| 1. Light the Counters One of the most common mistakes in kitchen lighting is to add overhead lights over floors rather than above workspaces like countertops, sinks and ranges. Recessed downlights, the... |
| The correct placement of recessed downlights does more than just light countertops — upper cabinets and open shelves are also better illuminated. Avoid awkward scallops of light by aligning the downlights... |
| 2. Fight Shadows Recessed downlights can create unwelcome shadows, but you can minimize this by using multiple smaller downlights instead of a few large fixtures. In the past, the only options for recessed... |
| The same principle applies to sink areas. Multiple downlights or sconces that push light down, such as the ones in this kitchen designed by Studio Dearborn, reduce deep shadows and make the sink a better... |
| 3. Downlights or Downlines? Instead of multiple small recessed downlights over a countertop, a long line of recessed lights is also a great way to evenly illuminate counters and cabinets. This approach... |
| 4. Add Lights Under Cabinets No matter how well you place downlights, upper cabinets will always block some of the light and make the space below them dark. To fight this, consider adding undercabinet... |
| Open shelves can be treated a bit like glass-front cabinets. Include light underneath the bottom shelf, and consider adding lights either above or on the surface of higher shelves. Here, the top shelf... |
| 5. Sink and Range Lighting If you’re washing your dishes by hand, it’s nice to actually see what you’re doing. For nighttime illumination, don’t add just one small recessed light or pendant light above... |
