FT NEWS

Like a canvas is to an artist, so a countertop is to the home chef. It’s a workspace that requires proper lighting to create a safe, functional and comfortable environment. If you’re remodelling your kitchen or just looking for a quick update, working with your home professional to place lights in the proper location will make your kitchen work better for you while adding beauty to the heart of your home.

1. Light the counters
One of the most common mistakes in kitchen lighting is to add overhead lights over floors rather than above workspaces like countertops, sinks and ranges. Recessed downlights, the workhorse of most kitchens, are too often placed in front of or behind countertops. This can create harsh shadows right where you might be working with sharp knives.

2. Fight shadows
Recessed downlights can create unwelcome shadows, but you can minimise this by using multiple smaller downlights instead of a few large fixtures. In the past, the only options for recessed lights were 6-inch or 8-inch can lights.

3. Downlights or downlines?
Instead of multiple small recessed downlights over a countertop, a long line of recessed lights is also a great way to evenly illuminate counters and cabinets. This approach may feel a bit odd in traditional spaces, but it works beautifully in modern kitchens such as this one, designed by Winder Gibson Architects.

4. Add lights under cabinets
No matter how well you place downlights, upper cabinets will always block some of the light and make the space below them dark. To fight this, consider adding undercabinet lighting,As with recessed downlights, undercabinet lighting should be placed above the centre of cabinets, rather than too far forward or back.

5. Sink and range lighting
If you’re washing your dishes by hand, it’s nice to actually see what you’re doing. For nighttime illumination, don’t add just one small recessed light or pendant light above your sink and call it day. 

6. Don’t forget those dimmers
Dimmers are not very expensive, but they are worth their weight in gold and can help you get the right amount of light on your counters.