Ceiling Lights

56 Kitchen Lighting Ideas That’ll Transform Your Space

56 Kitchen Lighting Ideas That’ll Transform Your Space


Lighting sets the mood and tone for your space before guests even enter the room. Let’s face it, you spend most of your time in the kitchen cooking meals or gathered with family and friends sharing a sweet treat. Kitchen lighting is crucial in a home—it’s vital to illuminate the one room in the house that is inhabited the most. A poorly lit space can set the wrong tone for guests. You certainly don’t want to spend time in a room that’s too dimly lit or blindingly bright.

Lighting is a great decorative accent, but in the kitchen, it’s especially important to get the lighting balance right for your safety and comfort. We found great ways to showcase statement lighting while also being practical and functional for your dream kitchen. From golden glows to bright whites, we’ve compiled the best ways to illuminate your kitchen to make it look like a beaming masterpiece. Trust us—with these lighting tips, it’ll be hard to leave your radiant space.

Flush Mounts

LAUREY W. GLENN


Rather than pendants over the island that might block a view or change the symmetry of the room, consider simple flush mounts that are practical and interesting.

Statement Chandelier

JAMES RANSOM; STYLING: Veronica Olson


Use fancy lighting in unexpected places. A simple white chandelier is the perfect way to balance a colorful kitchen.

Complimentary Materials

Two Visual Comfort & Co. pendants mimic the custom hood’s brass strapping.

DANE TASHIMA; Styling: PAGE MULLINS


Consider the other materials used in the space and tie in textures and colors with your lighting. Here, two Visual Comfort & Co. pendants with a brass interior play off the range hood’s brass strapping.

Rustic Metal Pendants

Larsen & Talbert


Match natural wood tones with brass or copper lighting for a cohesive look.

Natural-Hued Glass Fixtures

Alison Gootee


Consider textured or worn glass pendants to tie into the spaces’ existing character.

Natural Lighting

Laurey W. Glenn; Stylist: Matthew Gleason


Windows are a healthy and energy-efficient way to add light to your kitchen. Traditionally, there is a window located above the sink.

Moody Fixtures

James Ransom


Lean into the color palette of your kitchen when selecting lighting. Black pendants and sconces compliment the dark trim of this room.

Soft White Oversized Bulbs

Alison Gootee; Styling: Matthew Gleason

For a modern look and soft glow, use matte white pendants. The sleek round shape helps to not overwhelm small spaces.

Recessed Lighting

Brian Woodcock


Don’t let your lighting get in the way of precious views or detract from beautiful woodworking. Instead opt for can lights that’ll blend into the ceiling.

Colorful Caged Lighting

Brie Williams; Styling: Page Mullins

The oversized pendant is a cerused white oak island that’s topped with gray-blue Arabescatus marble. 

Slim Fixtures for Small Spaces

Alison Gootee; Styling: Suzonne Stirling

Work a slender lighting source into a small kitchen to illuminate any space. This bent fixture draws eyes up and completes the room’s brass touches.

Matte-White Pendant Lighting

Brie Williams  Styling: Jennifer Berno Decleene


Matte-white pendant lighting and appliances finish this space with a custom look.

Shaded Lighting

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAUREY W. GLENN; STYLING BY KENDRA SURFACE

Add a unique flare to your kitchen with hanging, patterned lamp shade fixtures.

Vintage Chandelier

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

A one-of-a-kind light fixture is the perfect solution for dressing up your kitchen.

Three’s a Crowd Pendant Lighting

Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Adam Fortner

Three’s certainly not a crowd with fixtures that match the number of seats at the counter. If you’re not keen on a chunky overhead light, go for matte gold fixtures to provide a radiant look.

Small Pendant Lighting

Annie Schlechter

For a simple statement, go for high numbers. This open kitchen draws your eyes up with 18 small pendants as the main light source.

Contrasting Lighting

Photography by Brian Woodcock; Styling by Natalie Warady

Brighten a darker space with oversized lighting that brings a lighter tone to the room.

Lampshade-Style Pendant

HECTOR MANUEL SANCHEZ STYLING BY: HOLLY SMITH


Elevate any hardworking space with elegant lampshades. Swap out existing shades on any fixture or seek out the just-right-pendant.

Vintage Hanging Pendant Lighting

Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Matthew Gleason

Create contrast with deep tones by applying vintage hanging pendant lights to your kitchen space.

Textured Fixture Lighting

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

In a classic white kitchen, adding texture and shape is a beautiful thing.

Nook Lighting

Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Lizzie Cullen Cox

Nooks are great for natural sunlight, but when the sun goes down a country-chic pendant can keep the candle burning at any hour.

Grid Pendant Lighting

Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Liz Strong

A grid of pendants, rather than the ubiquitous pair, hangs over the island. The overhang into this kitchen’s pathways helps to widen and brighten the space.

Small Modern Pendant Lighting

Laurey W. Glenn

Small, streamlined pendants against shiplap walls bring a breath modern farmhouse style to any kitchen space.

Glass Fixture Lighting

Photo: Annie Schlechter; Styling: Matthew Gleason

Vintage glam meets modern finishes with large brass-accented glass pendants.

Long Lighting

Annie Schlechter; Styling: Page Mullins

The long rustic lines draw eyes up and lengthen the room, making the light and bright kitchen feel even more open.

Pendants With A Pop Of Color

Brian Woodcock; Styling: Page Mullins


This kitchen is all white everything, save for a few finishing touches. This gives the kitchen a very clean look, with added spots of brightness thanks to the pendants, the cushions and the color of the island.

Casual Warm Lighting

Marta Xochilt Perez; Styling: Page Mullins

Brighten the kitchen space with overhanging warm lighting.

Layered Mellow Lighting

Joseph De Leo


Having multiple overhead lights in the same area but layered is a visually unique and interesting way to make your kitchen brighter—especially when the cabinets and other features are on the darker side.

Single Overhead Lighting

Photography by Brian Woodcock; Styling by Natalie Warady

A single, overhead light softens the space and showcases a stunning, oversized farm sink.

Laid-Back Pendant Lighting

Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Lizzie Cullen Cox

Add a relaxed, yet polished air to any kitchen island by pairing built-in overhead lights with bohemian statement pendants.

Flexible Spotlight Lighting

Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Elly Poston Cooper

A flexible spotlight can illuminate the sink or counter, but it’s also handy to move when needed.

Light Blue Pendant Lighting

Laurey W. Glenn

A light blue clouded pendant is the perfect accessory for any white kitchen.

Lamp Lighting

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Antique lamp fixtures can make kitchen eating feel refined yet relaxed.

Neutral Nodes Lighting

Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Intricate in design and abundant in lights, these pendant lights contain 4 miniature lamps within them.

Caged Lighting

Robbie Caponetto; Styling: Kendra Surface

Who says lighting can’t double as storage? Hanging pots and pans from the copper light fixture above the island saves storage space and adds to the contrast seen throughout the kitchen.

Gold Pendant Lighting

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Industrially glam and wonderfully geometric, these large gold fixtures brighten up a space before you even flip the switch.

Display Lighting

Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Kathleen Varner

Illuminate your kitchen with a show-stopping light fixture. This Italian Murano bubble glass chandelier hangs overhead a custom white lacquered table.

Oversized and Rustic Lighting

Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Frances Bailey

Emphasize high ceilings and beams with an oversized, glass pendant light.

Complementing Colors Lighting

Jessica Klewicki Glynn

Don’t shy away from complementing color in the kitchen. Here, a grapefruit pink pendant gets playful against tropical green.

Mix and Match Lighting

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

We almost don’t know where to look first. Mix and match fixtures, like this high coral pendant sandwiched between modern, longer globes.

Petite Pendant Lighting

Photo: Jonny Valiant; Styling: Gena Sigala

An elongated, petite pendant easily showcases the height of the ceilings and cabinets.

Industrial White Lighting

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

These white industrial pendant lights add a vintage edge to this playful kitchen.

Glass Globe Lighting

Marili Forastieri; Styling: Barbara Schmidt

Glass globe lights captivate attention without taking away from other details in your kitchen, like beautiful backsplashes, wallpaper, or seating.

Coastal Blue Pop Lighting

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Finish any color scheme with light to match, like these coastal blue statement lights.

Hanging Lighting

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Etched glass brings an air of sophistication above a sink, no matter how dirty the dishes are below.

Colorful Statement Pendant Lighting

Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Lizzie Cox

Who says pendants can’t have a pop of color? A dark teal fixture can add character above any kitchen sink.

Wide Fluorescent Lighting

Jillian Guyette

Black matte pendant lights can blend with any kitchen color combination.

Under Open Shelving Lighting

Photography Charles Walton IV / Styling Scott Martin

Open shelving just might be here to stay. Illuminate your neatly placed dishes and glassware for guests to easily grab what they need.

Balancing Glow

Jeff Herr

Balance an oversized island pendant with small sconces by the sink.

Galley Kitchen Lighting

Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Frances Bailey

Keep things clean with a simple glass fixture. But, if you want an additional glow, add a lamp to the counter and use colorful string lights by the window.

Under Cabinet Lighting

Southern Living

Add extra light to prep spaces while highlighting your favorite countertop decor with under cabinet lights.

Oversized Lanterns

Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Kathryn Lott

Light up a large island with pendants that match the scale of the space.

Accent Lighting

Laurey W. Glenn

Use accent lighting to highlight collections and artwork in your kitchen.

Task Lighting

Directional downlighting illuminates your work surface to make your time in the kitchen safer and easier on your eyes.

Brass Pendant Lighting

Everything in this kitchen has texture and warmth. Brass hardware and pendants offset textured neutrals, like the Palecek stools.

General Lighting

General lighting provides overall illumination to a space. Use decorative ceiling fixtures supplemented by recessed lights for style and even light.


This content was originally created by decorwhim and is © 2024

Source link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *