Options for lighting the working area in the kitchen

Each room has particularly important functional areas that require an individual approach to planning and design. As for the kitchen, in this room it is important to properly equip the working area, including providing it with high-quality and correct lighting, since the comfort of doing daily affairs, as well as the appearance of the room itself, will depend on this nuance.

Comfort in the course of daily work in the kitchen largely depends not only on the layout of the room, but also on well-organized lighting. And if one lamp located in the center of the room is enough for general lighting, then its brightness, as a rule, will not be enough for the working area.

For properly designed lighting in this area, it is necessary that the backlight meets certain requirements:

• it is desirable that the backlight itself gives a neutral light, since too bright lighting devices will interfere, causing discomfort in the eyes;
• the lamps should be placed, taking into account their number, so that they are 50 centimeters away from the table or device in the working area;
• the installed lighting option should be in harmony with the general style and the main light source;
• it is preferable to use energy-saving appliances;
• the placement of the backlight should be designed in such a way that the installed devices do not create a shadow on the surface;
• it is important that the lamps, regardless of the type, scatter the light from top to bottom directly onto the tabletop, otherwise the devices will dazzle.

As for the color temperature, modern companies offer several types of light sources for kitchen lighting:

• neutral light;
• cold;
• warm.

The neutral version will be whiter than the previous type, however, it is still not recommended for use in the kitchen, since it will be too bright, and together with the main lighting, it will not be at all suitable for this living space.

Also, the illumination of the working area in the kitchen is carried out in a cold color temperature. This type of lamp above the surface of the countertop will have a bluish tint. The option is not very popular, therefore it is most often chosen as a decorative component of the overall kitchen design.

Today, in the course of designing and arranging kitchens, many options are used to illuminate the workplace on the table.

Based on the peculiarities of this type of lighting, it will be convenient to place devices for operation with small sizes of hanging furniture, performing fastening on a specially attached false bottom. A feature of this variety is the ability to illuminate the space not with a solid line of light, but with separate areas.

Also, overhead types of lamps should be attributed to this category of lighting devices above the working surface. As a rule, they are placed in increments of 30-50 centimeters.

The most modern subspecies is the use of light beams. This idea has some similarities with equipping the work area with fluorescent devices, but stands out from their background with its simplicity. The beams are fastened directly into the niche, in addition, there are products on sale that are point shades. The advantage of such lighting devices is a long operational life, but of the minuses, it is worth noting the high cost of this class of goods.

The latest generation lighting idea that stands out for its budgetary cost. Such devices can be installed even with minimal building experience, since fluorescent lamps are very easy to connect. Fixing devices to the bottom of the furniture is done with a pair of screws. The lamps work from the electrical network, therefore, before planning the operation of such additional lighting, you should worry in advance about the availability of a free outlet in the nearest access.

Among the disadvantages of such an idea, a small size range of products should be highlighted; modern manufacturers offer such a range of products: T8, T5 and T4.

The light emanating from the lamps will spread in all directions without restrictions, therefore, it may cause some discomfort for others. To minimize such disadvantages, it is necessary to additionally equip the devices with a special border, which will combine not only protective, but also decorative functions.

Among the positive features, it is worth highlighting the efficiency of fluorescent lamps in terms of energy consumption. In addition, luminaires can emit light in different shades, which makes them popular for decorative purposes.

A popular and modern solution for arranging lighting in the kitchen. This category of products is very practical, which is important for rooms with high levels of humidity and temperature fluctuations. In addition, the devices stand out for their long service life. LED devices have an average cost, however, they pay off with interest due to their positive performance characteristics.

The tapes are quite easy to install, so it is not necessary to involve specialists for the installation. For fastening, you can use tape, glue or staples. This line of lighting devices is economical in terms of electricity consumption, in addition, unlike luminescent counterparts, it is resistant to voltage surges in the network.

Latest generation tapes can be operated using a remote control or touch panel, and at night such devices can operate at minimum power, which allows them to play the role of a night light in a room. Lamps can reproduce red, green or other colors, so LEDs can be used as a striking design accent in kitchen furnishings.

As practice shows, well-planned illumination of the workplace in the kitchen will be the key to comfortable operation of the room. That is why most of modern devices are located precisely on the bottom of the main cabinets of the kitchen set. However, in addition to this option, lighting fixtures can also be placed along the borders of furniture in the kitchen in a suspended form, but in this case, the placement will present areas in the working area that will go into the shade. As a rule, in this case, the devices are fixed at a distance of 5-7 meters from the headset.

The very placement of the working area in the room deserves special attention, since the area located near the window, in the presence of internal illumination, may have certain glare from glass and external lighting, which will impair the view.

Solving the issue of providing the proper level of lighting in the kitchen is not an easy task, therefore, before going to the supermarket for lighting fixtures, a number of fundamental questions should be worked out that will facilitate the choice of the light source in the future.

• First, it is worth determining which of the options for placing the devices will be preferable in the light of the existing layout or the project that is just being created. For some design solutions, it will be appropriate to acquire pendant lamps that will be in harmony with the interior; there are also headsets where there will be no suitable cabinets above the working area for installing devices to the lower part. However, for the most part, fastening tapes or lamps to the bottom will be the most practical and advantageous solution to the issue.
• It is worth paying attention to the brightness of the equipment you like. It is important that the power is sufficient to ensure good visibility at any time of the day, but at the same time the light does not create a strain on the eyes. In this case, it is worthwhile to deliberately select the total number of lamps and lamps.
• Having decided on the first two nuances, it will be possible to calculate the approximate cost of the project, which is also important in the course of home improvement. There are situations when, by purchasing fewer light sources, you can provide the selected area with good lighting, while saving the family budget.

• Special attention in the available types of backlighting deserves the resistance of devices to various contaminants that are inevitable in the kitchen, the moisture resistance of the selected products is extremely important. In addition, the material from which the tape or lamp is made must be compatible with the main type of raw material for the kitchen set, you should also pay attention to the ability of the products to function when the air temperature rises.
• From the point of view of comfort, the leading positions will be occupied by devices that can, if necessary, be adjusted in height or angle of inclination.
• Some designers for decorating lamps equip them with lamps with decor on the surface. But during the operation of devices with such elements, their power may deteriorate. This is due to the fact that part of the emitted light is simply lost.

• If the room has low ceilings, then as an alternative to the bottom of the boxes, you can use the idea of ​​decorating the backlight by mounting devices to the wall or ceiling. For rooms with high ceilings, this option will be ineffective, but subject to suspended point devices, it is quite possible to beat this method.
• Clothespin lamps, which stand out for their mobility and low cost, are modern know-how in terms of additional illumination.
• For custom-made kitchen sets, it is possible to equip the headset with LED strips, which also effectively cope with the task at hand. If there is a question about the need for powerful backlighting, then in this case, manufacturers of lighting devices recommend acquiring halogen devices that will be economical in terms of energy consumption, but at the same time create a good luminous flux on the table.

For information on how to make LED illumination of the kitchen working area, see the next video.