Of all the improvements we've done to this house over the
years, lighting my kitchen is a favorite. For years I worked with the low-cost,
not-so-attractive track lighting that did not light my workspaces.
In a kitchen, task lighting is essential. Cooks handle
knives, hot foods, breakables of all sorts. And the various tasks required to
make a dinner for a small group of people happen in separate spaces within the
kitchen. One light source is not enough, even in a small kitchen like mine.
The Design
The open ceiling centered to the kitchen is designated Zone
1. Two 24-inch flush mount light fixtures in this space provide general lighting.
They light the space up, but when I turn to work on the island, I'm still
working in shadow. A second light source is necessary.
The island is the workspace of the kitchen, and the area
above it is Zone 2. Here we add three recessed lights with adjustable optics.
With a widespread light source now above and slightly in front of me, I can see
what it is I'm cutting with my super sharp chef's knife.
Zone 3 is the under-the-counter space. This is where the
small appliances live, like the coffee pot. Bob adds puck lights, stringing the
thin wire through the cabinetry. In the evening, these lights serve as night-lights;
I can pour a cup of coffee safely without turning on all the lights in the
room.
The Result
The installation of these three types of lights requires
certain skill sets, electrical and drywall among them. If you're not versed in
this sort of installation, consult with various contractors to get the best
price for the highest quality work.
The results are transformative. My kitchen looks freshened
up, but all we did was bring in the right lighting. I actually work faster and
more efficiently now, because I can see what I'm doing. The project cost about three
hundred dollars in materials, and was worth every penny.
You can see the video of this install at YouTube. And we
hope you'll visit our channel for videos on home improvement, gardening,
aquatics and of course, cooking. Thanks for visiting.
