Lighting Trends with Lights Online
I’m so excited because today we have Lights Online joining us on the blog! They’re an online lighting and home decor store based outside of Atlanta.
With over 40 different brands and lighting for every room, need and design preference, they also have a wide variety of how-to articles, style identification pieces, trend posts and much more. Please join me in giving Emma with Lights Online a warm welcome to our blog as she discusses some interesting lighting trends – from contemporary to retro, you’ll definitely want to read on…
Lighting Trends Today
In lighting a kitchen, there is one supremely important thing to consider: using different layers of lighting. It’s common to have recessed downlights as an ambient light provider in a kitchen, but please do not rely on just one source of light! Add other sources, such as lights over the island, under-cabinet lights to help people see better when prepping food and so on.
Layering light is ideal because you can adjust the light you need based on task, mood, time of day and fluctuations in the amount of natural light available. Adding dimmers will help you control the brightness and mood of your kitchen lighting even more.
Other creative kitchen lighting choices include using small chandeliers in place of pendants, ceiling-mounted flush or semi-flush lights in place of downlights, wall lamps with adjustable arms for stylish task lighting, hanging pendants at different levels or using an eclectic mix of different pendants…The possibilities are endless!
Here are just a few examples of Mr. Cabinet Care kitchens that layer light well.
This cool contemporary kitchen has recessed down lights for ambient light, plus colorful pendants over the island that add extra style. Two different panels of under-cabinet lights are used too.
Especially true in Southern California, a ceiling fan can serve two purposes: comfort and illumination! Consider it a source of ambient light. It brightens up the built-in eating area while a pair of pretty pendants hangs above the island. Recessed downlights and under-cabinet lights are present, as are extra under-cabinet lights used to illuminate the glass-fronted upper cabinets for a nice decorative effect.
A larger island calls for more lighting! There are general recommendations for sizing and spacing light fixtures in kitchens. Your experience may vary, but let these serve as guidance. Remember that kitchens need more lighting than other rooms because of how they are used!
For spacing recessed downlights, divide the height of the ceiling by 2. An 8-foot ceiling, for example, would need downlights spaced 4 feet apart. Place the lights about 3 feet away from the wall so as not to create dramatic shadows or make the room seem lower and darker than it really is. This is not a hard and fast rule! You may want to put lights closer or farther away, but please consult with a pro (like a Mr. Cabinet Care designer) to make sure you are doing it right and doing it safely.
For using pendant lights above an island or table, start with 28 to 34 inches above the table as a rough guideline, but consider the sight lines of the people in the room so no one stares directly into the light or hits their head on the pendant. Space pendants about 2 feet apart over an island.
Get more information about sizing and spacing for other lighting.
Deciding what kind of lighting to use in what style of kitchen is an exciting—and fun—part of kitchen design. Some common kitchen decor styles include traditional, contemporary, transitional and retro. Let’s look at some ideas for lighting to use in each style, along with Mr. Cabinet Care kitchens that fit each style.
Traditional kitchens have staying power thanks to the consistent elegance and sophistication. Ancient Greek and Roman decor serve as design inspirations for traditional looks. Chandeliers are a mainstay of traditional style, but ornate detailing in other light fixtures and decoration will also fit the bill.
Contemporary kitchens are sleek, cutting-edge looks that can feature a great variety of lighting styles. A fixture that’s little more than a base, stem and bulb is contemporary, as is a fixture that looks more like a sculpture in a modern art museum. Lighting creatively is great in a contemporary kitchen!
Transitional is a combination of traditional and contemporary, a design style so common that it may be in your kitchen without you knowing it yet. It’s less ornate than traditional, but not as streamlined as contemporary.
With retro kitchens, there are different periods of design to choose from, but mid-century modern styles are often used. Mainstays of mid-century modern lighting include orb-shaped pendants, Sputnik-style lights and artichoke lights. For lighting inspired by the turn of the 20th century, look to schoolhouse style lights, which are popular, hardworking and versatile.
We hope these photos and advice gave you some great ideas. Thanks so much Emma for sharing such interesting lighting trends with us! If you live in Orange County and are interested in getting any of these looks for your own kitchen, please call Mr. Cabinet Care at 714-961-1900. We’ll be happy to bring you the kitchen of your dreams. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for daily tips, tricks and inspiration for your home remodeling projects.