KITCHEN LIGHTING
In most homes, the kitchen reigns as the most-used room in the house. With not only cooking, but homework being done at the counter or table, reading and writing going on, and a host of other activities being performed. Consulting your electrician before and during the design of your kitchen project will help avoid some common problems and keep your project running smooth.
One of the most common lighting layout errors we see in the Monmouth County, New Jersey area is attempting to light your kitchen with one ceiling fixture mounted in the middle of your room. Many times a single light source becomes a glare any time you look into the kitchen, but more importantly you don’t get the light you need on your countertops. Every time you bend forward to do work on your countertops you are working in your own shadow. Another common design error is not planning for adequate wall space to locate your lighting controls. Many times a full height refrigerator end panel or a tall cabinet is placed too close to the entry, leaving no space to install switches and dimmers.
TASK, ACCENT, AMBIENT & DECORATIVE LIGHTING
In general, a good lighting scheme can be achieved by layering, which consists of mixing various types of fixtures to create a comfortable space. There are several types of lighting that can be used in layering your kitchen lighting. These are task, accent, ambient and decorative lighting.
TASK LIGHTING
The task lighting focuses light on the work area. Task lighting is usually situated between the work surface and the person running the kitchen. In most cases, under cabinet lighting is used to light the countertop work surface.
ACCENT LIGHTING
Accent lighting, as its name denotes, accentuates the whole kitchen and adds dimension and depth to the whole space. An example of accent lighting are the fixtures placed inside a glass cabinet to spotlight china and glassware. The most overlooked kind of kitchen lighting is the ambient lighting.
AMBIENT LIGHTING
Ambient light is the general, overall light that fills in shadows, reduces contrast, and lights vertical surfaces to give the space a brighter feel. Ambient light is what you need for casual activities in your rooms. If the kitchen has light colored surfaces and lots of windows you should have plenty of natural ambient light during the day. Most people don’t think that they need extra lights to create a soft yet warm glow that soften shadows but as soon as they realize this, they acknowledge that the ambient lighting creates that homey feel that was missing in their kitchen.
DECORATIVE LIGHTING
The last type of kitchen lighting is the decorative lighting. Decorative lighting adds zest and sparkle to your kitchen. With decorative lighting, make sure not to overdo it. It can make your space look overdone and cluttered. Many light fixtures provide more than one function, for example: a decorative light over the kitchen sink may also supply task lighting.
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Grimaldi Electric of Red Bank, has installed lighting in countless kitchens throughout Monmouth County and New Jersey. Let us help you with your dream kitchen.
