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We are an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. Our goal is to help you make smarter financial decisions by providing you with interactive tools and financial calculators, publishing original and objective content, by enabling you to conduct research and compare information for free - so that you can make financial decisions with confidence. Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover.

The offers that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear within the listing categories. But this compensation does not influence the information we publish, or the reviews that you see on this site. We do not include the universe of companies or financial offers that may be available to you.

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Your kitchen is a unique room within your house. You have to be concerned with form as well as function, with aesthetics and purpose. This can make lighting a kitchen a particular challenge. There are different styles of lighting, different fixtures and bulbs to consider, and different locations that need to be illuminated.

It might sound like a lot, but don’t worry. We’re going to help you navigate the secrets of kitchen lighting.

There are four different types of lighting that you may want in your kitchen, depending on what you’re seeking to accomplish. It’s important to understand these types of lighting so you can pick the right fixtures and locations to accomplish the intended effect.

Ambient lighting, sometimes called general lighting, is going to be the primary source of light in the room. It illuminates the majority of the space, serving as the sort of general-purpose lighting that allows you to see the overall room. You can accomplish ambient light naturally with big windows or glass doors that invite in sunlight, but you can also create this look with specific fixtures.

Accent lighting is much narrower, typically calling attention to a specific area. It can be used to highlight a piece of art or bounce off a particularly interesting bit of architecture. Accent lights  can also be used to make a room appear bigger by drawing attention to certain areas.

In the kitchen, task lighting is important. These lights bring additional illumination to sections of the kitchen where you’re going to work. Whether it’s prepping food, scrubbing dishes, or cleaning up corner, you’ll want lights that let you to spotlight a specific area; often, they’re higher-intensity or sharper so you can zero in on the task at hand.

Decorative lighting is similar to accent lighting in that it draws attention to an area, but it can also draw attention to itself. A decorative light can be a conversation piece as well as something that adds light to the kitchen, but you’ll want to be careful to make sure it fits the space and doesn’t make room feel small or crowded.

Because of its nature as both a room to show off and a room to work in, the kitchen can be difficult to light. You won’t want floor lamps or other fixtures that take up valuable kitchen space, and you’ll want fixtures that can both fill the room and help to highlight specific areas. Here are some of the common areas where you may place your kitchen lights.

The best way to utilize space and provide full room ambient lighting is with ceiling lights. They are capable of filling the room and having light bounce off the walls in a way that illuminates the whole space.

Cabinet lighting, whether it is under the cabinets or above them, helps to illuminate the areas where you’re storing your food and utensils. Under-cabinet lighting is also useful for lighting countertops when located above these areas.

If you have a bar or island, you may want to light them with task lighting options. This may be an overhead or smaller lights on the area.

Your kitchen range will typically have a space for a light under the hood, which helps to illuminate the surface of the oven while cooking.

Your sink will also typically have an area overhead for a smaller light that highlights the area and allows you to use the sink without lighting up the whole room.

If your kitchen has room to be an eat-in, an accent light may help to highlight the table or counter. Consider a fixture that is separate from the ambient lighting so you can highlight this area and deemphasize the rest of the space while you are eating; it can also be a softer light.

Kitchen lighting is one of the more common areas of emphasis during remodels, according to the 2022 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study, which found that more than three in four people redo their lights when they renovate the kitchen. This provides an opportunity to capitalize on some of the latest trends and innovations in lighting.

The study found that pendant lights and under-cabinet lights are growing increasingly popular in recent years. Energy-efficient lights are also popular, as are smart bulbs that allow you to control the level of lights and ambiance with more precision than your standard lighting fixture.

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