Gone are the days when every Indian kitchen would include a single tube light and you would consider your job done! Now that we are more aware about the health benefits of good lighting, it is essential that your modern kitchen is well lit—and in all the right spots. Don’t worry, you can do this without being too fancy or adding too many kitchen light fixtures.

A well-lit kitchen is a must given the room’s many uses as a social space and transit zone, food prep and cooking hub, and display area for décor. But beyond improving the overall visibility of the space, proper lighting makes it quicker and easier to stow or retrieve items in cabinets high or low, allows you to slice and dice with greater safety and precision, and can even make a space-starved kitchen look and feel larger.

The 3 Essentials

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1. Ambient lighting is soft overhead light that illuminates the floor and walls so you can easily enter, exit, and navigate the kitchen. 

2. Task lighting is brighter to illuminate countertops, islands, sinks, and other work areas for increased precision during food prep, cooking, and cleaning.

3. Accent lighting, in between ambient and task lighting in brightness, highlights architectural features or decor in the kitchen, such as a coffered ceiling or a collection of fine china.

A layered approach incorporating all three types brings the right level of lighting for the various uses of a kitchen. It also helps minimize shadows, which often result from the exclusive use of overhead lighting, and glare, which can stem from only using bright task lighting.

That Light wont fit there

While many homeowners cite a lack of natural light as the culprit behind their dim kitchen, artificial lighting of the wrong type or in the wrong location can add to the problem. When revamping lighting design, it’s smart to consider everything from function and fixture to the type of light bulbs you use. Look for the best fixtures in each of the three lighting categories:

1. Ambient light fixtures in the kitchen include recessed lights mounted inside shallow openings in the ceiling, flush-mount or semi-flush-mount fixtures that affix to the ceiling with a small or large gap between the fixture and ceiling, respectively, and chandeliers or lanterns that hang from the ceiling by a chain.
2. Task light fixtures include pendant lights that hang from the ceiling and multi-bulb LED strips or LED tape that mounts or sticks on or inside your kitchen cabinets, pantry, or drawers. Under-cabinet lighting is ideal for illuminating countertops
3. Accent light fixtures include cove lights that are built into the ceiling and puck lights—round, low-profile lights that mount on or inside cabinets.
   
   

Dark Kitchen

Dark coloured cabinets and countertops can make the kitchen look dull. One can create an aesthetically pleasing and restful kitchen by finishing the base and overhead cabinets with lighter shades of laminate, acrylic or paint. Go for neutral toned countertops in materials like granite, solid surface, quartz or Kalinga stone.

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Lack of Natural Light

Opt for a semi-open or an open plan kitchen if it does not have a window or any other source of natural light. In this situation, the windows of the living and dining areas take care of the light and ventilation of the kitchen. Install a chimney with a high suction power so that the kitchen smoke does not enter into the other areas of the home. If the kitchen comprises a utility balcony, then partition the kitchen from the utility area with a transparent glass panelled door to bring in natural light.