What is the Best Lighting for Over a Kitchen Island
One important ingredient in how to light a kitchen island is selecting the right light lighting. Selecting the wrong light lighting can be a huge mistake after you took so much time to plan and select the right fixtures.
How to Choose the Right Light fixture
For your kitchen island, the optimal color temperature will be anywhere from 3000k – 3500k. This will provide the right balance of color for the island. A temperature of 2700k will be much too warm and 4000k and higher will make your kitchen island look like an operating table in the hospital.
Although you have choices between halogen, incandescent and LED… your only choice here is going to be an LED bulb. First, it is the most efficient and long lasting. Second, it will not give off the heat that the other bulbs will. This is especially important in a kitchen that can get over heated when the oven is on. Finally, you just have many more options now with LED and the other bulb options are almost completely phased out.
Finally, whichever fixture you choose, they absolutely must be compatible with a dimmer.
How to Light a Kitchen Island with a Dimmer
The ability to dim down the lights when needed to provide an evening ambiance is by installing a dimmer switch to control the lights over your kitchen island. This would be the case regardless as to what type of lighting you choose.
When shopping for a dimmer, make sure that you select one that is specifically made for LED lights. Otherwise, you will not enjoy your experience in the kitchen. You may see slight flickering and even some buzzing. Going cheap on the dimmer will be a mistake after you have taken so much time to get your kitchen island lighting right.
Installation Tips
Here are some points to follow:
Pendant Lights or Linear Chandeliers should be anywhere from 30” to 36” above the kitchen island. This will allow enough room for the light to provide coverage and also will allow for taller individuals to be able to see without an obstruction.
If you are using pendant lights over your kitchen island, you should space them anywhere from 30-36 inches apart. You should also keep them at least one foot from the edge of your counter. With that in mind, you can calculate how many pendants you will need and then how many lumens each bulb will need to be.
The lights over your kitchen island should be on its own switch and it should be a dimmer.
Remember to determine the total lumens needed to light your kitchen island.
