A few weeks ago I began a series on lighting design starting out with how to design lighting for the Dining Room. Today we are talking about lighting for your Kitchen, not only the decorative fixtures shown here but how to layout the recessed fixtures as well. Above, two fabulous sheer drum lights cover crystal chandeliers for some serious wow factor. Recessed lights were placed under the soffit to shine light onto the counter tops. Begin by looking at the room as a whole when creating a lighting plan.

I wanted to share a reflected ceiling plan with you, it is a technical term for a drawing which shows the items that are located on the ceiling of a room. It is the method I use when designing the lighting placement. Don’t worry if you cannot draw, you will be drawing circles where the fixtures will be to help you visualize where you need light. I have created hundreds of reflected ceiling plans and I promise you it is not as hard as it looks. If you have a floor plan, tape a piece of tracing paper over the kitchen. Start with the Wow Factor lights. For example; decide if there will be pendents over the island and how many, or a central fixture in the room such as a chandelier or will there be a combination of a chandelier over the dining table and pendents over the island? Making these decisions first will help determine the placement of the recessed lights.

Looking at the plan, the open circles represents where the recessed fixtures will be and the circle with the cross through it represents pendent lights. Smaller circles in the bay window represent a smaller recessed fixture.  Even if you are working with an interior designer this is basic lighting design information that is good to know, read more. Next you will need to create a switching plan; which fixtures lead to which switch and are they on dimmers. You will also need to decide if you want under cabinet lights or any lights in the cabinets, Bright Lightz  is a good source. This kitchen below shows the combination of recessed lights, pendents, cabinet lighting and under cabinet lighting. Wow.

Ok, enough technical lets get back to the fun part, selecting fabulous fixtures. Here is an example of a single statement piece above the island that complements the fabulous ceiling detail and ambient lighting.

People ask me all the time what I prefer to see over islands, multiple lights or a single fixture? The answer depends on several factors starting out with what I think will look best with the cabinets, the architecture and the overall style I am creating in the kitchen. I also want to LOVE what is going over the island because it becomes a focal point in the room. The fixture to the left is a favorite of mine because it is a double light but is one fixture providing a clean line with the most stunning glass. Below, lanterns in a natural iron finish are hung farther apart to allow for two small recessed fixtures in between. Over the dining table some serious wow factor lighting.

I wanted to end with a kitchen that created a wow factor with lighting both planned and natural. A bold choice in quantity and scale but a real wow factor result. These sleek, modern drum lights complement the urban setting perfectly. Recessed lights are also present to create an even light level. Check out that spectacular skylight and ceiling detail that maximizes the natural light during the day. Lighting design can truly bring your rooms to life.

Image  {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9}