The Layered Look in Kitchen Lighting Design
Lighting up a kitchen needs creativity and style if you do not want it to look dull and boring. A great kitchen lighting design is the layered look. This design is called layered because it layers and blends four different kinds of lights that give any kitchen a dramatic and striking effect.
The first of these four layers is task lighting. As its name implies, these lights are meant to illuminate your work in the kitchen, whether you are cutting up food, cooking them, washing the dishes, or reviewing your recipe book. Ideally, these should be between your eyes and the work surface, thus they are often found beneath the overhead cabinets.
You will also need to fill the room with ambient lighting to soften shadows in the remote corners of your kitchen. This light can come from ceiling lamps which could be a chandelier or other flush or semi-flush lamps.
Accent lighting is used when you want to accent a specific item in your kitchen. This could be a frame, or a collection of china. Halogen spot lamps often accomplish this. If there are several areas that you want to focus on, you can use a rack with several halogen lamps mounted on it.
Decorative lighting comes in an almost unlimited number of designs and types. They can be pendant lights, floor lamps with art shades, or tiffany style lamps. These can be expensive but who says you have to buy all four layers at once.