Kitchen lighting trends

What is shaping kitchen lighting

Kitchen interiors keep moving towards ideas that are practical and good-looking at the same time — durable materials, rooms that do more than one job, and light that adapts to what is happening. Here is what stands out.

1. Efficient light

LED leads, and for good reason: low running costs, long life and a clean, modern finish. In a room where the light is on for hours at a time, the difference shows up on the bill.

2. Smart control

Dimmable fittings and smart switches let one kitchen be bright for cooking and low for sitting. It is the cheapest way to make a kitchen feel like two rooms.

3. The island as a centre

A kitchen island is now used for cooking, eating and talking. Pendants above it define the zone and make it the natural place to gather.

4. Wall lights

Wall lights give a kitchen a softer, more intimate feel in the evening, when full ceiling light is more than you want.

5. Colour and contrast

Stronger tones — burgundy, terracotta — in the fittings give a kitchen its own character. Set against black or brass, they read as considered rather than loud.

6. Marble, stone and wood

Natural materials bring balance to a room full of hard surfaces, and warm light is what shows them at their best.

7. Sculptural shapes

Geometric pendants and asymmetric chandeliers turn the light itself into part of the decoration.

8. Metal accents

Brass and matt metals continue to dominate kitchen design, and a metal fitting is an easy way to tie the room's hardware together.

9. Colour carried through

Bold accents — turquoise, mustard, burgundy — work best when the taps, the handles and the lighting agree with one another.

10. The calm kitchen

Soft, diffused light, neutral colours and natural materials: the formula for a kitchen that is restful to be in rather than merely efficient.

Light is the constant

From efficient technology to designer fittings, the right lighting makes a kitchen more than functional. Browse the range at AVA Lighting and find what fits your home.