It used to be that kitchen lighting was limited to a single fluorescent tube that ran down the centre of the ceiling. Whilst in some households this is still the case, in recent times it has become increasingly common to use lighting to display your kitchen to its best advantage. Kitchen lights may be concealed under wall cupboards, shone directly on to work surfaces or used in a number of locations to create ambience. Spotlights highlight display racks of pans and plate and cupboards are back lit to create stunning visual displays of glassware. When planning a lighting system for your kitchen, there are several essential requirements that you need to consider. First and foremost, remember that your kitchen is a place for food preparation. Whichever area you use to prepare food should be the best lit in the house. Not only are you using an assortment of sharp utensils but you are also highly likely to be cleaning vegetables and trimming meat. You should ensure that, whatever lighting you install in your kitchen, it projects sufficient light to enable you to focus on what you are doing. That said, when you settle down to your meal, you do not want to be bathed in the harsh light of the preparation area. Installing an assortment of individually controlled light sources will assist you in creating the right environment to both prepare your food and enjoy the meal. If you are planning a new kitchen installation, it is worth spending a significant amount of time planning your lighting scheme. The upheaval involved with any electrical installation means that it is always best to try and get everything done in one go. It is far easier to install too many lights and arrange for them to be independently controlled, than to fit your kitchen and then find that you did not install enough lighting. In the list below, we examine some of the lighting solutions available for your kitchen and offer our thoughts on the best way to use them.

1. Bar Spotlights

   Bar spotlights look fantastic in a modern kitchen. They give directional lighting options and are often available in highly polished chrome or brushed metal finishes. Bar spotlights can be focussed on individual areas, whether it be a stunning tiled feature, or an unusual pan hanging rack. Avoid bar spotlight s in a traditional country kitchen and consider concealed lighting instead.

2. Fixed Downlights

   For low-ceilinged kitchens, downlights can be a fabulous solution. Downlights can either be fixed, or adjustable and, whilst the adjustable ones tend to be a little more expensive, they have the advantage that they allow for flexibility in your kitchen design in years to come. Downlights look fantastic on display in a modern kitchen. However, their design is such that they may be concealed in a country kitchen and they work equally well in both environments.

3. Concealed Lighting

   The advances in concealed lighting has greatly assisted the look and feel of country kitchens in recent years. Strip lights hidden behind the plinths of wall cupboards may be shone directly on to work surfaces. This has two distinct advantages. The first is that, at no point when you prepare food, are you standing in your own light, and the second, that you avoid the unnecessarily harsh glare of a fluorescent tube.

4. Rustic Chandeliers

   If you are lucky enough to have a large high-ceilinged kitchen, consider using wrought iron or rustic chandeliers to add to the country feel. These will only be effective on the very highest of ceilings but they can look stunning in the right setting.

5. Backlit Cupboards

   Certainly, over the last few years, backlit wall and full-length cupboards have become increasingly popular. Open shelving has also become subject to illumination and is a fantastic place to display stunning glassware and vases. Even food cupboards can look superb when back lit, particularly those which contain jars of foods such as pasta which cast intricate shadows when picked up by the light.

6. Plinth Lights

   A strip of tiny plinth lights can look fabulous underneath your wall cupboards. Whether they are hidden and utilised in a similar way to downlights, or put on display to highlight a particular feature, plinth lights should certainly be considered when you are planning your design.

7. Controllable Lighting

   The humble dimmer switch has come a long way since its invention. It is now possible to install mood lighting in your kitchen which can be either programmed or, in some cases, controlled by your computer. Controllable lighting can look particularly stunning if you have an open plan kitchen diner where you can dim, but not extinguish, the lighting in the kitchen, giving a relaxing ambience to the room.

8. Integrated Lighting

   Many cooker hoods and extractor fans now come with integrated lighting. This is one of the most practical uses for kitchen lighting as it offers illumination directly above the cooking area. When installing lights near your hob, ensure that they have a wipe clean glass covering to enable easy cleaning.

9. Light the Ceiling

   Lights may now be purchased which illuminate the kitchen from the tops of the cupboards. In some cases, these fittings, coupled with plinth lighting, can give off enough light to illuminate the kitchen without bathing the entire area in harsh white light.

The variety of kitchen lighting has never been greater. With attention to detail, it is possible for you to make your kitchen lighting as individual as you are.