Kitchen Task Lighting 101

An expert offers tips for improving task lighting in the kitchen.

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Lighting designer Eddie Cohen offers tips for improving task lighting in the kitchen.

Task lighting is very important when utilizing a room for specific things. Whether it's applying makeup in the bathroom, preparing a meal in the kitchen, or working at your tool bench out in the garage.
Recessed lighting is a great way to focus light throughout a kitchen. It is important to have a lot of light on work surfaces, such as countertops, stoves and the sink area. This type of lighting can be aimed exactly where you most need it.

Under-cabinet lighting is great for kitchens because it focuses the light onto the countertop, which is the main work surface in a kitchen. This type of lighting is also a very inexpensive add-on for existing kitchens. There are many different light bulbs such as halogen, xenon and fluorescent that can give your kitchen a completely different effect. Halogen and incandescent light are best.

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In-cabinet lighting is a great accent for a kitchen. It can make finding what you need so much easier and can also make for a great look if you have glass-paneled cabinets. A bonus is that this type of lighting brings great illumination to the room.

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Pendant lights are both decorative and create nice pools of light over countertops. Track lighting is good for focusing light on different areas.

Choose light bulbs with different beam spreads for different effects. Floods are wide and create a more general lighting, while spot lighting works well to highlight specific items.

Consider using a small lamp for a nice lighting effect that gives off both warmth and color.