8 LED kitchen lighting ideas

Choosing kitchen lighting is no small deal - beside the obvious practical aspects, it should also match the interior design and simply look good. Depending on your tastes, you can go for various options - from small, minimalistic LED strip lights, to huge designer pendants. Thanks to this, you can mix and match to your heart's content, but remember not to overdo it - it's easy to get carried away and place too many types of lighting in one area. Here are some examples of what you can do with LED kitchen lighting.

LED strips all around

Thanks to their small size and easy installation, LED strip lights can be put almost anywhere. You can use them as safety lights illuminating the bottom parts of kitchen furniture, ambience lighting spread out evenly across the room, as task lighting under cabinets, or even as in-cabinet/shelf display lights. LED strips come in varied brightness and colours (some in controllable RGB options), so you can really do anything you want with them. Plus, they can be easily linked to a smart lighting system, which makes them one of the best options for kitchen lights. You can also make them more stylish by placing them in dedicated aluminum profiles.

Bulky low-hanging pendant lights

Pendant lights work great for kitchen islands or dining areas - the low-hanging ones not only provide you with a much-needed overhead light, but can also spice up the interior. Take industrial-styled ones for example - they can add contrast to classic kitchen interiors and counteract over-femme designs. If you decide to put them up in the dining area, remember to position them right above the middle of the table so no one would bump their head on them.

Move those spotlights

Small, adjustable spotlights (e.g., mounted on a rail or simply with tillable 'heads') are a great option for flexible ceiling lighting. You can change their direction almost on the fly while you're cooking or spending time in the dining area (assuming it's the same room). Plus, with the right technology, you can even make them remotely controlled for some extra convenience points. These mini spotlights come in varied shapes, making it practically effortless to match them to your kitchen's style.

General lighting from a fake ceiling

The so-called fake/suspended ceilings peppered with small, flat-faced GU10 LED bulbs or a few recessed lamps have been quite a popular option for many rooms in the past few years. And kitchen's no exception - fake ceilings help in reducing the room's height and give various options for creative general lighting projects.

Get the vintage look with filament bulbs

When you're a fan of the classic bulbs' look, LEDs get you covered - you can grab bulbs of various shapes and sizes with elongated, filament-shaped diodes. They perfectly imitate the look of incandescent bulbs and give an authentic vintage feel to the interior.

Here come shapes

Another interesting idea is placing multiple glass pendant lamps of various shapes above the kitchen island or dining table. This mishmash can create a truly unique feel and liven up an otherwise dull space. Plus, you can get some extra oomph when you pair them with filament LED bulbs. Just try not to overdo it by, e.g., pairing these lamps with a lot of decorative objects.

Try a wall lamp

Although kitchens rarely have enough free wall space for a lamp, it could be a good option for a side light. You can go with standard wall-mounted down or uplights, but there's one more peculiar option - a lamp with an adjustable arm. This novelty can be a multitasking lighting tool, depending on your needs. For example, it can be an intriguing replacement for standard under cupboard task lighting that can move with you while you're preparing food.

Add style with a chandelier

When it comes to a classical, stylish look, you can't really beat a decorative chandelier. You can easily find both vintage and modern designs, matching it with the rest of the room. Moreover, for some extra atmosphere points, you can switch standard-shaped bulbs for vintage candle bulbs that imitate classic wax candles.

Make your cooking space unique with LED kitchen lights

Due to the sheer variety of currently available options, LED lights give you almost unlimited possibilities for designing your kitchen's lighting - the above-mentioned ideas are just the tip of the iceberg. Besides the obvious bulbs, you can pick up a wide range of LED strip lights. These flexible circuit boards can be placed almost anywhere thanks to their adhesive backing and are small enough to fit into even the tightest spaces. Just don't let this abundance of options go to your head - if you don't want to over-illuminate your kitchen, you shouldn't use more than three types of lighting. For example, if you already have task and general overhead lighting, you can add some ambience or side lighting but not both. This simple rule applies to all rooms.