First and foremost, the kitchen is a workplace, so good kitchen lighting is required throughout the room. The general lighting also needs to provide adequate light for looking in cupboards, drawers and shelving units. A single luminaire in the middle of the ceiling cannot meet all these requirements. At least two luminaires - e.g. for three-band fluorescent lamps - or downlights distributed over the entire ceiling are good solutions. Alternatively, wire, rod or power track systems with multiple directionally variable spots and luminaires can be used. Illuminance should be a good 500 lux.
Visual tasks at worktops, cooker and sink are made easier by additional task lighting, for which wall luminaires or luminaires under wall units are suitable sources. In kitchen/dining rooms, in particular, dining tables or kitchen bars require additional lighting. It is advisable to have general and kitchen lighting on separate switching circuits. Workplace lighting - Cutting, peeling, chopping, cooking - working in the kitchen has its hazards. Good lighting helps avoid injuries. Ideal for worktops is direct lighting which does not cause glare or cast shadows. Where cupboards or shelves are positioned over a worktop, continuous rows for three-band fluorescent lamps (light colour: warm white) or halogen luminaires directly below the wall units are recommended. The important thing is that they should be shielded at the front so they do not dazzle.
For over the cooker, glare-free luminaires are recommended. In most cases, these are normally integrated in the cooker hood. A smooth glass or plastic luminaire enclosure facilitates cleaning. For cookers without a hood luminaire, wall luminaires are an alternative. Ideal illuminance is 500-650 lux. To ensure that the cook can see when food in pots and pans is properly cooked, care should be taken when buying a cooker hood to see that the lamps in it have very good colour rendering properties. For example: compact fluorescent lamps (light colour: warm white) or incandescent lamps.
Table and breakfast bar lighting
Dining table or kitchen bar lighting should be designed to suit the size and shape of the dining surface. Pendant luminaires - several small luminaires suspended from a wire, rod or power track system are recommended for kitchen bars - should be positioned just above eye level, with their lower edge around 60 centimetres above the dining surface. This avoids glare without blocking direct visual contact with the person sitting opposite. For kitchen tables which are not used only as dining tables and where light is needed from different heights, pendent luminaires designed for variable height adjustment are the right choice.
