Which light fixture for the kitchen ?
A well-designed kitchen light ensures the usability and safety of the room. Its efficiency makes the kitchen very practical and comfortable. But, between the majestic appearance of a chandelier, the originality of a multiple suspension and the atmosphere provided by the spotlights, the choice becomes difficult. The kitchen is a real living room that deserves good lighting and the choice of lighting is essential to obtain an optimal result. This guide then allows you to know what type of lighting to choose to effectively light this room. But before getting into the heart of the matter, it is necessary to know the basic rules for optimal lighting in the kitchen.
Basic rules for choosing the right kitchen lighting
Kitchen lighting follows certain rules that you should not neglect. Knowing these rules allows you to choose the right light fixture to illuminate this room. However, it should be remembered that some cases may be exceptions to these rules, depending on the characteristics of the kitchen.
Multiply the light points
The kitchen requires several light sources. Moreover, it is essential for large kitchens or kitchens open to the living room. Indeed, you need to install one light fixture to illuminate the entire room and another to illuminate a well-defined area. You want to bring a decorative touch to your kitchen ? Bet on good mood lighting.
Choosing the right lighting for the kitchen is not easy, because now this room goes beyond its purely functional aspect. It must be friendly, practical and comfortable at the same time.
Good to know : general lighting in the kitchen excludes dim lighting. It needs a light source powerful enough to illuminate the entire room, without leaving areas of shadow. However, the light should not dazzle the eyes.
General lighting
The choice of general lighting for the kitchen must take into account the configuration of the room. If it is long and narrow, Hang suspension lights and the Bala portable lamps are a very good choice. These luminaires have several lamps that effectively illuminate the entire room. For a square or U-shaped kitchen, you can opt for a ceiling light or even a chandelier.
The recommended power for the main lighting of the kitchen is 300 lux per m². As for the color temperature, it should vary between 2 700 K and 3 500 K.
Good to know : if you have a small kitchen (minimalist style, for example), you can opt for a single light source. However, make sure that the light fixture provides optimal lighting for the room. This does not prevent you from installing accent lighting to illuminate storage or optimize the interior decoration.
Functional lighting
Generally speaking, the kitchen needs functional lighting. Certain areas, including the worktop, sink, hob and storage, need good lighting. Choose light fixtures that diffuse light between 4,000 K and 4,500 K (cool white) to ensure your visual comfort when you prepare your succulent little dishes. As for the intensity of light , it depends on the color of the kitchen, especially the targeted area.
For the work surface, for example, install a light fixture that diffuses a uniform white light.If it is located on a central island, the Hang suspensions and lighting cables Ball are very effective in lighting it. In addition, you can adjust their length according to your needs. In addition to being effective, these lights are very decorative. With a worktop that borders the wall, opt for an LED strip or recessed spotlights. Your worktop is located under high furniture ? These can be used as a support for light fixtures. A dark work surface requires more or less lighting, because its color absorbs the light diffused by the bulb .
LED strips are a very good choice for lighting the interior of furniture. As for high furniture, spotlights on rods are the most recommended.
If your kitchen has a dining area, you are spoiled for choice when it comes to the type of lighting that is suitable for this area. You can bet on a Bala pendant light or a Hang suspension which stands out above all for their colorful and designer electrical cords.
Good to know : to achieve an optimal result, you must respect a certain distance between the targeted area and the multiple suspension. Thus, To illuminate the dining area, the light fixture must be between 55 and 60 cm from the space to be illuminated.
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Decorative lighting
Decorative lighting remains optional, but highly recommended, especially if you have an open kitchen or a large kitchen. It allows you to create a link between the main lighting and the functional lighting to create a friendly atmosphere and bring a better ambiance into the room. This is why it should not be too powerful or too dazzling. Furthermore, subdued light is permitted.
Depending on the configuration of the room, you can install one or more light points to create the desired atmosphere. The choice of lighting is also essential to optimize the result. As it is a decorative element, this lighting must not weigh down the interior decoration, nor compromise the effectiveness of the main and functional lighting. In this case, it must benefit from a well-thought-out location.
So, You can install multiple pendant lights along the wall or canopy to enhance furniture and interior decoration. For this, it is advisable to opt for a fairly discreet model like the Hang suspensions And Bala. These come in several colors and you have to bet on the right color to avoid decorative faux pas. You can also install wall lights on either side of the room. LED strips under the counters and furniture provide a very decorative effect and can be used as additional lighting. The choice is yours!
The choice of material
The choice of material should not be taken lightly when choosing a light fixture for your kitchen. Indeed, your selection criteria should not be limited to the color temperature or the power of the bulb.
Kitchen lights are available in several materials, they can be made of glass, crystal, aluminum, PVC, metal, fabric...
A real service room, the kitchen is subject to humidity and dirt, particularly grease deposits. Thus, Dirt-resistant light fixtures are strongly recommended. In addition, they must be very easy to clean and maintain.
Good to know : In the kitchen, dirt easily settles on furniture and accessories including light fixtures. Light fixtures with fabric or paper lampshades are very sensitive to dust and grease deposits.
However, Glass, metal, PVC and aluminum models are highly recommended. For this, the the industrial Cage lampshade is an excellent choice. It is perfectly matched with the Bala suspensions and the Hang suspensions. Designed in aluminum, it adopts an industrial style and stands out with its clean and simple lines. Moreover, this model is available in several colors. Matte black is recommended to enhance the industrial design of your kitchen. However, choose models in pastel pink or blue if you need to tone down the coldness of your interior decoration.
Safety standards to follow for kitchen lighting
It is necessary to know the safety standards that govern kitchen lighting in France.
Electrical installations in the kitchen are regulated by standard NF C15-100, which came into force in August 2016. To ensure the safety of a home, including the property inside and the people occupying it, electrical standards in France are particularly strict. They mainly concern low voltage installations.
In terms of electrical installation, the kitchen has some specific features. The reason is simple: it is the second room in the home most likely to cause accidents. Flammable products and sharp equipment are added to the multiple sockets and electrical appliances found there.
According to the NF C15-100 system, the kitchen must have at least one light point on the ceiling and another to illuminate the sink. Therefore, the installation of general lighting and functional lighting in the kitchen is a legal obligation.
Concerning switches, their location must respect certain distances, i.e. between 90cm and 180cm from the ground. Furthermore, you must place an electrical outlet at a maximum distance of 130 cm from the main switch.
Good to know : the installation of an electrical outlet above or in the immediate vicinity of the sink or stove is strictly prohibited.
Saving energy in the kitchen
Enjoying optimal lighting in the kitchen while saving energy is entirely possible. It all depends on the choice of lighting fixture and its location.
The kitchen requires good lighting, i.e. lighting of at least 300 lux/m². In addition to the two mandatory light points in the kitchen, you should know that there are other places that require optimal lighting. This includes worktops and cooking surfaces. However, it should be remembered that The more lights there are, the higher the energy consumption of the home.
Fortunately, there are several solutions available to you to save energy.Bala suspensions Or Hang compatible with LED bulbs low consumption provided by Hoopzi will make excellent functional or mood lighting. These bulbs are available in various powers and color temperatures. In addition to being economical, they are very decorative.
Properly light the kitchen according to the characteristics of the room
Choosing the light fixture and bulb To light the kitchen must also take into account the characteristics of the room. Whether it is open, painted white or otherwise, there will always be solutions that allow it to be given optimal brightness.
In principle, the main lighting must be combined with one or more light points. And the choice of lighting is crucial to obtain good brightness and a lighting ambiance that perfectly matches your interior decoration.
Which lighting for an open kitchen? ?
The advantage of the open kitchen is that the kitchen invites itself into the living room. The choice of lighting then becomes less restrictive than with a traditional kitchen.
For the main lighting, you can opt for multiple colored suspensions like the Hang suspensions or the Bala suspensions. In addition to being effective, they undoubtedly provide a touch of pep in your kitchen decoration.
Depending on the room layout, the kitchen can also serve as a dining room. In this case, you can install a pendant light with a dimmer or color switch above the dining table to create a visual separation.
Which light fixture for a dark kitchen? ?
Installing multiple light points helps compensate for the lack of light in your kitchen. We covered this in more detail in our article on lighting a dark room .
Of course, you need to install a ceiling light that is powerful enough without being too dazzling. However, a single light point is not enough to bring good brightness to a dark room and particularly the kitchen. You must therefore rely on very effective additional lighting in all strategic areas: worktop, hob, furniture, etc. If the worktop is located below a wall unit, use it to support your spotlights or LED strips. You can also install pendant lights along a wall to bring a little light into the room while creating ambiance.
Household appliances (oven, refrigerator, microwave, etc.) can also contribute to creating a functional and comfortable kitchen. Some models light up when they open, which saves you from having to install additional light sources to illuminate them.
Good to know: to improve the brightness of the room, You can also repaint the wall and choose a brighter color. For this, white, yellow and pastel colors are strongly recommended.
What lighting for a kitchen without a window? ?
A room without windows requires a lot of work on lighting to achieve the feeling of natural light. Of course, it needs a lot of artificial light to benefit from good brightness. However, it is advisable to exclude luminaires that diffuse too much dazzling light.
Design-wise, Avoid overly imposing light fixtures such as chandeliers. These may increase the shadow areas in the already dark room. On the other hand, Choose discreet models, such as LED strips, multiple suspensions (minimalist model) and wall lights.
THE Daylight bulbs are also an effective and very practical solution. Their special feature? They reproduce daylight. Their location must take into account the characteristics of the room. For example, you can install them on a section of wall, along the worktop or behind a glass panel. Some models can be integrated into false ceilings to effectively illuminate the entire room.
Which light fixture for a white kitchen? ?
Very chic and easy to work with, the white kitchen has very few flaws and excessive coldness is one of them. But by installing well-thought-out lighting fixtures, you can bring a lot of warmth to this room with its refined design. At the same time, you can personalize it and give it character.
Before choosing the light fixture for your white kitchen, determine the characteristics of the room to avoid decorating faux pas.
If you have a contemporary kitchen, for example, you can invest in pendant lights or a designer floor lamp. However, you can bring a little industrial touch into your interior to break the coldness of your decoration by adding a suitable accessory. For this, the CAGE lampshade for the Bala suspensions And Hang is an excellent choice.
Good to know : with a large white kitchen, the chandelier remains a light fixture of choice.
What lighting for a small kitchen? ?
Highlight your small kitchen by choosing lighting fixtures that are both stylish and functional. In this context, you must prioritize the worktop.
Whether you have a small square, U-shaped, L-shaped or long kitchen, you need to focus on lighting the worktops and cooking areas.
With worktops and cooking surfaces as well as a sink that runs along the wall, the suspensions, LED spotlights and strips are recommended to illuminate these areas. Ideally, bet on high furniture if you have a long kitchen. They can be used as a support for the lights. In this case, you should exclude suspended lights, they may get in the way.
For a U-shaped or L-shaped kitchen, the choice is wide. However, you should avoid lighting fixtures that are too large and can obstruct movement, absorb space and create shadows.
Which lighting for a large kitchen? ?
With a large kitchen, the choice of lighting is multiple. However, the chandelier is strongly recommended to highlight the assets of this room. In addition to its elegance and imposing character, it brings a traditional element to the room. Enough to personalize your interior decoration.
You can use a ceiling light, wall lights , spotlights or even pendant lights as main lighting, but the lights must perfectly cover the entire room.
Don't neglect functional and decorative lighting. However, if the entire kitchen is lit by a chandelier or a large ceiling light, opt for more discreet accent lighting to avoid weighing down the interior decoration.
The Hoopzi Team
