Everything you need to know about kitchen worktop lighting!

•    Natural light, in other words daylight, which depends on the room’s orientation.
•    Task lighting, specifically focused on strategic areas (worktop, units and display cabinets).
•    Decorative lighting, designed to create a warm ambience in the kitchen.

To successfully illuminate your kitchen worktop and your entire kitchen, you need to find the right balance between these three sources and, most importantly, consider the right locations. For effective lighting of your kitchen worktop, you should:

• choose strong, precise and targeted lighting locations directed towards the preparation area (do the same for the sink, hobs and storage compartments).
• opt for consistent white light for an accurate perception of the colours of the food on the worktop.

Regarding positioning, worktop light fittings should be positioned along the entire length of the worktop, either under the units above the worktop, on the ceiling or even at splashback-level. It all depends on your kitchen layout and where your electrical sockets are positioned.

When it comes to lighting your kitchen worktop, there are various types of light fittings to consider: spotlights, pendant lights, LEDs (in the form of spotlights, light bars or extra-slim strips), high-performance fluorescent tubes, luminous panels and splashbacks, etc.

Choose worktop light fittings made of glass or metal as they are easier to clean than fabric light fittings.

In a kitchen where energy consumption is high, opt for energy-efficient light bulbs.

The colour temperature, expressed in degrees Kelvin, represents the hue of a light source, which can be described as warm or cool. While warm white light (around 3000 Kelvin) is recommended for general kitchen lighting, kitchen worktop lighting should fall between 4000 and 4500 Kelvin to be functional and neutral.

For optimal visual comfort in the kitchen, it is recommended to use light bulbs with a Colour Rendering Index (CRI) close to 100. This corresponds to a consistent white light.

If the light doesn’t feel warm enough, consider decorative lighting with a colour temperature between 3000 and 3500 Kelvin. You can always enhance your kitchen worktop lighting with a stylish ceiling light or adjustable spotlights.

Do you want more advice on kitchen worktop lighting? Don’t hesitate to visit our ixina experts directly in-store – they will be happy to guide you!