Great kitchen lighting design typically utilises a large amount of lighting (which means more than just installing a few extra ceiling roses). Kitchen lighting needs a variety of types of lighting for different areas and purposes. The absolutely worst way to illuminate a kitchen is using bright fluorescent ceiling strip lights. They're certainly very bright - but also flat, cold and guaranteed to give you a headache into the bargain.
The most obvious issue with having central ceiling-rose fittings in a kitchen is that they produce dark spots, most noticeably where you cast your own shadow onto work surfaces. A solution seen in many kitchens involves fitting halogen down lamps in a uniform pattern across the ceiling then adding task-specific lighting for workareas, hobs and so on.
This certainly does the job fairly well, but is not without its own list of issues: halogen lights run at a very high temperature; they have a short lifespan; and they are without question the most costly solution as regards running kitchen lighting. A staggering ninety percent of the cost of halogen based lighting (and indeed, incandescent lighting in general) is the electricity they quite literally burn.
This one fact helps explain the growing popularity of cool, super energy efficient LED kitchen lights. For mains powered lighting you simply replace all existing GU10 halogen lamps with equivalent GU10 LED lights. For low voltage systems, you first replace existing 12 volt transformers with a smaller number of constant voltage 12 volt LED drivers (each can power a number of light fittings) then replace MR16 halogens with LED light bulbs.
There are 3 principal qualities to consider when evaluating LED spotlights, namely: luminosity (or brightness); color temperature (how blue and cool or yellow and warm the light seems); and light beam angle. Try to obtain as good a match as possible to the performance of your halogen lamps in these 3 areas.
We are used to measuring brightness in terms of wattage, but an LED light bulb will have a wattage rating at least ten percent that of it's equivalent incandescent or halogen bulb. Therefore, when replacing a 35w halogen lamp use an LED of 3w or above, and likewise replace a 50w with a 5w LED, etc.
Color temperature is used to measure how warm or cool a light seems. LED lights are available in a variety of white color temperatures (and also, colors) but since it has always been easier to manufacture blue LEDs, many cheap LEDs tend to have a cold/bluish tinge. Go for warm white (color temperatures below 3500K) for a reasonable approximation to the kind of white light normally associated with halogen lamps.
The narrower the beam angle (45 degrees for example) the tighter and more spot-like any light will appear, while 120 degrees gives an even spread of light and eliminates hot-spots and glare. Arguably the best LED spotlight presently on the market as a direct replacement for halogen spots is the Zenigata LED from Sharp.
A critical component that determines how artificial light actually appears is not the light itself but the surface on which it is shining. To create a warm feel simply direct spot lights at warmly coloured areas (clay tiles, wood or just a wall painted in warm colours). If a dramatic effect is what you're after, try shining blue LEDs at either dark or reflective surfaces - blue LED light bounced off granite or steel can appear stunning.
Combine LED lights of varying characteristics with different textures and colours to produce a range of effects suited to individual zones in your kitchen. The are almost boundless possibilities, even before you get to playing with LED strip lighting to accent plinths, worktops, coving and more or less anything else that takes your fancy. As ever though, the best designs often emerge by limiting things to a handful or less of the most appealing ideas - but don't be surprised how stunning even small amount of LED kitchen lighting looks.
The most obvious issue with having central ceiling-rose fittings in a kitchen is that they produce dark spots, most noticeably where you cast your own shadow onto work surfaces. A solution seen in many kitchens involves fitting halogen down lamps in a uniform pattern across the ceiling then adding task-specific lighting for workareas, hobs and so on.
This certainly does the job fairly well, but is not without its own list of issues: halogen lights run at a very high temperature; they have a short lifespan; and they are without question the most costly solution as regards running kitchen lighting. A staggering ninety percent of the cost of halogen based lighting (and indeed, incandescent lighting in general) is the electricity they quite literally burn.
This one fact helps explain the growing popularity of cool, super energy efficient LED kitchen lights. For mains powered lighting you simply replace all existing GU10 halogen lamps with equivalent GU10 LED lights. For low voltage systems, you first replace existing 12 volt transformers with a smaller number of constant voltage 12 volt LED drivers (each can power a number of light fittings) then replace MR16 halogens with LED light bulbs.
There are 3 principal qualities to consider when evaluating LED spotlights, namely: luminosity (or brightness); color temperature (how blue and cool or yellow and warm the light seems); and light beam angle. Try to obtain as good a match as possible to the performance of your halogen lamps in these 3 areas.
We are used to measuring brightness in terms of wattage, but an LED light bulb will have a wattage rating at least ten percent that of it's equivalent incandescent or halogen bulb. Therefore, when replacing a 35w halogen lamp use an LED of 3w or above, and likewise replace a 50w with a 5w LED, etc.
Color temperature is used to measure how warm or cool a light seems. LED lights are available in a variety of white color temperatures (and also, colors) but since it has always been easier to manufacture blue LEDs, many cheap LEDs tend to have a cold/bluish tinge. Go for warm white (color temperatures below 3500K) for a reasonable approximation to the kind of white light normally associated with halogen lamps.
The narrower the beam angle (45 degrees for example) the tighter and more spot-like any light will appear, while 120 degrees gives an even spread of light and eliminates hot-spots and glare. Arguably the best LED spotlight presently on the market as a direct replacement for halogen spots is the Zenigata LED from Sharp.
A critical component that determines how artificial light actually appears is not the light itself but the surface on which it is shining. To create a warm feel simply direct spot lights at warmly coloured areas (clay tiles, wood or just a wall painted in warm colours). If a dramatic effect is what you're after, try shining blue LEDs at either dark or reflective surfaces - blue LED light bounced off granite or steel can appear stunning.
Combine LED lights of varying characteristics with different textures and colours to produce a range of effects suited to individual zones in your kitchen. The are almost boundless possibilities, even before you get to playing with LED strip lighting to accent plinths, worktops, coving and more or less anything else that takes your fancy. As ever though, the best designs often emerge by limiting things to a handful or less of the most appealing ideas - but don't be surprised how stunning even small amount of LED kitchen lighting looks.
About the Author:
Before you design your new kitchen lighting, Abigail Monot strongly recommends you discover more about kitchen lighting ideas in particular and LED domestic lights in general.
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