The kitchen is no longer just a place for preparing and eating family meals. It has evolved into a more universal, multi-functional environment used for entertaining, paying bills, surfing the net, doing homework, working on hobbies, etc., says American Lighting Association Certified Lighting Specialist Andrea Cangialosi of Lightology at 215 W. Chicago Avenue. "As our use of the kitchen has expanded, so has our need for improved approaches to the lighting."
If we think back to 20 years ago, the kitchen was typically a small enclosed space that was rarely used for more than cooking and eating. It was common for the room to simply have a ceiling fixture to light the entire space.
In comparison, nowadays the kitchen is a more integral, multi-tasking room within the home, and people are putting more attention into the design details of this much used space. They are becoming more decorative in their choice of appliances, countertops, hardware and wall treatments. Many times the kitchen space is of a more open design - connected visually, and therefore needs to flow within the design scheme of the adjacent living spaces. These more open spaces reconnect the person who was once off working in the kitchen alone with the rest of the family or guests in the adjacent areas. Ultimately, we see more and more detailed kitchen designs to accommodate such enhancements.
This shift in the usage and design of the kitchen challenges us to reassess the way we approach lighting design within the space. "Every room has its own purpose, décor and architecture and all of these variables need to be taken into account before deciding how to best light the space," notes Cangialosi. "When a customer is interested in designing their lighting, for any room, we must first ask the following questions: What are the tasks relevant to the primary purpose of the room? Keeping in mind that your eye is naturally drawn to the brightest area of the room, how do you want to accent these areas? What does the space look like?"
She goes on to note that for the kitchen, it is especially important to determine the various tasks within the room because it is an extremely functional space. "The sink, stove, refrigerator, cabinets and countertops are generally the main task areas in the kitchen and each needs its own source of light," explains Cangialosi. "A large ceiling fixture will supply plenty of general lighting, but if you do not supplement this single lighting source, you may encounter shadows when standing at these functional areas. This can be prevented by incorporating task lighting into any of the areas you do close-up work in."
"For example, at the sink you need to make sure you have enough illumination for washing dishes so you may add a couple track lights or recessed downlights that are cross-focused to prevent shadows and highlight only that area. Incorporating lighting under the cabinets works extremely well for countertops, especially if the finish is dark, as its going to absorb a lot of the ambient light, which is anything that gives you a soft, universal illumination within the room - windows, skylights or a main general lighting ceiling fixture. A great solution for this is the Flex Strip from Edge Lighting. Mounted underneath and close to the front of the cabinet, the Flex Strip gives the counter an overall warm illumination, which can also be dimmed to add a more dramatic effect."
Cangialosi further explains that "adding different layers of light helps augment the overall function and design of the space. For instance, if there are any features you want to highlight in the space such as artwork, incorporating accent lighting will make these features stand out. You may also want to add more decorative lighting to give the space more character, like pendants to highlight your island or peninsula." Once these layers are determined, we can add general lighting if needed to fill in the blanks. However, if the other layers are done properly, many times general lighting takes care of itself.
In addition to the actual fixture selections, we must also consider how we are going to control the light. "Being able to dim the lights within a space gives the room depth and dimension so it does not appear to be flat. This is especially important when you are entertaining. You want to be able to change the mood within the space depending on the time of day and the atmosphere you wish to create."
"That is what is so great about Lightology. Not only do we offer more options compared to your average lighting showroom, most of the sales staff are certified by the American Lighting Association and have extensive technical knowledge to ensure the lighting you purchase will work correctly and safely within your home," says Cangialosi.
"Every kitchen presents its own unique set of circumstances. Finishes, color schemes, floor plans and the location of the existing electrical outlets and junction boxes all must be factored into the design. Therefore, any information you can bring into the store with you (floor plans, pictures, color samples, etc.) will help as you work with your sales consultant to sift through the multitude of different style and design choices that await you."
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The kitchen is no longer just a place for preparing and eating family meals. It has evolved into a more universal, multi-functional environment used for entertaining, paying bills, surfing the net, doing homework, working on hobbies, etc., says American Lighting Association Certified Lighting Specialist Andrea Cangialosi of Lightology at 215 W. Chicago Avenue. "As our use of the kitchen has expanded, so has our need for improved approaches to the lighting."
