Kitchen Lighting Ideas

Thinking of ways to upgrade your kitchen and add a touch of personality? Our fabulous kitchen lighting ideas will transform your space, creating a spirited atmosphere for you, your family, and your guests to spend those beautiful moments together.

Upgrade Your Space With Our Kitchen Lighting Ideas

Kitchen lighting is vital in creating your desired feel and atmosphere. Whether you want drastic and bright or subtle and soft ambience, we can help you to bring your vision to life, even down to the smallest details. Our kitchen fitters in Milton Keynes have years of experience transforming our client’s homes, creating a space you will adore for many years to come.

With this in mind, if you’re in the early stages of planning your kitchen upgrade, why not take a look at our kitchen lighting ideas for inspiration?

• Kitchen Island Lighting Ideas
• Kitchen Pendant Lighting Ideas
• Kitchen Wall Lighting Ideas
• Kitchen Ceiling Lighting Ideas
• Kitchen Strip Lighting Ideas
• Kitchen Worktop Lighting Ideas
• Kitchen Cabinet Lighting Ideas

Kitchen Island Lighting Ideas

Island lighting is often the focal point of a kitchen. You can opt to bold with a statement piece or install a subtle addition to avoid drawing away from your decor. Either way, island lighting will always be stylish, fabulous and functional! Here are some ways you can elevate your kitchen island lighting:

• Different Materials: Using your lighting to mix materials adds a unique touch to your kitchen design while keeping the space unified. To create a distinct sense of comfort, consider natural, raw materials such as wood and bamboo. Alternatively, for a more rustic feel, opt for woven, ceramic or metal shades, or even sleek, oversized pendants or chandeliers to create an edgier aesthetic.
• Bespoke Lights: If you’re looking to add a statement piece, why not choose a bespoke light? Make sure to reflect the same feel as the rest of your room, personality and aesthetic whilst keeping the same functionality that a kitchen needs. You can choose from vintage or contemporary, colourful or muted, to boost your room into the perfect kitchen for you.
• Barely There Lighting: For smaller kitchens, built-in recessed lighting over an island can dramatically enhance the space. The discreet design offers maximum light exposure without interrupting the rest of the room – perfect for those adopting the minimalist aesthetic. You can also have the option of adding a dimmer, allowing you to change the mood of the kitchen. Another example of barely there lighting is strip lights. These can be used to illuminate around the island, underneath the worktop or inside cabinets, adding a modern touch while keeping your kitchen functional.
• Flush-Mount: If you don’t want the flamboyant chandeliers but don’t want too discreet, recessed lights, then flush mount lights are an excellent way to meet in the middle. Flush mount lights don’t hang low and aren’t as drastic as chandeliers, so it would be a good idea to add to a smaller or lower ceiling kitchen, especially if your island light is the primary light source in the room. Moreover, they catch less dust, so you won’t need to clean these lights as often as low pendant lights!

Kitchen Pendant Lighting Ideas

Pendant lights are popular amongst both kitchen designers and homeowners, perfect for creating a statement. Available in all shapes, sizes and colours, you are guaranteed to find a pendant to fit your aesthetics.

For larger rooms with high ceilings, lower pendant lights help to accentuate this, creating a bright, airy space. It is also important to consider the spacing when installing pendant lights. A more dramatic style can be achieved with a cluster of lights at different lengths or shapes, a good choice for smaller rooms. The rule of three is a design technique used to develop a sense of balance; it can be applied to odd numbers, which create the same effect. Aim for the same space between each pendant to create symmetry and avoid overcrowding.

Now onto style. Kitchens with a more traditional style, such as a farmhouse aesthetic, would be best suited to a spider pendant light, particularly those with a rustic design, to create a cosy atmosphere. If you want a more contemporary or modern kitchen, cone, teardrop and drum pendant lights are good options. Made out of glass, metal and more, both lighting designs offer ambience and a sleek feel, creating a brighter, airier atmosphere.

For those looking for softer, less distracting lighting, then centre bowl inverted lights are a good option; they are bowl-shaped lights pointed upwards, which can help create a darker and moodier feeling in the room for a lowkey evening at home. Our kitchen designers in Milton Keynes can incorporate all of these pendant styles into your new space, so feel free to show them examples of the different designs you are considering!

Kitchen Wall Lighting Ideas

Wall lighting offers a seamless option for kitchens of all sizes, particularly functional in areas of the room that lack natural light. For those with a narrow kitchen, wall lighting can also create a statement and accentuate the space, creating the illusion that it is bigger than it is.

Wall lights may sometimes be a final layer in your kitchen, solely to draw the eye towards a part of the kitchen that you want your guests to look at; this creates points of interest around the room and accents the surrounding kitchen decor. Wall lamps can also help to create an added aura and are far softer than harsher pendant lights.

Symmetry can also be a vital part of wall lighting; this can help fill in spaces on the wall and create a sense of balance and a complete look. Take a look at this article by Homes & Gardens for more kitchen wall lighting ideas.

Kitchen Ceiling Lighting Ideas

Ceiling lights are a must-have in any kitchen and tie your aesthetics together. When working with our team, our kitchen fitters in Milton Keynes ensure that ceiling lights are integrated seamlessly into your interior design. From pendants and ceiling lamps to spotlights and chandeliers, ceiling lighting is the broadest type of lighting, giving you endless options to choose from.

Some different kitchen lighting ideas to inspire your decision are:

• Chandeliers: Whether they are glass or simple, chandeliers are the best type of light to draw attention to the room’s centrepiece, no matter the aesthetic. For a traditional and elegant atmosphere, glass chandeliers can create a romantic feel, whereas simple chandeliers are a good option for minimalists who want a little touch of character. If you love the sound of a traditional kitchen, take a look at our beautifully classic range.
• Track light: If you don’t want low chandeliers, track lights offer a modern, sleek aesthetic. They are perfect for adding a subtle statement, helping to illuminate certain parts of the room.
• Spotlights: Spotlights accentuate a specific part of your kitchen; it’s your choice what part to illuminate; some popular places include above your island and over your dining table. Positioning these lights opposite mirrors for smaller rooms can help create the illusion that your room is larger! LED bulbs are a good choice for spotlights if you wish to use them more often and are focused on functionality as they last longer and are energy efficient.

Kitchen Strip Lighting Ideas

Unlike harsh overhead lighting that could be in place of natural lighting, strip lights can be placed anywhere in your room, hidden to make a seamless finish.

Popular places for strip lights are at the edge of your ceiling, under the edges of cabinets, worktops, and islands. They help accentuate certain room parts and place accents in areas. They create a soft, subtle glow that can make a smooth and cosier atmosphere; however, they can also be used in modern rooms with cool blue lighting to brighten places and make the kitchen feel contemporary. LED lights are the most often choice for strip lights due to their long-lastingness and energy efficiency.

Strip lights can brighten up room areas that would usually be downcast and dull and don’t take up as much room as low lights, which are perfect for low ceilings and smaller rooms and for areas of the kitchen that you need to cook in.

Take a look at this article by Homebuilding & Renovating for more kitchen strip lighting ideas.

Kitchen Worktop Lighting Ideas

Specifically for food prep and working, worktop lighting is designed to give you the ultimate functionality yet a seamless and stylish design; it helps highlight the areas you use the most. A couple of worktop lighting ideas include:

• Under Cabinet: Under cabinet lighting can highlight all areas that need brightening for practical workspaces without compromising on aesthetics. Both spot and strip lights will achieve this and are popular types of under-cabinet lighting, whether you’d like continuous light across the worktop or specific placement.
• Cooker Hood With Built-In Lighting: For the hosts that want to be sociable whilst cooking, a hob, perhaps on the island, with an overhead hood with lighting seamlessly built-in, is a perfect choice! You’ll be able to perfectly illuminate the workspace to make this the centrepiece of the room and help you focus on what you’re doing.

Styling kitchen worktop lighting ideas can be tricky; it’s helpful to remember that the rest of your design can complement the lighting, and they can boost the other up. Glossy cabinets and decor reflect the light, so pairing this with under-cabinet lights can create an airy and light feel for the room. However, dark colours and wood absorb the light, generating a moodier and rustic feel.

Kitchen Cabinet Lighting Ideas

Cabinet lighting is a popular choice among many and can be used for aesthetic and functional purposes; there are multiple ways to arrange the cabinet lighting you want if you’re stuck on where to place them. These include:

• Entirety Of Your Worktop: Under cabinet lighting will entail strip or spotlights being placed the whole way across your workstation to provide maximum light; this is perfect for dark or small kitchens with less natural light.
• HD LED Cabinet Light: For a touch of luxury, you can incorporate some lighting into cabinets and draws that light up as you open them. This can enhance functionality and aesthetics as it may create a more modern feel.
• Specific Placement For Specific Areas: If you’d like to draw attention to the centrepieces of your room, install these lights right above or next to the features you wish to emphasise.
• Low Lights: If you have limited space and a low ceiling, then low lights are a good choice as they can highlight one section or wall in your kitchen to create a contemporary feel. This is a more aesthetically pleasing choice rather than functional; however, it can also be used to draw attention to smaller focal areas of the room.

The Perfect Kitchen For You

Kitchens, for most, play a very special and vital role in a home, meaning just like the rest of your home, they should be exactly what you want and perfectly match what you and your family need. At Build My Kitchen, we understand that you should feel comfortable in your kitchen and are happy to invite guests around to marvel at it! We guarantee excellent service from our kitchen designers and kitchen fitters in Milton Keynes to ensure your kitchen is precisely what you desire.

Contact us to get a free quotation and site survey!