the kitchen.
Types of kitchen lighting
To understand how to illuminate a modern-style kitchen, it is essential to use different light sources that will guarantee, in addition to functionality, an aesthetic with a high visual impact.
As a source of ambient light, the most suitable choice is a chandelier that recalls the style of the kitchen with its shapes and colors, and which is positioned in the center of the table, to ensure better color rendering of the dishes and provide a welcoming atmosphere as every kitchen should have.
While, to illuminate the kitchen island, the most suitable choices are the use of two or three designer pendant lamps, depending on the size of the island itself, or the new island chandelier with truncated glass, designed and created precisely for this function.
As a light source for activities, which in this case is reflected in illuminating the work surface, facilitating the cutting and preparation of dishes, the recessed spotlights are comfortable, functional and easy to install. Or also LED strips under the wall units, which allow you to illuminate while saving space.
How to place the lights in the kitchen
Another aspect of fundamental importance in the modern kitchen lighting is the arrangement of the lights, which must be orderly and precise, so as to be more pleasing to the eye as well as better illuminating the entire space.
Chandeliers or pendants should be hung so as to leave a height range between 76cm and 91cm above the table, so as not to obstruct anyone’s view when seated at the table.
In terms of horizontal spacing for the multiple suspensions for kitchen island, place the fixtures about 30-38cm from either side of the island and space them evenly within that space, generally aiming for about 75cm distance between the two bulbs or light sources (not the edge of the fixtures).
As for the light under the kitchen cabinets, my advice is to position the light towards the front of the cabinet so that it illuminates the entire worktop rather than just the back wall.
Energy saving: a glance at green lighting
An increasingly debated topic nowadays concerns energy saving, where we try to safeguard the ecosystem of our planet through the use of alternative energies, the reduction of emissions and the reduction and differentiation of waste.
In our industry, we hear more and more about light pollution, which is defined as “the deleterious effect (harmful and harmful) of urban and suburban artificial lights (used by man in inhabited areas and in the connecting roads between them), mainly caused by poor lighting design and therefore by a reckless energy abuse”.
This also applies to street lighting, but this fight against pollution can also be supported inside houses thanks to the LED lamps, which, even if more expensive than the others, guarantee zero maintenance for several years and greater savings on bills given the better energy efficiency.
Small gestures, such as turning off the light when not necessary, help to reduce consumption and reduce waste and light pollution.
Finally, I want to leave you a small selection of suspensions and chandeliers for a modern kitchen (also present in the photos), based on the different styles you may have chosen to adopt.
Related products
Classic Murano glass chandelier enriched by leaves and flowers. Possibility to customize by choosing the number of lights and the color.
Modern suspension in Venetian crystal with quadrihedral glasses and steel structure.
Contemporary and modern design, it is ideal as a light point for island kitchens.
Innovative and modern in shapes, the Sestiere suspension amazes thanks to elegant Murano glass strips. Possibility to customize the color of the glass.
Stella Polare Island It can be placed above the kitchen island, if you usually eat there, or above the dining room table to embellish the entire space.
I hope I have been helpful in understanding how to light up a kitchen with a modern style, understanding which types of lighting to use and where to position them to make them perform at their best.
For more information, don’t be afraid to contact us, Cristalleria Murano ® makes its team of lighting designers available free of charge, with the aim of offering you personalized lighting according to your tastes in the utmost simplicity.
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