The kitchen is often considered the heart of the home. As such, it’s essential to put thought into kitchen design to ensure the room is functional and welcoming. One of the most significant and influential design elements within the all-important kitchen is lighting. Lighting can instantly transform the kitchen’s ambiance and enhance its appeal and overall functionality.
After all, lighting can enhance the cooking experience, create a more welcoming environment, and even increase a home’s value. Thankfully, adding light is easy enough and can start with a well-placed window above the kitchen sink. Learn more about ways to enhance your kitchen design with natural light and other methods.
Adding a Window Above the Kitchen Sink
Perhaps the easiest way to improve the overall lighting of your kitchen is to install a window above the sink. Doing this brings natural light into the kitchen area and enhances visibility, improving cleaning and cooking tasks. You can also use this as a design strategy if your outside view is inviting and worth sharing since it provides an attractive focal point.
There are a few options for choosing the best windows for the kitchen sink area. The types of kitchen windows are as follows:
- Picture Window: This type of window provides an immense amount of light, but the view is just that, a view. You can’t open these windows.
- Sliding Windows: A sliding window provides more expansive views and can be opened, all while saving space.
- Casement Windows: This is the most common option. Casement windows are easy to open, which makes them ideal for ventilation and providing natural light.
After determining what type of window you want above your kitchen sink, the next decision is the size and placement considerations. Ideally, your kitchen window will provide maximum lighting without obstructing the view of any sink areas. Consider balancing window size with wall space and cabinetry, as customization options allow for unique sizes and shapes, optimizing light flow.
Other Light Sources for a Brighter Kitchen
While windows are a great way to add natural light to the kitchen and to enhance the lighting design overall, windows are not the only way to brighten a room.
The following are some other light sources to brighten a kitchen:
- Skylights and Ceiling Windows: If you have limited wall space in your kitchen, skylights or ceiling windows can be a good solution. Fixed or ventilated skylights can provide excellent natural lighting without occupying wall space or interfering with sink or counter access.
The only drawbacks are glare and UV exposure. When properly installed and maintained, heat loss or leaks are less likely.
- Under-Cabinet Lighting: This enhances the prep areas in the kitchen, providing light where it is needed the most and filling those dark spots under cabinetry. Under-cabinet lighting includes puck lights or LED strips.
- Pendant and Ambient Lighting: Pendant lights over breakfast bars or islands are another way to enhance kitchen lighting. These fixtures complement natural light and provide evening illumination when natural light sources aren’t available.
- Reflective Surfaces: Another way to enhance the overall lighting design in a kitchen is through reflective surfaces. Maximize light by incorporating reflective or glossy surfaces like stainless steel, polished countertops, and glass tile backsplashes into your kitchen design.
You can also incorporate mirrors to amplify natural and artificial light sources. Consider using this and other illumination elements—like natural light—to get even more bang for your buck.
Integrating Multiple Light Sources for Optimal Illumination
Natural and artificial sources can enhance the lighting in your kitchen. However, using multiple light sources is the most effective way to create a welcoming and illuminated atmosphere. The following are a few ways to integrate various light sources into your kitchen.
Layering Natural and Artificial Light:
Combine windows with task and ambient lighting to create a well-lit space throughout the day, whether the sun is out or not. You can even set up light fixtures to coordinate with natural light patterns to provide comfort and enhanced energy efficiency. In other words, you can arrange your lighting to illuminate darker areas throughout the day and then come on in full force at night to offset the reduction of natural light.
You can also have a timer or dimmer on the lights to coordinate with your room’s use. This could, for example, mean that the room is bright and well-lit when you are cooking, or the kids are working on homework, but then in the evening, after everything has been cleaned up and it’s “closed” for the night, the lighting could be softer and dimmer.
Working with a Professional for Customized Light Solutions:
Consulting a designer or contractor to tailor your lighting solution is the best way to create a unique and individualized approach to lighting design in your kitchen. Professionals can help you with the placement of lights and provide the necessary electrical sources—making it all work together—to maximize the appearance and functionality of your kitchen, ensuring it is a well-lit and welcoming room. They can also ensure it’s safe and will continue functioning as designed.
We’re Ready To Create Your Dream Kitchen
At Aldrich Contracting, we are a full-service remodeling company specializing in transforming your dream home ideas into reality. Whether you want to add an above-the-kitchen sink window to the room or incorporate some other light sources, like skylights or pendant lighting, we are happy to walk you through the process and help you design the ideal kitchen of your dreams. We are ready to chat; contact us to learn more.
