10 Kitchen Lighting Ideas to Brighten the Everyday
Scanning the room, your head is full of kitchen lighting ideas. Mug in hand and creativity flowing, you start to plan out the space. The kitchen island will need to be well-lit, creating an area for preparing meals or relaxing with a glass of wine. Perhaps a monochrome kitchen light feature would work well…
Sunlight streams through the sliding glass doors – a conscious decision that gives the kitchen a bright and airy feel through the day, but you’ll need a lamp or two for when the sun sets.
Taking a sip of tea, you picture evenings shared at the dining table and mornings enjoyed with chocolatey pancakes. Having always wanted a functional yet stylish kitchen, you can’t wait to add the finishing touches.
Let our kitchen lighting ideas inspire your interior
From statement lighting for larger spaces to focused illumination, there’s a lot to think about when curating a cohesive kitchen.
Your kitchen plays host to a multitude of activities, from family dinners to a makeshift office, so planning your lighting around how you use the space is key. Whether you love to host ambient dinner parties or prefer to spend your weekends cooking up a storm, our inspirational guide has plenty of ideas that you can tailor to your home.
Kitchen lighting – a quick breakdown:
- Task lighting is best for focused work areas, like countertops, the cooker, or the kitchen sink – consider putting them on dimmer switches for complete control
- The overall atmosphere is set by mood lighting, such as overhead light fixtures and statement chandeliers
- Express your personality with feature lighting pieces like detailed lampshades or artistic cluster pendant designs
Energy-saving tip: The kitchen is one of the busiest areas of the home, with lights being turned on and off throughout the day. To save energy, consider using LED bulbs instead.
Explore our extensive light bulb selection.
Set the scene with a pendant lighting feature
When it comes to kitchen island lighting ideas, a low-hanging pendant light will provide you with directional illumination where you need it the most.
Create a balanced aesthetic in contemporary kitchens with multi-pendant designs that span the length of the island. Alternatively, clustered or multi-arm pendants add intrigue to the space, drawing the eye upwards, even with the light off.
Follow the rule of odds
Single pendant lights work well on their own, especially when used above bedside tables. However, when arranged in a line of three or five over a kitchen island, your lighting will feel balanced – perfect for prepping, cooking and cleaning.
Style tip: Infuse instant warmth into your dining area by installing a large multi-pendant feature.
Open up smaller kitchen spaces
Small kitchen lighting ideas are all about transforming compact spaces into bright interiors you love.
If you’re short on space, try exploring semi-flush ceiling lights. What was once only available as a standard ‘flying saucer’ design, low-rise lighting has come a long way. There’s much more choice now, from small statement chandeliers to multi-arm ceiling lights that give the illusion of more space by reflecting and dispersing light.
Careful lighting will help a room appear bigger so consider layering lighting – combine wall lights, pendants and even spotlights to bring light into all areas of the space.
Ally Dowsing-Reynolds, Lighting Expert & Co-founder
Add points of interest to industrial-inspired kitchens with black accents
For a more industrial theme, you chose a colour palette of soft greys, fresh whites, and muted wood tones. Black lighting fixtures and fittings enhance the New-York-loft inspired space, complete with a matt black breakfast bar to enjoy the most indulgent sweet waffle breakfasts.
Tracing your fingertip across the metallic toggle switch on the wall, you peer closely at your new ceiling light. The minimal, no-frills design brings an urban edge to the interior, subtly softened with a fabric pendant cord.
Coordination is key
Open-plan kitchens are the centre of the home, where cooking meets dining and the sofa is ten steps from the fridge. Incorporating multiple lights in the same style will give a coordinated look, while thought-out placement will zone off the different areas. Easily control all your lighting from one central point with triple or quadruple combination switches.
Style tip: Consider experimenting with different levels. Ceiling lights are essential for general illumination, whereas low-level accent lighting creates a cocoon-like effect around specific furniture pieces.
Keep it minimal with bare-bulb features
One kitchen pendant lighting idea is to opt for a single-bulb design. Taking more of a minimalist approach, this sleek style works well in contemporary interiors. Filament bulbs add intrigue with exposed detailing, or if you prefer a simpler aesthetic, large LED bulbs bring a captivating glow to spacious kitchens.
Style tip: Embrace neutral tones and declutter surfaces with clever storage solutions, such as integrated cabinets.
Charm your guests with chandelier lighting
Looking up from the stove, you catch the light from your new decorative chandelier glinting on your gold kitchen handles. Gazing at the statement feature, you smile at the cloud-like design, hanging as if weightless in the centre of your kitchen.
Chandeliers have a timeless appeal, bridging the gap between classic and modern design. Available in a range of sizes, chandeliers can be used as a dramatic focal point in large kitchens or an eye-catching detail in smaller spaces.
Mix and match for an eclectic look
Sliding into your bench seating, you drape a blanket over your legs and sip your rich hot chocolate. Black appliances sit alongside reclaimed wood worktops, with a mix of prints lining the walls, lit beautifully by an eclectic combination of light fixtures in complementary colours.
Bring joy to the everyday with colourful lighting that reflects your personality. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Try our ‘customise your pendant light’ feature and create your very own bespoke lighting.
People sometimes think colour can only be brought in through paint, wallpaper or accessories but why not have colourful fixtures and fittings too? There aren’t any rules against it and anything to make doing the dishes more fun has to be a bonus!
Ally Dowsing-Reynolds, Lighting Expert & Co-founder
Create a multi-functional kitchen space
Whether you’re busy cooking Sunday dinner, working late on your laptop, or relaxing with a glass of wine, being able to adjust the room’s brightness will give you much more freedom.
Create a kitchen that can double up as a home office by positioning low-hanging pendants above worktops, and add a selection of table lamps to set the ambience when day turns to dusk.
Think about how you use the kitchen in the daytime and evening – these can be two very different spaces. Create a list of what’s involved in your daily routine and you’ll get a good picture.
Ally Dowsing-Reynolds, Lighting Expert & Co-founder
Style tip: In a multi-functional kitchen, installing dimmer switches gives you better control over brightness levels.
Introduce a warmer touch with wall lighting
Add a cosy glow to darker corners or highlight treasured pieces of artwork with accent wall lights. A versatile addition to your lighting scheme, wall-mounted fixtures work well in a range of kitchen spaces, creating points of interest without using too much space.
Winding down for the evening, you press the double light switch and head towards the table to wait for your takeaway. A subtle glow washes over your kitchen, casting shadows across the warm terracotta-coloured walls – the perfect backdrop for a Friday night in.
Downlighters can be used to highlight a kitchen island during a busy cooking session, whereas wall lights will bring a cosier, softer light that’s perfect for unwinding.
Ally Dowsing-Reynolds, Lighting Expert & Co-founder
Show us your transformative kitchen lighting
We’d love to see how you’ve used our lighting to brighten your kitchen. Tag @dowsingandreynolds on Instagram – we can’t wait to see your ideas!
