LED Kitchen Downlights - Kitchen Downlights

If you are lucky enough to live in a Victorian or even an Edwardian period residence you will have the luxury of high ceilings. Most homes though have standard 8-foot high walls. While we’d all love to have the extra space, it isn’t always a practical option. Consumers seem to be saying they want real height, but higher ceilings generally mean higher heating bills. Using LED kitchen downlights is one of the ways to create the illusion of more space as they streamline your ceiling with effective light fittings.

Kitchens are becoming more and more like reception rooms. They used to be a scullery where the stove and pantry were situated and purely for the preparation food. Wash- houses were the place for laundry and dining was done in separate dining rooms. Today, however, a kitchen is often the hub of a home, a living space that is both functional and recreational. Doug Dolezal, an architect from Boston, says that eight-foot ceilings are acceptable for secondary living spaces like bathrooms and entrances, but not for living spaces. "A high ceiling improves the proportion of a room," he said, "and architecture is all about proportions." By using recessed kitchen lighting with effective technique such as downlighting, you can achieve this impression.

Kitchen lighting needs to be functional, which is why LED lighting is a good choice. The LED bulbs provide exceptional brightness, do not over heat, do not attract insects the way other light bulbs do and can be very cost effective to run compared to the halogen types. So, you can install kitchen lighting that creates space but doesn’t incur extra heating costs and is economical to run. Kitchen lights, as LED downlights can lie flush with ceiling to give a clean look and feel to the room.

When you fit LED lights, care should be taken when positioning to avoid shadowing ie. Directly over your head when leaning over the sink will create a dark shadow below, this is why it is also advisable to fit undercabinet lights for the kitchen to prevent shadows. Some ranges come with styles on gimbals that allow you to tilt the lights to get directional light. It is generally recommended that you position downlights about 1 metre apart with even spacing across the room. They should be ideally 50-100cm away from walls or cabinets unless you want to create a light effect down the wall.

Such is the technology in LED lighting that you can create magical effects by choosing different colour light bulbs if you want to create accent or ambient lighting when the room is being used for recreational purposes rather than tasks or chores. Couple these with some of the fantastic effects you can create with the latest LED tap lights and you will have brought your kitchen right up to date.

Whether your kitchen is traditional or contemporary, changing to recessed LED downlights will approve its appearance with a subtle touch. Visitors probably won’t be able to put their finger on why your kitchen seems more spacious but they will feel it, and so will you. Lights are the creators of magic and illusion, no wonder interior designers and architects insist the lighting is correct for any project. They can make a world of difference to a space.