Find the Best Light Fixtures For Your Kitchen

Besides their basic and somewhat obvious function, kitchen light fixtures are, nowadays, vital assets to personalize and add a decorative and welcoming touch to your kitchen. Are you looking for information to help you choose the right light fixture for your kitchen? Check out the following to learn more about styles, models, and costs. 

What kind of kitchen light fixtures are trendy right now?

Nowadays, the kitchen is considered a focal point of any home. Gone are the days of considering the kitchen as a mechanical space in which only meals were prepped. Today, it represents a gathering spot for families and friends to get together and share stories. As such, it needs to be both inviting and cozy. Kitchen light fixtures are perfect to help create a homey vibe and showcase your personality by way of decor. It has both a functional and decorative purpose. Therefore, one has to choose wisely to ensure optimal comfort levels. For example, washing dishes in the sink or preparing food on the countertop requires really good lighting to ensure all-around cleanliness when it comes to surfaces and adding the right amount of ingredients to a dish. Furthermore, if you have a dining room, well-thought-out lighting will liven up the room and make your family meals all the more enjoyable.

There are numerous different types of kitchen lamps available on the market. Between spotlights, sconces, pendants, and many more, there’s something for everyone. At this point, let's take a look at some of the kitchen light fixture models and their unique features.

Ceiling Lamps

If your kitchen is on the smaller side, ceiling lamps are your best bet. Typically, these can be positioned in the middle of your ceiling to evenly brighten the area. We highly recommend opting for metal, glass, steel, or plastic fixtures. These materials are easy to clean and aren’t likely to trap cooking smells. Select powerful yet glare-free models to shield your eyes and enhance the overall look of the room. There are ceiling lamps with a dimming feature, sort of like mood lighting, which can go from a warm white light to a daylight light. As such, your lighting can be adjusted according to your daily activities. 

If the ceiling light isn’t enough in itself to properly light up the area, you can always add wall-mounted light fixtures next to the countertops or under the cabinets. Position light panels under your upper cabinets or even recessed or built-in lighting. You can also invest in built-in motion light sensors that can detect movement and subsequently turn on when someone enters the kitchen or is cooking. 

Sconces

You can count on wall sconces to set a soothing, relaxing tone to your kitchen. They're well suited for tamed and understated decors. As such, sconces will create a unique and sophisticated look in said area of your home. And, they usually brighten up isolated corners and break up direct light.

For instance, you can pair up your wall sconces with pendant lights to create a more serene setting in your kitchen. There are several models of wall sconces; you can choose between a hanging wall sconce, a half-wall sconce, or a vintage strip sconce. 

Hanging Lights: Pendants or Chandeliers

Hanging lights are basically a must-have in kitchens nowadays. They’re perfect to light up a kitchen island or countertops, while also adding a little something to the overall ambiance. Also, they're available in several colours, sizes, and models; from vintage and rustic to Scandinavian or bistro, not to mention industrial too. 

It's important to choose your pendant lamps according to the size of your kitchen. If the room is spacious, choose a pendant that can be rotated to direct the light to specific areas such as the sink, stovetop, or countertop. If the room is smaller, choose a fixture that matches the paint colour of your walls.

To highlight your fixtures, you can position several at the same height, one next to the other, or instead, opt for a multi-tier chandelier model. We highly recommend a warm white or cool light. 

Note that light-coloured kitchen light fixtures can make a room look bigger and brighter than it is. We also suggest favouring silicon, glass, or metal models; such models can withstand humidity. 

LED Strip

To add a touch of flair to your kitchen, you can even install LED light strips. The latter are LED kitchen light fixtures with lights embedded into a strip. Most often, they’ll be positioned at the far end of countertops, cutting boards, or shelves. You can affix them with double-sided adhesive tape. They come in numerous colours and wattages. They’re equipped with a cable, plug, and switch. Some models have a colour range option, which can be remotely controlled with a remote control or smartphone. LED strips have the added benefit of being energy efficient.

Cable and Track System

The cable and track system lights kitchens in a particular fashion. This type of kitchen light fixture lets you plan for several lights next to each other. That said, a single rail is enough to light various areas of a room. You can even install, within the same system, different light fixture models. That way, you can benefit from both variety and elegance in your kitchen. 

How to Choose the Right Lighting for Your Kitchen

Here are a few tips to help you choose your light fixtures:

• For better lighting, pair various types of fixtures: You can, for example, pair sconces with ceiling lights for additional background lighting.

• Make sure to choose functional lighting: That way, you can benefit from optimal results, both visually and comfort-wise, to enable you to work in an ergonomic fashion from your countertops. Most often, you’ll be tasked with slicing and dicing with sharp objects, so good lighting will make the whole endeavour much safer. Think of lighting in terms of specific areas such as the stovetop, sink, storage, countertops, etc. 

• Choose layout-specific lighting: It’s important to know what you want in terms of kitchen lighting when purchasing fixtures. There’s nothing more unpleasant than too-bright or too-low lighting. A kitchen needs, on average, 300 lux lighting, however, to efficiently light all worktops, you can go up to 500 lux. If you think that direct lighting drowns out the ceiling, you can fix that with one or two wall sconces. 

• Choose adjustable kitchen light fixtures: This allows you to better light any surface area. A dimmer can also help you control the amount of light output depending on whether you want a cozy or bright setting.

Kitchen Light Fixtures: Models & Prices 

The Z-LITE JENAMEES INC. LENYX Chandelier

Designed with six light bulbs, this elegant chandelier has a versatile design that can suit just about any room. It’s 134.5 inches high and costs about $662.00.

This Dainolite, 24-inch modern kitchen island light fixture from the Prudence Collection

This one is height-adjustable and is designed for sloped ceilings. It’s rather hard to install and is LED-compatible. It’s priced at $310. 

CANARM Polo Track Light Fixture

This light fixture has two light bulbs and is made with 14-inch brushed nickel. It’s multi-directional and gives any kitchen a bit of flair. It’s super easy to install and costs about $89.99.

SCOTT MCGILLIVRAY Semi-Flush Mount Light Fixture

Matte black in colour with clear glass, it has four 60W lightbulbs. It’ll surely add a touch of elegance and charm to your kitchen. Plan on spending about $189.99 for it.

SCOTT MCGILLIVRAY Winslow Flush-Mount Light Fixture

This light fixture adds style to any room with its matte black and gold colouring paired with a metal black shade. It has an Easy Connect® push-in connection system and costs about $114.99.

GEENI Smart LED Prisma Colour 3 m Light Strip

This light strip adds creative lighting to your kitchen courtesy of millions of different colour combinations. It’s priced at about $50.99.