A kitchen renovation can be expensive and time consuming, but one of the best ways to minimize both is by working with the expert kitchen designers at Parada Kitchen & Bathrooms, one of the Greater Toronto Area’s leading home improvement specialists. At Parada, we follow industry recognized best practices to help consumers achieve maximum value with their newly constructed or remodelled kitchen — from an aesthetic and functional standpoint.
One question our kitchen designers get asked frequently is “What makes the ideal kitchen renovation project?” From our experience, there is no right or wrong answer as every homeowner has a different perspective. For a growing family, adding space may be a top request and result in a wall being bumped out to increase square footage. “Ideal” could mean creating a butler’s pantry for more organized food storage, or adding an island with stylish cabinetry and the latest in freezer drawer technology. Chief in the decision making process is the amount of time and money spent deciding on major features such as appliances, cabinetry, and flooring, but one aspect of today’s modern kitchen that is sometimes regarded as an afterthought is proper lighting. If your kitchen is a central hub of activity in your house, a single light fixture with a 60-watt bulb swinging from the ceiling is as “yesterday” as spoiled milk.
Our kitchen designers can help you choose from a wide range of lighting options, including decorative fixtures that are contemporary or ultra-modern, floor standing fixtures, or under-cabinet lighting options that meet two key objectives: Illuminate the kitchen and enhance its best features, and provide light in areas where it is needed the most. When you take into consideration the amount of money spent on appliances, cabinets, counter tops and flooring, the proper lighting can make any room inviting while costing a fraction of other design elements.
At Parada, our kitchen designers work with each homeowner to understand how the kitchen is utilized for certain activities, and the best way to optimize each one with affordable lighting options that are stylish and functional. Some kitchens are used for quick meals or ground zero for school work, but different types of lights apply to various tasks. It is important to remember that strategically-placed ceiling fixtures and recessed lighting offer the strongest general lighting. Out of the way areas need lighting too, including the underside of cabinets, microwaves, range hoods, and above sinks.
Let Our Kitchen Designers Select the Right Lighting for Your New Kitchen
We most often talk with homeowners about the three main kinds of lighting appropriate for a kitchen: accent, ambient, and task.
- If you have intricately detailed cabinetry with glass doors, accent lighting is the best way to draw attention to it, while puck lighting in cabinet interior is designed to highlight decorative items like fine china or glassware. Other variations include track lighting or LED or Rope lighting for a warm glow.
- Looking for a mostly shadowless and uniform glow for the entire kitchen? Your best choice is probably ambient or general-purpose lighting, normally in the form of standard kitchen ceiling lights, chandeliers, track lights, and recessed lights. Windows and skylights are a great source for natural light that also help lower electric costs.
- Finally, what about task lighting? This is purpose-specific lighting used for things like illuminating an island used in food preparation, or casting light on a stove top or over a sink in a walk-in pantry.