Orange kitchen with lighting
Orange corner kitchen unit with backlight

Today, almost every family has a kitchen set. It is convenient, roomy, and makes kitchen work rational and efficient. But it is equally important that the room has good lighting: it is especially necessary here. However, current realities with their high electricity prices and low quality of incandescent lamps make us think about finding more efficient and cheaper ways to obtain it.

Illumination of a niche in the kitchen wall
Illumination of a niche in the wall of the kitchen-dining room to create a cozy atmosphere

Their result was the ever-wider distribution of energy-saving lamps, as well as the use of LED lighting. Many home-grown Edisons went even further: now, to save electricity, point light sources are offered, brightly highlighting individual areas of the room or furniture.

Kitchen design with lighting
Original kitchen design with lighting for additional illumination of the work area

Advantages and disadvantages of kitchen unit lighting

Creative Kitchen in Modern Style
Creative kitchen in white and purple tones in a modern style with work area lighting and built-in lamps
Work area with illumination
Work area with illuminated shelves in a kitchen decorated in an antique style

To create the most favorable working conditions in the kitchen, kitchen unit lighting will be effective. It allows you to create a special atmosphere for the hostess and reveals a number of factors confirming the appropriateness of its use. Among them:

  • full illumination of the work area;
  • creating an atmosphere of comfort and attractiveness;
  • the ability to illuminate not the entire kitchen, but only the necessary area;
  • a variety of lamp models with different configurations and mounting methods;
  • saving the family budget.
Kitchen with red kitchen backsplash
White kitchen with red kitchen backsplash with open and illuminated shelf above worktop

As for the disadvantages, the main one is considered to be the rather high price for this type of product.

Spotlights on the kitchen ceiling
Kitchen with spotlights on the ceiling and under-lighting

Types of Lighting: Pros and Cons of Options

Kitchen set with LED lighting
Small and convenient kitchen set with LED lighting

The convenience of working in the kitchen depends not only on its size and the correct arrangement of furniture, but also on the choice of lighting fixtures, their quality, price and location. In this regard, it is important to consider all types of light sources used, presenting their positive aspects and disadvantages in the table.

Name of the lamp Positive aspects Flaws
Incandescent lamp Power variability from 20W to 500W.

Low cost

They are not particularly durable

High power consumption

LED lamp Extended service life

Low energy consumption

Safety

Wide range of products

Various color options

Spectacular design

Energy savings reach 15%

It is necessary to select a lamp taking into account the configuration of the base

Relatively high cost

LED strip Can be mounted in any configuration

There is no limitation on the length of installation and its locations.

Very cheap LEDs lose brightness after just a few months of use, low quality
Kitchen Lighting
Using different types of lighting in the kitchen to divide into zones

What to pay special attention to when choosing lamps and lighting fixtures

Backlighting of the kitchen apron
Convenient backsplash lighting in a large and functional kitchen

In order for the choice of light sources to be successful, it is important to take into account some nuances that allow you to select the highest quality, most effective lamp or light fixture for lighting the room and kitchen furniture.

  1. If the kitchen is dark, with a low level of daylight per 1 sq. m of space, a lighting fixture with a power of at least 25 W is needed. Calculating the required volumes of energy using artificial light is not particularly difficult: to do this, simply multiply the area indicator by 25. In this case, it would be most appropriate to place not one high-power lamp, but several, placed in different places.
  2. The next point to pay attention to is energy saving. The most effective in this regard are LED lamps, which consume almost five times more than incandescent lamps. In addition, their service life is much longer than conventional ones.
  3. The color scheme of the kitchen design plays a special role. Depending on the area of ​​the room, its location and the amount of daylight, the color of the lamp should be selected:
  • if the kitchen is small and has poor daylight, and the kitchen set is dark in color, it is worth using white appliances, which will visually expand the space and illuminate it more brightly;
Beautiful modern kitchen in dark tones
Beautiful modern dark kitchen with bright white lighting
  • a fairly spacious kitchen is best illuminated with lamps of different color shades; in this case, you can stick an LED strip on the set, both on the top and on the bottom edge;
Kitchen with LED lighting
Spacious white kitchen with LED lighting for the work area
  • A very large space with a high ceiling will give a feeling of coziness if you place warm yellow lamps in different places; furniture lighting is also better designed in warm colors.
Lighting in the kitchen of different types
Combined lighting in the kitchen with spotlights and yellow lamps
  1. Textile lampshades made from materials with a variety of colors, including contrasting ones, give the room a unique color, warmth and “homeliness”.
Kitchen lighting in loft style
Unusual lampshade and spot lighting as a lighting option for a loft-style kitchen

Important! Correctly selected lighting for the work area or kitchen unit should be as safe, durable, economical as possible, and protected from moisture and grease.

White kitchen design with lighting
White kitchen design with work area lighting

What are the features of kitchen unit lighting and how to apply them in the interior

Luxurious light kitchen in turquoise tones with advantageous lighting
A chic, light kitchen with turquoise details and well-organized lighting for each zone.

There are different ways to illuminate kitchen furniture; the most effective are LED lamps and LED strips. It is important to spotlight the most important areas of the work area and furniture without using a lot of electricity. Lighting can be done using:

  • built-in lamps that provide the necessary brightness in the area of ​​the worktop or near cabinets; they do not take up much space and, if installed correctly, fit organically into the interior;
Lighting with recessed luminaires
Kitchen Lighting with Built-in Lights
  • surface-mounted lighting fixtures that create a comfortable atmosphere, are easy to use and are installed on the kitchen unit;
Beautiful play of light in the kitchen
A beautiful play of light in the kitchen, which is a combination of light from built-in lamps, spotlights and LED strips
  • The use of LED strips gives a special uniqueness to the design of the room, as they can be placed in any part of the kitchen and furniture, have different color shades, and are fixed along the perimeter or width of the cabinets.
Stylish kitchen with spotlights
Large and stylish kitchen with spot lighting on the ceiling and LED lighting on open shelves

Selection and installation by yourself

Spacious and comfortable kitchen island with a bar counter
Spacious and comfortable kitchen island with beautiful and functional bar lighting

Using conventional incandescent lamps does not allow you to illuminate the work area in the room or cabinets at the required level. The most convenient way to do this is to use LED lamps or tape. At the same time, not only specialists can equip them: you can also do the installation yourself, taking into account the installation features.

  1. Basic devices for lighting the work surface and kitchen units:
  • fluorescent lamps;
  • LED strips and lamps;
  • other special devices.
  1. It is important to decide on the type of lighting fixture.
  2. To illuminate the kitchen, you can use spot lighting, which will highlight:
  • cooking area, illuminating the stove or hob:
  • the work area where the hostess works;
  • dining area.
  1. For lighting a kitchen set, a strip would be more appropriate, so you need to calculate the length of the entire product or area that will be illuminated.
  2. To install the LED strip, you need a power supply, and up to fifteen meters of tape can be used on one device. The wires must be insulated by passing them through a heat-shrinkable tube.
  3. To stick the tape along the length of the kitchen unit, it is necessary to remove the protective coating from the self-adhesive side.
Small corner kitchen
Small corner kitchen in green with separate lighting of the work surface and the dining table

Experts believe that the best option is lighting in the form of energy-saving modern LED lamps, they are increasingly preferred over other lighting sources. They evenly distribute light across the tabletop and in selected areas.

Beautiful white kitchen with the right lighting
Beautiful white kitchen in Scandinavian style with separate lighting of the dining area and work surface

The choice of size and type of lighting depends on the importance of using a particular kitchen area.

Kitchen appliance drawer lighting

Advice: A prerequisite for success when gluing LED strips is careful preparation of the surface: putty or primer, as well as degreasing.

LED lights in the kitchen
LED lights in a white spacious kitchen with a fireplace

In conclusion of the conversation about lighting, it is worth recalling that it is not only narrowly functional equipment for lighting the work area and kitchen set, but has also become a fashionable trend that brings a decorative touch to the interior design.

Small Kitchen Design
Design of a small kitchen in loft style with spot lighting of the work surface

Video: Kitchen work area lighting. LED lighting.

50 Best Ideas for Organizing Lighting and Backlighting in the Kitchen