5 Common Pot Lights in the Kitchen Mistakes
Kitchens aren’t just a place to cook, they are a place to relax, unwind and spend time with your family. That’s why lighting is so important. You need something to help you deal with the daily requirements of feeding your family, but you also need ambient lighting that makes the space a pleasant place to be. Before you make any final decisions about your kitchen pot light layout, read about the five common pot light mistakes people make in the kitchen.
Dark Counters
After installing pot lights, some homeowners notice that their countertops are too dark to see what they’re preparing for dinner! If you typically work on some counter space that’s sitting beneath cabinetry, chances are those cabinets will block any direct or ambient light you need to see what you’re doing.
This is easily fixed by installing some under cabinet lighting, instantly creating a more usable workspace throughout your kitchen. There are options suited to every setup and budget, including some lights that you can plug into an existing outlet or hard-wired options that require an electrician for installation.
Dimmable lighting and lighting on tracks is a worthwhile investment that can give you even more customization ability throughout your kitchen.
Too Many Recessed Lights
Sometimes people go a little pot light crazy and regret it afterwards. Yes, it is possible to have too many recessed lights. Also, keep in mind that pot lights don’t typically cast light on your walls, so in the planning phase, don’t rely on them as your only source of light. This begs the questions, “how many pot lights do I need?” Typically, you want one pot light for about every 5 square feet of ceiling. To determine the ideal number of recessed lights, you should divide your ceiling height in half, and that number should be the spacing between your lights.
Disproportionate Lighting Fixtures
Always consider your kitchen’s general size, as well as the size of any tables or islands before making your light fixture purchases. You don’t want some small light dangling over a massive kitchen island, or an overbearing hanging fixture imposing on a small-size dining table. If you are considering something like a pendant light, simply add the height and width of your kitchen in feet. Translate that figure to inches, and this will generally be a good size of diameter for your pendant light. When trying to determine the right light fixture for a table, the diameter of that light should be one inch less than the width of the table in question.
Highlighting Wrong Areas of Lighting
Many people make the mistake of highlighting the wrong areas of their kitchen with recessed lighting. Depending on the size of your kitchen, it’s recommended you invest in one “show-stopping” piece that draws attention when a person enters the room. Ideally, this piece would be installed hanging over the kitchen island or above the dining table. You could consider two eye-catching fixtures for your kitchen, but only if they are not spaced too close together.
If you still need some help deciding on proper placement of recessed lighting in your kitchen, call up the experts at Mr. Potlight. Our experienced installers will help you make the best design choices before undertaking a quick and easy installation process. Ready to work with the GTA’s most trusted recessed light installers? Contact Mr. Potlight today for a free consultation.