Unlike the old days, the modern kitchen is more than the just a small room where food is prepared. It has evolved into a favorite place where family members gather to talk, share ideas, do homework among other things. For this reason, it is essential that the kitchen is well lit for the purposes it serves and also provides a welcoming and comfortable ambiance for the whole family.
Among lighting fixtures that are commonly used in the kitchen such as ambient flush mount or semi flush ceiling fixtures, and inverted pendants, chandeliers remain to be a very popular choice.
How To Pick The Right Chandelier For Your Kitchen
The chandelier is the focal point of your kitchen. However, you have to be sure that it compliments the rest of the furnishing and appliances that are in your kitchen. The style of the cabinets, moldings and all other details should be taken into consideration. If your kitchen has a classical design, a traditional chandelier would work best. A crystal chandelier would add a touch of glamor and class to the classical elements in the room. To find the right style for your kitchen, simply begin with a color or a material that is predominant in the decoration scheme. What catches your eye in the room? What type of statement do you want to make? If the room is more traditional, choose chandeliers with more ornamentation and decorative details. If your kitchen is modern, opt for less ornamentation and simpler details.
The kitchen is still a work area so it is important to get a chandelier that is not too low. Consider the height of your ceiling before you decide on which chandelier to buy. If your kitchen ceiling is low, you can get the wide fixtures as they are shallower most of the time. Remember that it should not go lower than 8 inches from the ceiling. If you have a table top under the chandelier, the distance between the table top and the chandelier should not be less than 32 inches.
The chandelier can provide ample light to the kitchen but it is recommended to have other sources of lighting as well. Since it is in the middle it will create dark corners and areas, making it difficult to perform other tasks such as food preparation. As much as you want to decorate, you also have to make your lighting functional. Put subtle accent lights to illuminate the background. This will also reduce the glare produced if there is only one source of light.
Consider a simpler designs especially if you don’t have a range hood or fan for ventilation and your chandelier is close to the stove. Doing so will save you time in cleaning as oil and specks of food can reach your ceiling and simpler designs are easier to clean and maintain.
Get the exact measurements of your kitchen. This is particularly necessary if you are purchasing the chandeliers online. As a rule of thumb, bigger chandeliers go well with bigger rooms and smaller chandeliers go well with smaller rooms.
Some chandeliers, especially those with intricate details and have many ornaments are heavier and more difficult to install. To ensure safety from accidents and to avoid destroying the chandelier, have them installed by an electrician or a professional.