Design Tips

Kitchen

For many householders, the kitchen is the busiest room in the house; general lighting in the kitchen is often brighter than in other rooms. Prepping, cooking, cleaning, and socializing require different types of light. Dimmers and separate switches for separate fixture groupings allow a more inviting lightscape for dining or socializing.

Beam spread and spacing between pot lights should deliver overlapping of pools of light on  a floor area or counter surface. Recent developments by Tech Lighting [Element products] feature  3” and 6” widths, a wide variety of trims or flanges,  and a flangeless option wherein the ceiling plaster is finished to the edge of the opening. 

Pendants and spots are good choices for over islands and over the sink. Metal and densely coloured pendants provide a dramatic downlight while the light  from more translucent or transparent glass shades radiates outward from the fixture as well. Flush mounted fixtures may  be affixed to the geometric centre of the ceiling or, when the placement  of the hard furnishings dictates, to the functional centre.

Counter lighting must be placed above or slightly in front of the person working there, or cross focused, to avoid shadows. It may be necessary to supplement the direct downlight with under counter strip or puck lighting, which can also serve to highlight the backsplash. Planning past the one single fluorescent box in the ceiling in new-build avoids expensive retro-fit of electrical boxes later on.