Kitchen lighting: 20 ideas for the best light

Finding the right kitchen lighting can be a tricky business. Because while good, powerful lighting is important when chopping vegetables, for example, bright light quickly creates an uncomfortable atmosphere. We have therefore put together a mixture of ideas for kitchen lighting that will give you what you need at the right moment.

Kitchen lighting: it’s all in the mix

Fiddling with sharp knives in the semi-darkness? Not a good idea. Sitting at the kitchen table under a neon tube or its successor, the LED strip? Not very inviting. So our first tip is straightforward: For your kitchen lighting it is better to rely on multiple light sources instead of one large one. Then you can switch between the individual lamps, spotlights or indirect light as required. We’ll show you what that can look like here.

Kitchen lighting in the work area – all power ahead

No matter whether on the work surface or the stove – you should get one wherever you work in the kitchen with sharp knives or hot stovetops etc. good lighting and thus sufficient view procure. Spotlights, Spots or LED strips that are attached under the wall units are ideal. Inconspicuous or even invisible when they are switched off, they offer you maximum performance if you wish.

Three possible variants:

LED strips usually disappear under the kitchen cabinets and only reveal themselves when you need them, i.e. when you switch them on. There are also one or the other variation of the optics, but basically they can only be distinguished by their length and their frame. Overall, LED strips are always a good idea for kitchen lighting.

Tip: There are some models for dimming and partly with remote. So you can fall back on a more subtle light after completing your supposedly more dangerous tasks. They can also shine less brightly LED strips create a cozy atmosphere.

Even smaller ones Spotlightswho don’t under, rather on mounted on the upper cabinets, or Clamp lightsthat are attached to open shelves can provide you with the right level of brightness. Often these are designed for bookcases – but they are also practical and functional in the kitchen.

Which ceiling lamp for which area?

If you have your dining table in the kitchen, a nice ceiling lamp makes a lot of sense. After all, you and all other hungry mouths would like to see what is on the table or what is on the plate. There are hardly any limits to your kitchen furnishings. Only the light source itself should sufficient strength have, but also not too bright illuminate. The selection of ceiling lamps is enormous and ranges from a single lamp with a lampshade to one Combination of spotlights to modern, unusual constructions, such as a collection of stylish lightbulbs.

Would you prefer to create a basic level of brightness in the room with a ceiling lamp? Should or shouldn’t this hang over a dining area? Then you can also choose a ceiling lamp that lives up to its name and sits directly on the ceiling. Here is a simple, semicircular lamp or so-called Living room spotlights well.

Three possible variants:

How about a little color in the kitchen? This doesn’t always have to be done by colorful vegetables or fruits. Your facility too, in this case yours Kitchen lighting, could be as Color accents for a friendly atmosphere in the kitchen.

Not quite as colorful, but no less decorative, is this copy in matt black and a copper-colored inside. Through the opaque Lampshade you can specifically illuminate your dining area.

If you prefer the minimalist furnishing style and also prefer to keep your kitchen lighting simple, this could be the one for you Pendant lamp like. Their simple and, precisely because of this, stylish design fits in every kitchen.

Setting accents: Discreet light sources for a beautiful ambience

Even if you are not a hobby cook and want to spend as little time as possible in your kitchen, it is still important to ensure cosiness here as well. Small table lamps tastefully provide subdued light. Depending on the size of the kitchen, one of these light sources is often enough to sufficiently illuminate the room. Especially in situations such as looking for snacks on the candy shelf – sorry, we mean reaching into the fruit bowl, of course – that do not require bright holiday lighting, this type of kitchen lighting is completely sufficient and much more comfortable.

Indirect light sources are a great alternative. Whether as tube or strips on the wall units or small spots that shine in cupboards with glass panes – the same applies here: without immersing the entire kitchen in bright, dazzling light, they provide subtle kitchen lighting and a pleasant atmosphere.

Fancy lamps: do you want something special?

Didn’t find the right lamp among the kitchen lighting ideas mentioned? Don’t worry, we are far from finished with our proposals. Finding beautiful kitchen lighting is not that easy. Don’t let the abundance of possibilities overwhelm you, but make a precise plan for your kitchen lighting. If you want to deviate from the norm with one or the other piece, you have a completely different, even larger selection of kitchen lamps. Unusual shapes or special colors – we’ve brought you a few exciting examples.

How about this one model, which exudes a great industrial charm through the black and copper-colored metal and gives your kitchen something very striking?

Or are you perhaps more into noble, shiny copper? Then this could Kitchen lighting be a great eye-catcher above your dining area. With four adjustable spotlights that can be rotated and tilted, each area can be individually illuminated.

This retro model looks perfect both above a dining table and above a kitchen island. Supposedly made from an old water pipe, the Hanging lamp Your kitchen guarantees an individual look. Five sockets for E27 lamps ensure that there is also enough light.

This is also more rustic and in the industrial style model start making your kitchen lighting a focal point of the room.

Much more playful and above all less as kitchen lighting than as a decorative element, it inspires us Light lettering. What are you saying? Will you give us a smile

Illuminance and color of light – you should know that

In a roughly simplified way, the illuminance indicates how much light shines on a certain surface. This information is therefore particularly important when it comes to illuminating work surfaces in the kitchen. So when choosing your kitchen lighting, make sure that the lamp / socket is also intended for the corresponding lightbulbs and other light sources.

An example from everyday life: In a public office, the illuminance at the desk must be 500lx (Lux). This is required due to occupational health and safety and personal safety.

For your kitchen lighting this means: You should plan for 500 lumens per square meter. In areas where you primarily sit and feast, 300 lumens may be sufficient.

When it comes to light color, most experts recommend one neutral white light to choose. The basic lighting, i.e. the area of ​​the kitchen table, on the other hand, can also be immersed in a warm white light.

Planning kitchen lighting in three steps

As you can see, it is important to have a concept for your kitchen lighting. While we have to worry less about the bedroom lighting and can simply “stumble” over a pretty lamp for the bedside table, we have to Plan kitchen lighting. Unlike in the rest of the apartment, it is very important here that you illuminate the crucial areas adequately. Therefore, when it comes to kitchen lighting, you should first make a precise plan of what you need, collect ideas and then go after the optics.

Three steps to the kitchen lighting concept

We have already given you ideas of what the kitchen lighting could look like. Now it’s your turn. Have fun with the planning and implementation!