Lights, Kitchen, Action!

This kitchen is an excellent example of the effective use of lighting.

Some of the upper cupboards in this kitchen have inside cabinet lighting.

Lights inside cabinets with glass doors create a showcase to display decorative items.

Under cabinet lights provide much needed task lighting for work stations and countertops, and abolish unwanted shadows from overhead cabinets. Great design features like granite countertops or tile backsplashes are further accentuated by under cabinet lighting.

Installing recessed lighting throughout this space provided ample overall illumination for the kitchen.

If you need to forgo the extra electrical work required for installing pot lights a quick and simple solution would be to put up track lighting. While recessed lighting is less intrusive, track lighting has come a long way in terms of style. You could even make dramatic design statement with your choice of light fixture.

The three pendant lights that hang over the island definitely added extra style to this kitchen. Putting decorative accent lighting like these on a dimmer will create an inviting ambiance for dining if your island is equipped with a seating area.

Dimmer Switches: It is important to match the type of dimmer to the kind of light source you are using. Dimmers are UL listed and designed for the specific characteristics found in various light sources: Incandescent, Magnetic Low Voltage (MLV), Electronic Low Voltage (ELV), Neon/Cold Cathode, Fluorescent. You can get this information from the Electronics company that you purchase your lighting from or you can consult an electrician to help you sort out these details.

To further maximize the function of the lighting in your kitchen you can install a system that controls your kitchen lights.

Lutron©, for example, offers a complete lighting system that allows you to customize different "scenes". Each "scene" is programmed into a control panel to create different moods or to set up the light in the kitchen for a specific activity.

The "Prepare" switch, as an example, recalls the right lighting selection to prepare a meal. Whereas, the "Cleanup" button turns all the lighting on to full brightness for cleaning.

You can also customize these backlit buttons for your preferred "morning", "dining" or "evening" atmospheres.

In commercial applications,like large factories or offices, lighting control systems cut lighting energy costs by lowering burn hours. These lighting control systems work because they permit the control to communicate with the light fixtures, photo sensors and occupancy sensors to turn lights on, off or down depending on the need. You can get a lighting system for one room, like the kitchen, or a system that will enable you to control the lighting throughout your home. It can be used in new homes, home renovations or home additions. There are even wireless systems available.