9 Ways to Bring Light to All Corners of Your Kitchen With Irene Gunter, Co-Founder of Gunter & Co
The most successful kitchen lighting is super flexible, allowing you to use the space in all the ways you want and make the most of its features. For example, you might need practical bright light for prepping and cooking as well as intimate light for dining, or you might want to illuminate an island. Read on to discover how you can ensure that lighting lets you make the most of your kitchen.
1. Ace overhead lighting
I see many people making the same mistake with their kitchen lighting: they install downlights or spotlights in a classic grid formation. This not only looks messy but also doesn’t always provide the level of lighting needed.
The lighting in this modern Chelsea townhouse takes a more flexible approach. I opted for Flos track lighting featuring magnets that allow the fixtures to be repositioned depending on where light is needed most. Some of the fixtures are angled to wash light down the fronts of the wall cabinets, illuminating the contents when open and casting a soft, diffused light across the countertop. Others are angled towards the island worktop.
2. Tackle task lighting
It’s essential that worktops are well lit – after all, you don’t want to be wielding a sharp knife or cooking in the dark! For this reason, I strongly recommend installing task lighting under your wall cabinets. This will cast a shadow-free light across the worktop below.
3. Harness natural light
To boost light levels in this Belgravia Mews house, I installed a large roof light over the dining table. We then lit it with the fabulous Aim ceiling light from Flos to prevent it from looking like a black hole at night.
4. Illuminate your island
Depending on how your island is designed, it can be a space for all kinds of kitchen activities, from cooking, washing up and preparing food to dining or socialising. The right lighting above your island is therefore crucial, and – most importantly – should be able to adapt to all functions. To achieve this, always make sure your island lighting is dimmable so you can turn it up when you’re cooking and prepping food and dim it when dining.
There are various ways to light an island – with a pendant, recessed downlights or even with Flos track lighting, which I did in this Hampstead Village penthouse. What’s great about this design is that it features magnets that allow the fixtures to be moved around or repositioned to where the light is needed most, making it a truly flexible solution.
5. Pick a striking pendant
If your kitchen has a particularly high ceiling, one way to make it seem lower is with a fabulous statement pendant suspended over the island. Always consider the size of your island before hanging your pendant as this will help to determine its size. And don’t be afraid to go large like we did in this Notting Hill apartment. A statement fixture never fails to draw attention to the island, making it the focal point of the space.
It’s also essential to make sure your light fitting is hung at the right height. Ideally, when you’re sitting at the breakfast bar, your sightlines should be clear, and you shouldn’t be blinded by the glare from lightbulbs. A general rule of thumb I follow is to allow around 75cm from the top of the work surface to the bottom of the light fixture.
6. Work around regulations
This Cotswold cottage is grade 2 listed so no ceiling punctures were allowed. To boost light levels, I opted for a pair of fabulous wall-mounted lamps positioned on either side of the extractor. What I love about these lamps is that they are a perfect fit for the style of this kitchen, and they are practical too, as the shades can be rotated to direct the light. I also installed under-cabinet lighting to cast a shadow-free light across the adjacent worktop.
7. Give cupboard interiors some love
If you have glazed kitchen cupboards like these in our Chelsea townhouse project, it’s a good idea to light them from inside. This provide useful task lighting (I hate digging around a dark cupboard for what I need) and it can also be a good source of ambient lighting. For example, if you are sitting at the dining table enjoying a glass of wine at night, a soft glow emitted from the glazed cabinets creates a relaxing atmosphere.
8. Layer in shelf lighting
Install dimmable lights on the undersides of open shelves to cast an even glow across its contents. In this Little Venice kitchen, we put the shelf lighting on a separate circuit from the Flos track lighting that provides the general illumination in the space. This means it can be used alongside overhead lighting when preparing a meal or alone when the homeowners want to create a cosy, intimate atmosphere.
9. Get in control
Don’t put all your lights on one circuit as this will limit the ways in which you can use the kitchen. Ideally, you want to be able to adjust the light levels depending on the time of day and what you are doing. A general rule of thumb is to have three circuits: one for general downlights, another for pendant lights and a final circuit for additional lighting such as shelf or niche lighting. If your kitchen is particularly large, you may need additional circuits.