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About This Project
The kitchen in the house where I grew up was lit by a single fluorescent ring bulb smack dab in the middle of the ceiling. It was too bright when you clicked it on for a midnight snack and too dim when it came to reading the fine print on the Nestlé chocolate chip package. But like most kitchen lighting back then, it “worked.”These days, “workable” just doesn’t cut it. Most kitchens now serve as dining room, office and family room. Lights are on in the kitchen more than in any other room in the home. And since we cook, work, play and pay bills there, we need a wide range of lighting to create a pleasant environment for all our activities and to prevent eyestrain and accidents.
In the course of totally remodeling a kitchen or building a new home, you might be able to afford the luxury of working with an architect or designer to get your lighting and wiring just right. But until then (which for some of us is never), there are simple ways to improve kitchen lighting without a lot of hassle, dust and expense. Here are a few of the easiest, least painful improvements.
Track Lighting Lets You Direct Light Anywhere You Want
A single overhead fixture provides good light for general cleaning and navigation but does a lousy job of casting light inside cabinets—especially in deep and corner units. One solution is to use the existing light fixture electrical box as a starting point for a new track lighting system.
Replacing an existing central light fixture with track lighting allows you to direct general, task and accent lighting where you need it.
Track lighting—available in incandescent, fluorescent, and high- and low-voltage halogen versions—has multiple fixtures that allow you to direct and focus light where you need it. T-, L- and X-shaped connectors let you install tracks and lights in hundreds of conurations. A wide variety of specialized fixtures allow you to customize and rearrange your lighting as needed. There are highly focused units with reflector bulbs for task lighting and others for general or mood light. Many systems have adapters for pendant lighting too.
Once you’ve selected your fixtures, position them so they don’t shine directly in your eyes. Don’t install fixtures directly in line with sinks and other work areas; your head will block the light. Install them to the sides instead, then angle them toward the target spot. Install them where they won’t interfere with the swing of upper cabinet doors. And since track lighting fixtures are so prominent, select a system that complements the look and feel of your kitchen.
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