Light Up Your Life: Kitchen and Bath Lighting Styles

Choosing The Exact Right Lighting For A New Kitchen Or Bathroom  

If you are planning a kitchen or bathroom remodeling project in Kansas City, getting the exact right lighting can make a big difference in how much you love the results.

Lighting has to create the right ambience, but also be very practical.

A basic understanding of lighting design can help you find the most beautiful and effective lighting solutions for your kitchen and bath.

(To learn even more about lighting, you can get a free design consultation and quote by contacting us.)

Homeowners Quick Guide To Lighting Styles For Kitchens Or Bathrooms

Overhead Lighting

Ambient, general, or overhead are terms designers use to describe this type of lighting. This purpose of this style is to give maximum lighting coverage for the entire space. It also sets the tone of the space for the other layers to follow or add accent.

Styles for ambient lighting that you might want to include in your kitchen and bath design include gorgeous chandeliers, striking pendant hanging lights, and flush or semi-flush recessed canister lights.

This is your first layer of lighting so it’s especially important. However, many people make the mistake of stopping with this layer, so keep reading to learn about the other layers of lighting you need to know for a beautifully glowing kitchen and bath design.

Task Lighting

The purpose of this special style is to illuminate the actual “tasks” that you need to perform. Some of the more common tasks are reading cookbooks or lighting the space over the stove in your kitchen, and applying makeup, or shaving in your bathroom.

Task lighting is most effective in your bathroom when you add it to your mirrors. Since vertical lighting on your mirrors gives you the best illumination possible with fewer shadows, it’s best to avoid horizontal light layers at the top of your mirrors.

For free design services and a quote on kitchen or bathroom remodeling in Kansas City, Contact Us.

Accent Lighting

For the special touch that your kitchen and bath needs, use this design layer to shine a light on your most precious objects.

If you enjoy accentuating groupings of décor or artwork, this style of lighting is amazingly effective beneath a shelf to illuminate the items below. Recessed units are always an excellent choice to keep the focus on the items below, rather than the lighting unit itself.

Another interesting option is to install a recessed canister lighting fixture in the ceiling at a 35-degree angle to shine a spotlight on an artful tile arrangement or hanging wall art.

Decorative Lighting

While layers of light work into your décor purposefully, decorative lighting is more unique. For instance, it might look like a string of LED lights along the top of a kitchen cabinet for a sparkling effect. Or, glass shelving with LED lights at the back of each shelf for a glorious glow on your bathroom walls.

For an amazing mood setting technique, try using colored lights in place of white lights as decorative accents around the top of the shower or even the entire ceiling. 

Additionally, do you know that twinkling lights make you feel better? So, try placing some twinkling lights around a cabinet or even a wall hanging for a pop of extra sparkle in your kitchen or bath.

Natural Lighting

When you design your kitchen and bath lighting, you must not forget the heart-warming nature of natural lighting. Natural lighting is the direct sunlight that comes into your rooms through windows. 

Designing your kitchen and bath to take advantage of this light source is advantageous to your health and happiness. 

Reflect Lights with Mirrors

Another great option is to use reflecting light with mirrors to illuminate any room in your home. And since kitchens and bathrooms tend to have fewer or smaller windows than the other rooms in your home, this technique is invaluable.

Strategic placement of mirrors reflects and increases the natural lighting as well as the other types of lighting. It is worth mentioning that not only do mirrors reflect light, the effect of this process also gives the illusion of spaciousness in a smaller environment.

The Next Step To ‘Light Up Your Life’

Finding the perfect balance of lighting styles is much easier when you get professional design services. We provide design services for free in the Kansas City area. Schedule a remodeling quote and consultation by contacting us.