Introduction

The atmosphere of every room in your home can benefit from good lighting, and the kitchen is no exception where food preparation and cooking needs to be well lit.

Other than on the ceiling, there are four key alternative locations for additional lighting;

• Above the worktops - from lights attached to the underside of wall cabinets
• Above the wall cabinets - from cornice lighting on the top of wall cabinets
• Inside glass-doored cabinets
• Beneath base units inset into plinth fixtures or between bare cabinet legs

Wherever you choose to place your lights, it is wise to plan their locations in advance so that a suitable electrical supply can be arranged, and they can be independently controlled.

There are also three key types of lighting, each of which can usually be linked together to carry electrical current from one light on to the next.

Fluorescent lights

These lights run on a standard electricity supply that can be wired directly into the mains.

For kitchen worktop illumination, these are commonly manufactured as slimline tubes that are designed to be hidden behind the pelmet fitted to the underside of wall cabinets.

Halogen lighting

Can be very hot and bright, despite only using 20W bulbs. A transformer must be fitted to the circuit to downgrade the incoming current to a suitable level.

LED lights

Often a collection of LED (light emitting diodes) can be used in a kitchen to create a soft but bright light. These are the lowest power lamps available, generally consuming very little energy (sometimes as low as 1 Watt) and generating very little heat. These lights usually also require a transformer to be fitted to the circuit to lower the incoming current to a safe level.

Further information and useful links

• Kitchen planning
• Kitchen worktops
• All kitchen topics
• Guide to lightbulbs
• Current wiring regulations
• Connecting electrical cables

• Find a Kitchen Fixtures & Fittings supplier near you
• Find a Kitchen Units supplier near you
• Find a Kitchen Worktop supplier near you
• Find a Kitchen Fitter near you
• Find a Kitchen Planner near you