Planning Your Kitchen Lighting

See your space in a brand new light with the perfect plans for your kitchen lighting. From pot lights to pendants, there can be multiple styles of lighting in your space for multiple purposes. Whether you DIY your new lighting or rely on a KENT PRO, your first stop is your local KENT Project Centre to browse styles, bulbs, and bonus features.

Lighting Placement

Ambient Lighting

Ambient lighting is the most common type used. Ambient light is your classic ceiling light that illuminates your space and simply helps you see. Some styles of ambient light include flush-mounted ceiling lights, sconces, or large floor lamps.

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Task Lighting

Brighten up dark corners or specific activities with task lighting: table lamps or under cupboard/counter lighting will help with food prep, crafts, or reading. Under-cupboard or counter lighting is easy to install in existing cabinets to brighten up your cooking space. Ask your KENT PRO about installing strip lights or pot lights.

Accent Lighting

Shift your focus with intentional accent lights. Chandeliers hung over islands or dining tables, art lamps, or a thoughtfully hung pendant can draw attention to the features of your choice. Pendant lighting is a popular choice for over-island-lighting to incorporate function and style.

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Everything You Need to Know About Lightbulbs

Types of Bulbs

LED: One of the most commonly used modern bulbs, light emitting diodes are lit by electrical currents passing through the microchip in the light. LEDs can be single diodes in very small fixtures or a cluster of diodes that create a light bulb. LEDs can be up to 90 percent more efficient than incandescent bulbs.

Incandescent: Glass enclosure containing a tungsten filament. Electricity heats the filament to a temperature that produces light.

Halogen: A type of incandescent bulb that uses a halogen gas to produce light. Incandescent bulbs may use more energy than LED.

Fluorescent: A glass tube or compact bulb that radiates light when phosphor on its inside surface produces light from ultraviolet radiation from mercury vapor.

types of lightbulbstypes of lightbulbs

Watts

An important distinction between bulbs is the wattage, or the amount of power needed to power the bulb. Newer energy efficient bulbs may have a low wattage listed that don’t reflect the brightness output...check out the Lumens rating for the brightness of your bulb.

Kelvins

Another extremely important bulb factor is the kelvins, or temperature, of the bulb. Degrees of kelvin are measured from 1,000 to 10,000 and result in orange or more blue toned light. Avoid a “sterile” tone of lighting with Kelvins below 5000.

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Lumens

Where watts measure power, lumens measure brightness. The higher the lumens, the brighter the bulb:

  • ~400LM for exposed bulbs or multi-bulb fixtures.
  • ~500LM medium brightness for decor fixtures.
  • ~800LM bright and suitable for multi-bulb flush-mounted lights and most ambient light.
  • ~1200LM+ very bright, one is often enough.
woman changing lightbulbwoman changing lightbulb

Customize Your Kitchen Lighting

Use Dimmers

To dim, or not to dim? Installing dimmer switches allows for better lighting control for early mornings or late nights. Many smart lighting options have dimming & colour customization built in, but will require careful tracking of any remotes that may be included.

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Small Spaces

Don’t forget details: small spaces like pantries or cupboards can benefit from a pot light or two to help you find your midnight snacks.

Smart Lighting

Smart lighting systems can connect directly to your smartphone or a central hub for custom light control throughout your whole home. Set timers, play with colour hues, and adjust brightness to your preferences with smart bulbs.

smart lighting technologysmart lighting technology
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Night Lights

Modern night lights can be seamlessly integrated into your kitchen lighting design. A simple under-cupboard light is enough to keep you from stubbing your toe in the dark. Explore plug in options (some even function as emergency flashlights), or new outlet covers with automatic nightlights incorporated directly into the outlet.

Planning your kitchen lighting with KENT is a bright idea. Our pros can help you choose where to place certain types of lighting, the right bulbs, and the best new technology. See your kitchen come to life with a trip to your local KENT.

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