Best Kitchen Lamp Ideas

Has this happened to you? So many types, and so many shapes, and you don't even know where to start? Today, we'll talk about lamps, specifically kitchen lamps. Yes, we'll discuss types, heights, location, amounts, and styles!

Kitchen lamps make all the difference in a kitchen. Even when bad, definitely different than when there is perfect lighting. So, let's start with the most basic ones.

Types of lamps

You may already know the different types there are, and if not, let me tell you about them. Basically, there are four.

Direct Pointed Light

Direct pointed light, which is one small hanging lamp generally with the bulb exposed, illuminating only a portion of the space. They are mostly decorative and found in so many styles. Since they are good-looking lamps, they are generally on kitchen islands or bars.

Distributed Long Lamps

The second type is the distributed long lamp. This kind is also decorative, and similar to the direct pointed light, except it has this long shape. So this allows for uniform illumination.

These are not that common but deliver such a great look. When you put this kind of lamp, you generally put only one since it's a star item.

Industrial Lamp

The next type is an industrial lamp. Full blast, generally cool white or natural daylight. This is to actually see what you're working on because this type illuminates like no other. So, you will see this kind of lamp in restaurant kitchens or designated work areas. You could still use this one in residences but people prefer to have a more down earth-not that bright-lamp.

LED Strip Lights

Next are LED strip lights. Love this kind. They are hidden or supposed to be hidden. You can put these for courtesy, like on the ceiling but you won't have enough light, or below the high cabinets. This is a great solution for those U-shaped kitchens with high cabinets all over.

Since with these lights, you can perfectly work in any area, because they end up with a distributed light. Since they are LED, they come in a variety of intensities. You could have the intensity of an industrial light if you want.

Courtesy Lights

Last is the courtesy lights. These lights are not for work. Here you'll have spotlights on ceilings which sometimes people use only this light on kitchens. It's wrong because you definitely need more illumination than this. But they are useful to just be there, without working on any eye demanding activity.

So now that we know all kinds of lamps, let's continue on with a super important factor which is height.

How high are you supposed to put that lamp? Let's cross some of them off of the list. We mentioned that courtesy lights are on the ceiling and LED strip lights below the high cabinets. So that's solved.

How about the rest of the hanging lamps? So you should know there are two main heights for countertops. One for cooking that is generally 3 feet high, and another for eating or drinking, to use with high stools, generally 4 feet high or more.

Let's consider a person's height because of course you don't want your head bumping with the lamp. Let's consider 5'7 or 6 feet. Let's keep 6 feet. You want your lamp to be higher than your head.

So this automatically rises above 6 feet, and you want to consider a few inches higher to just harmonize with the ceiling and the shape of the entire kitchen. So, for 4 feet countertops, the lower part of the lamp should be at 6'9 feet. For 5 feet countertops, the lower part of the lamp should be at 7'9 feet. If you want to simplify all that, consider as a rule of thumb, to just put them 35 inches above the surface of your table.

Now, let's dive into the location factor. So, in this plan view, let's draw a countertop and a person, of course. You want to locate your lamp in the center of the countertop because here is where you'll work, and need most of the light. People often confuse this by locating the lamp above where the person will be. Huge mistake, since that light will only illuminate you and you will create a shadow over the top. This will be counterproductive.

How many lamps am 1 supposed to put? Well, it all depends really. If it is a bar or restaurant bar, then locate as many as you want if the bar is long enough. But, for residence, put 3. If 3 is too much, put one rectangular and distributed lamp.

Here's the thing. Odd numbers are the secret. Don't put 2, or 4, and 5 will definitely be too much. Even 4 is too much. Instead, locate 3 well distributed in all the top.

And as it is in location, centered always. You want everything symmetrical since you could use the entire top. It won't look good if only one part is illuminated and the other one is not.

Pick a style similar to the style of the kitchen. Believe me, it makes a difference. As I said before, stick to the same style and type of lamp. Nowadays there are more modern style lamps you can choose from, but there are plenty of options. Here is an industrial lamp, or maybe a traditional, or even a minimalist one.

It will all depend on the style of the kitchen. If your kitchen is very clean, with white or strong dark colors, pink kitchen color, and pure forms, go with a modern or minimalist style. If the kitchen has these ornaments or framing styles, go with a more traditional lamp. You can plan with textures. Wood, dark metal, or glass.