Kitchen Lighting: Pendant Lights, Cabinet or Appliance Lighting?
Kitchen lighting is often overlooked when making over a kitchen. Have you every thought about a kitchen lighting makeover? The kitchen has become the central gathering place in a home. The kitchen is not only used to prepare and cook food. It is also used for homework, entertaining, late night snacks and just relaxing with a cup of coffee. Therefore, the lighting must not only be task oriented but warm and friendly. Beautiful pendant lights or a new light above the kitchen sink can transform your kitchen.
Add Pendant Lighting or Turn Canned Lighting into Pendant Lighting
A pendant light is a light that hangs from the ceiling by a cord, chain or rod. Because it hangs from the ceiling, it is a decorative piece as well. Pendant lights provide both overall and task lighting, while being pretty to look at. Since a pendant light adds an element of design, it also provides a fresh update to your kitchen.
The options are almost endless for pendant lights. You can install a single pendant light over a task area. If you have an island or breakfast bar, consider installing pendant lights over it to anchor the space. Or, group your pendants for more impact and broader light. Even easier, get the same impact by changing your recessed lights into pendant lights. With a recessed light converter, any recessed/canned light can be transformed to a pendant light. Choose from a multitude of pendant lights for a superior upgrade to any kitchen!
Swap Shades on Existing Pendant Lights
Pendant lights can have very plain rods, cords or chains. The shade or cover on the pendant light is often the culprit that dates your kitchen. So why not just swap out the pendant light shade? You just need to measure to ensure that the new shade fits with your current drop method. Swapping out the shade is cheaper and much easier than changing the entire light.
You can change your old dated shade to something more current. For example, a dated frosted shade can be swapped out for a clear glass shade with an edison bulb for an updated look. Changing only the shades on your pendant lights can make a remarkable difference!
Under Cabinet Lighting for Your Kitchen
Under cabinet lighting provides an unexpected update to your kitchen. The counter space under the upper cabinets is often very dim. Under cabinet lighting provides both task lighting and overall lighting under your upper cabinets. Under cabinet lighting can also be installed on a dimmer and give your kitchen an overall warm glow.
Easy to install, you can use strip or puck lighting to get the desired effect. Under cabinet lighting is an easy upgrade that will not only upgrade your kitchen, but increase your property value. Added bonus…you will have a nightlight for late night snacks!
Over the Cabinet Lighting for Your Kitchen
Over the cabinet lighting provides accent lighting from above for cabinets, appliances and counters. Light from above has a wonderful impact. It will brighten your kitchen with soft light. You can use LED strips or linear light fixtures. With LED lighting, just be sure that you like the intensity and color of the light. You can install your over the cabinet lighting on the inside edge of the cabinet facing back or on the inside edge facing forward.
If you have ornamental items on top of your cabinets, you can highlight the items and make them pop by installing the above the cabinet lighting on the inside edge facing forward. Over the cupboard lighting can also be put on a dimmer controller to adjust the mood. Above cabinet lighting provides a way to highlight art, create moods, and provides overall gentle light for your kitchen. It can even be used as a nightlight!
Statement Light Over your Dining Table
How long has your current light been hanging over your dining table in your kitchen? If you are like me, too long! The light fixture that you stare at day in and day out likely reflects your tastes of long ago. Replacing the light hanging over your table is a relatively easy do it yourself job and you will thank yourself later! The look, the bulb, and the actual light coming from the fixture will become a focal point in your kitchen. The light fixture should be hung 30-34 inches above the dining table.
For ceilings higher than 8 feet, add about three inches to the hanging height per foot. The type of fixture is almost endless. You could try one or more of the following over your table: drum shade fixture, industrial pendant, chandelier, glass pendant, painted pendant, rattan pendant, lanterns, orbs, vintage, brass, chrome or black…really, the options are endless. You can get a beautiful new light for over your dining table in just about every price range.
Kitchen Light Above the Sink
Add a beautiful light above the kitchen sink to update your kitchen. Not only will it enhance the look of your kitchen, but it will provide much needed task lighting for when you are using your sink.
Typically, a recessed light is used over the sink, but why not a stylish pendant light or sconce? If you already have a light over your sink, you could update the cover or update to a pendant light. A pendant light or a sconce provides both overall light and task lighting…perfect for over the sink!
Over the Stove Kitchen Lighting
If your stove is in the island, a strategically placed pendant light can be beautiful and serve as a task light for the stove. If your stove is not in the island, it often has a vent above it. The vent lights are often not enough light. Options in this case include, a recessed light, track lighting or some LED lights.
Each can be positioned to light the stove just the way that you need it. For a do it yourselfer, LED lights are probably the best option. An LED aluminum light strip can be installed with magnets or screws above a stove. That light you have always been missing above the stove is a fabulous update to your kitchen!
Update or Replace Track Lighting in Your Kitchen
Old, discolored or broken track lighting can immediately draw your eye upward to look at a fixture that you would rather not. Your kitchen will be immediately brightened after eliminating the dated track lighting. You can replace the entire track light with recessed lighting. Or, you can replace just the fixtures on the track.
Depending on the condition of your track lighting, replacing just the fixtures might just do the trick. If not, and you do not want to spend the money on recessed lighting, you could replace the entire track with a new modern track light. It will immediately rejuvenate your kitchen and provide beautiful light at the same time.
Little Changes in Your Kitchen for a Quick Update
Swap out all of your incandescent bulbs for LED bulbs. LEDs last longer and are more energy efficient. Replace all switch covers for a clean modern version. Try replacing your kitchen light covers/shades. Update the shades to something more modern and more to your liking now. Replace fluorescent overhead lights with recessed lights or pendants. Lastly, don’t forget your bulbs. Replace dated bulbs with new, modern bulbs. Try an Edison bulb.
Fresh, clean, updated lighting can be just the kitchen update that will update your kitchen to the warm, bright space that you desire.
We have always loved updating the kitchen. The options to help modernize and rejuvenate a kitchen on your own are almost endless. We enjoy the hunt for new lighting, hardware, and functional kitchen pieces that will give you the most bang for your buck. Here, we hope to inspire you to update your own kitchen by sharing what we have learned with you.
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