Guide: the right lighting concept for every kitchen

The five most important points:

• Plan the lighting concept individually according to kitchen style and floor plan in order to ideally combine functionality and cosiness.
• Several light sources (ceiling lights, under-cabinet lights, pendants, etc.) ensure shadow-free work surfaces and at the same time create an atmospheric ambience.
• Indirect lighting (e.g. LED strips on cabinets or in the base) gives the kitchen a warm, cosy depth without glare.
• Daylight can be ideally integrated into the lighting concept; there are also suitable solutions for kitchens without daylight.
• Choose sustainable LED lights because they consume up to 80% less energy and are easy on the environment and your wallet with a long service life

A kitchen needs more than just brightness. Today it is a living space, meeting place and work area at the same time. Accordingly, the lighting concept must be versatile. In the cooking area, bright, shadow-free work light and a clear view are crucial, but at the same time you want a homely atmosphere for shared meals or social evenings. Reconciling functionality and mood is a challenge, but no problem with the right lighting concept.

In this guide, we deliberately focus on new concepts beyond the usual advice and show how you can implement individualised, modern and cosy lighting ideas in your kitchen without neglecting functionality. Practical tips are first and foremost so that you can plan your kitchen light creatively and stand out from the crowd.

Lighting concepts for different kitchen shapes

Every kitchen is different, and so the lighting concept should also be uniquely tailored to the space. What works in an open kitchen with an island can be impractical in a small, closed kitchen.

Open-plan kitchens: harmony between cooking and living

In open-plan kitchens, the challenge is to seamlessly connect functional cooking areas with the cosy living area. A clear separation by light, without physical barriers, is crucial here. Dimmable ambient lighting, which can be warm white in the living area and neutral white in the cooking area, is an effective solution. Pendant lights can serve as stylish room dividers and eye-catchers above the kitchen island or dining area. Accent lighting can highlight elements in the living area, creating a flowing but zoned atmosphere. Light serves here as an architectural element for zoning. It structures the open space, directs the eye and influences the perception and use of different areas, which is a creative and modern solution for open plan living concepts.

Closed kitchens: stage small rooms on a grand scale

Closed kitchens are separated from the living room. The advantage: You don't have to subordinate yourself stylistically and thus offer a lot of room for creativity. So, you can also choose bolder lamp designs, colours or trends without having to take into account the furnishing style of the living room. However, closed kitchens sometimes lack airiness – small rooms in particular, quickly appear cramped.

In smaller, enclosed kitchens, light is a powerful tool to make the room feel larger and more inviting. It's not just about making the room brighter, but about visually expanding it. Bright ceiling spotlights and under-cabinet lighting provide basic brightness and optimally illuminate the work surfaces. Reflective surfaces such as high-gloss fronts, glass or stainless steel enhance this effect because they distribute the light in the room. LED strips on shelves or in nooks can brighten up dark corners and add depth to the room.

The combination of sufficient light, strategic placement (for example, illuminating the upper wall areas with ceiling washlights or wall lights) and reflective surfaces create a visual illusion of extended space.

Kitchen with or without natural light

Natural daylight is the best mood enhancer. It illuminates the room evenly and naturally. If your kitchen has large windows or even skylights, take full advantage of this gift of architecture. If possible, plan the work areas where daylight can enter laterally in order to achieve good illumination without glare. Enjoy the sunlight during the day and make sure that artificial lighting does not fight against the sun, but complements it (for example, with indirect light for dark corners). In the evening, when there is no more daylight, dimmable ceiling lights or pendants provide homely basic lighting so that the room remains friendly.

The situation is different in windowless or dark kitchens. Without daylight, the kitchen needs a well-thought-out lighting concept so that it does not look dim. A single ceiling spotlight is usually not enough here. It is better to distribute several light sources over different zones: ceiling lights or spotlights for general lighting, under-cabinet lights for work surfaces and wall or shelf lights for niches and corners. This will help you avoid dark areas and create depth in the room. Take special care to illuminate worktops brightly and without shadows. Here it can be a high light intensity. Warm white bulbs are often recommended in windowless kitchens because warm light is more similar to daylight than cold blue light and thus creates a natural room effect.

Modern LED panels in neutral white can also help to simulate daylight. In addition, bright kitchen fronts, mirrors or glass surfaces can reflect the available light and make the room appear larger. If possible, consider semi-permeable doors or windows to the adjoining room to "borrow" some real daylight. But in most cases, clever artificial lighting with many dots also makes an interior kitchen bright and homely.

Kitchen with or without cooking island

A cooking island is becoming the center of the kitchen in more and more apartments and houses; be it as a work surface, meeting place or counter. Accordingly, it deserves its own lighting concept. Pendant lights above the island are a safe bet: they provide directional light for working or dining and at the same time serve as a decorative eye-catcher in the room. Plan two to three pendulums evenly spaced above the island, depending on the size of the island. It is important to have a suitable height (about 60-70cm above the worktop) so that no one is dazzled, and the light illuminates the area widely. Dimmable pendant luminaires are ideal because they can be dimmed for social gatherings or brightened for kitchen work. The light colour concept can also be considered: neutral white light (about 4000K) helps with concentrated preparation, while warm white light (about 2700K) creates a cosy atmosphere late at night.

In an open kitchen, a beautiful pendant lamp visually connects the island with the living room, also because the material or style of the lamp matches the rest of the furnishings.

Alternatively, or additionally, recessed ceiling spotlights above the island are available to ensure a large area of basic brightness. In modern kitchens, you can also see track systems on which both spotlights and pendant lights can be flexibly positioned – ideal for illuminating the island in a variety of ways (work light and accent light combined).

If your kitchen does not have an island, the lighting will be concentrated on the kitchenette(s) along the walls: here, under-cabinet lights under-wall cabinets should be mandatory so that the work areas are not in the shade. Add a central ceiling light or multiple ceiling spotlights that illuminate the room evenly. Above the dining table in the kitchen – if there is one – similar rules apply as for island lighting: pendant lights create atmosphere there and zone the area.

In every kitchen, with or without an island, it is important that you create islands of light for different activities: bright, direct light for working and cooking, and cozy, indirect light for relaxing and enjoying.

Sustainability in kitchen lighting

When designing the lighting concept for the kitchen, it is worth taking a look at sustainability - for the sake of the environment and your electricity bill. The magic word here is LED. Modern LED lamps consume up to 80% less energy than traditional light bulbs and often last many times longer, often over 25,000 hours of operation. In practice, this means that a high-quality LED bulb can easily last ten years or more before it needs to be replaced, which avoids waste and saves money in the long run. Although LED lights are sometimes a little more expensive to buy, the savings on electricity costs compensate for this. In addition, LEDs emit much less heat than halogen or incandescent bulbs. This is a plus, especially in the kitchen, because any avoided heat accumulation is welcome.

Sustainability starts with the planning stage: think about where you really need light and place lights there in a targeted manner. Waste of light (permanent illumination of unused corners or permanent lighting without cause) should be avoided. Here, again, dimmers, timers or motion detectors help to use lighting only when needed. For example, you could program a timer that automatically turns off the lights when you normally leave the house. Or use smart sockets/sensors that register if someone is in the kitchen.

An often-underestimated sustainability factor is the quality of the lamps. Basically, the higher the quality of the lamps, the longer they last and the more sustainable they are, because replacement is less often necessary. So, it's better to go for durable materials and good workmanship.

Last but not least, use existing daylight to reduce artificial light during the day. Large windows, bright curtains or a good place for the kitchen in the floor plan (facing south, for example) are passive methods of providing brightness in an energy-saving way. Every hour that the lights can be left off saves energy. And when the lights are on, it's best with efficient LEDs and well-thought-out controls. In this way, you create a lighting concept that is not only beautiful and functional, but also sustainable – a kitchen with a clear conscience.

FAQs

What is particularly important when it comes to kitchen lighting?

A combination of bright basic lighting, targeted work light and atmospheric accent lighting to ensure both functionality and cosiness.

How do I optimally illuminate an open kitchen?

By harmoniously combining the lighting concept with the living area – e.g. pendant lights above the cooking island and dimmable ambient lighting for cosy evenings, so that your open kitchen looks bright and homely at the same time.

How do I achieve cosiness with kitchen lamps?

Through warm white light (about 3000K), indirect light sources such as LED strips on cabinets or pedestals and dimmable light that you can lower to a comfortable level after cooking.

What can I do if my kitchen has no daylight?

Rely on multiple light sources in different areas, especially strong, shadow-free work surface lighting, and use warm white LEDs to replace the lack of daylight as naturally as possible.

How can I save energy in kitchen lighting?

By using energy-efficient LED bulbs, clever control (e.g. motion detectors, timers or smart systems) and by switching on lights only when needed. This avoids wasting electricity and significantly reduces costs.