A well-planned kitchen lighting concept significantly improves the functionality and atmosphere of your kitchen. With the right lighting, you not only create a pleasant ambience, but also ensure safety when preparing food. At the same time, you can emphasize your sense of aesthetics and style with a targeted selection of designer lights for your kitchen.
In this guide, you will find out what is important when it comes to lighting your kitchen and how to plan your ideal lighting concept.
A well thought-out lighting concept in the kitchen fulfills several important functions:
Well-planned kitchen lighting combines all these aspects into a harmonious overall concept. A well thought-out kitchen lighting concept uses different types of lighting.
For an optimal kitchen lighting concept, it is best to combine three different types of kitchen lighting:
Basic lighting ensures uniform illumination of the entire room.
Kitchen lamps are particularly suitable for this purpose:
Neutral white light with 3300-5300 Kelvin is ideal as kitchen lighting for the ceiling. You should plan for around 300 lumens per square meter.
The lighting in the kitchen above the worktop, as well as above the stove and sink, should provide bright, glare-free light.
Spotlights are suitable for this, for example:
to provide targeted lighting for your worktops and work areas.
👉 Expert tip: Our POLARIS LED lights can be flexibly rotated in different directions and mounted above your worktop as a wall light for the kitchen.
This type of lighting sets targeted lighting accents - e.g. as a lamp above the cooking island - creates a pleasant atmosphere and ensures a stylish ambience.
Suitable examples include:
Choose warm white light around 2700-3000 Kelvin for a cozy atmosphere.
👉 Expert tip: Our SOL pendant light creates stylish accents above the cooking island or dining table.
Depending on the area in the kitchen, different light colors and brightness levels are advisable:
Dimmable lights or with flexible color temperature offer additional flexibility. This means you can adjust the brightness at any time to suit your requirements and the occasion.
Natural color rendering is particularly important in the kitchen - after all, you want to see your food in its true colors. Therefore, make sure the CRI value (Color Rendering Index) is at least 80.
Also make sure that the LED kitchen lighting for your work surfaces meets this criterion to ensure realistic color rendering
Modern LED lighting is ideal for the kitchen, here you can see the advantages at a glance. Make sure that they are
Choose the brightness to suit the location:
With our LED kitchen lights, you are sure to find the perfect solution for every kitchen zone.
When lighting your kitchen, you can also think specifically about the environment and sustainability. LED lights are real energy savers and extremely durable at the same time.
They require up to 80% less energy than conventional light bulbs, which not only has a positive effect on your electricity bill, but also on your ecological footprint.
And best of all, modern LED lights offer a wide range of light colors, from warm white for a cozy atmosphere to neutral white for precise cutting and cooking. Modern LED lights are perfect for sustainable kitchen lighting and your lighting concept.
When choosing lamps for the kitchen, you should also pay attention to the IP protection class - especially if they are hanging near water or steam. "IP" stands for "Ingress Protection" and indicates how well a light is protected against foreign bodies (such as dust) or moisture.
The closer a lamp hangs to the stove, sink or near steaming pots, the more important good protection becomes. For the area directly above the sink or near the stove, we recommend at least IP44 - this means that the lamp is splash-proof.
If it comes into very close contact with water vapor or moisture, IP65 may also be appropriate. For example, our POLARIS or XENA luminaires with cable connection. These both have IP65 and are therefore well suited for kitchen areas.
For areas that tend to remain dry (such as above the dining table or on open shelves), IP20 is usually sufficient.
In short: the wetter the location, the higher the IP protection class should be. This not only ensures atmospheric light, but also safety.
Modern kitchens offer many opportunities for creative kitchen lighting ideas:
Some typical kitchen lighting mistakes are
You canavoid these mistakes with careful planning. Combine different light sources such as recessed kitchen lights, ceiling lighting for the kitchen and various accent lighting ideas. Pay attention to the correct, targeted positioning of lighting objects.
Sometimes, despite the best planning, an area is forgotten or the lighting concept proves to be inadequate in everyday life. Don't worry - there are simple retrofit solutions to brighten up dark corners or poorly lit work areas.
LED under-cabinet luminaires are a flexible way to bring more brightness to the work surface.
If you want to create a cozy atmosphere, you might be interested in spot lights or accent lights with a color-changing function. This allows you to upgrade your kitchen with minimal effort without having to carry out a costly new installation.
A well thought-out lighting concept is crucial for a functional and inviting kitchen. By combining ambient, functional and accent lighting, you can create optimum lighting conditions for all activities.
With high-quality LED lights, you can implement your concept in an energy-efficient and stylish way. This makes your kitchen the perfectly illuminated focal point of your home for every occasion.
For basic lighting, you should plan for around 300 lumens per square meter, while at least 500 lumens per square meter are recommended for work surfaces.
Warm white light (2700-3000 K) is suitable for cozy areas such as the dining area, while cool white light (over 5300 K) is ideal for work surfaces.
The CRI value (Color Rendering Index) indicates how well colors are rendered under a light source. A value of at least 80 CRI is recommended in order to see food in its true colors.
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