How to light a kitchen properly: ambient light, task lighting over the worktop, cabinet and plinth lighting — fixture types, colour temperature, and installation.
Three layers of kitchen light
- Ambient lighting: a ceiling fixture or recessed downlights — background light for the whole room
- Task lighting: under-cabinet lighting over the worktop — directed where chopping and cooking happen
- Accent and decorative: plinth lighting under base units, inside glazed cabinets, pendants over an island
Task lighting (worktop)
The most important element. Without under-cabinet lighting, the person stands with their back to the ambient source and works in their own shadow.
- LED strip: flexible, fitted in a channel or profile along the underside of the cabinet. Even light along the full run
- Puck lights or spotlights: recessed into the cabinet base. Directional light, easy to replace
- Linear LED profile: aluminium extrusion with strip inside — soft, diffused light
- Position: close to the front edge of the cabinet, not the back — otherwise the light shines in your eyes
Colour temperature
Colour temperature is measured in Kelvin. In a kitchen it matters for seeing food colours accurately and avoiding eye fatigue.
- 2700–3000 K — warm white: cosy atmosphere, but makes food look yellow
- 3500–4000 K — neutral white: optimal for the task zone, does not distort colour
- 5000–6500 K — cool daylight: energising, but uncomfortable for prolonged use
- Recommendation: task lighting 3500–4000 K; ambient 2700–3000 K
Colour rendering index (CRI)
CRI measures how accurately a light source renders colours. 100 equals daylight.
- CRI ≥ 80: the minimum for a kitchen
- CRI ≥ 90: recommended for the task zone — important for seeing the real colour of meat and vegetables
- Cheap LED strips often have CRI 70–75 — food looks unnatural
Plinth lighting
- LED strip under the base units directed at the floor — creates a floating effect
- Colour: warm white or RGB for ambience
- Practical use: night-time navigation without turning on the main lights
- Installation: in a plinth profile or behind the bottom kick-plate
Interior cabinet lighting
- Glass-fronted cabinets: LED strip around the perimeter inside, or recessed spotlights at the top
- Drawers: an opening sensor switches the light on automatically — useful in base units
- For drawers: a thin LED strip under the top edge of the box
- Reed switch (magnetic) or motion sensor — light activates when the door opens
Island lighting
- Pendant lights: 2–3 in a row over the island, hung 65–75 cm above the worktop
- Linear pendant: one long fixture instead of several — modern and functional
- Dimmer: essential over the island — adjust for cooking versus dining
Wiring for task lighting must be roughed in before the kitchen is installed — a 230 V outlet or cable for a transformer inside each wall unit. Running cables on the surface after fitting looks poor and is much harder to do.
Lighting checklist before installation
- 230 V outlets under the wall units — one per 120 cm run or one per cabinet
- Separate circuit for the extractor with built-in lighting
- Outlet for the island or dining area — run before the floor screed if the level is raised
- Dimmer in the circuit: for island and decorative lighting
- Strip voltage: confirm 12 V or 230 V before buying a transformer