Kitchen diner lighting design

6 years ago

We are currently renovating our terrace house and are unsure about what to do with lighting in the new kitchen diner.

The G-shapes kitchen part measures 5.2m long x 3.0m wide. How many downlights do we need and what type of downlight shall we choose? How best to arrange the downlights? We have high gloss white kitchen unit with light oak wooden floor. Should we install those downlights with an angle? Saw some pictures with these type of angles downlights and seem to look nice!
We will have two small pendant lights over the breakfast bar.

The dining part measures 2.5m long and 3.0m wide opening to the lounge. We are having a 2m x 0.9m dining table (6-8) seaters. I really like pendant light. Is it the best to go one, two or three pendant lights over dining table? We like to create a bit of industrial feel. Also can we leave out the downlights in the dining part and just rely on the pendant lights over dining table? We are also thinking of having one pair of wall light with one painting situated in between behind the dining table but not sure if this is advisable.

Also some people recommend to have dimmer - do we need to have them for kitchen diner?

The thing we came to realise is that the lighting makes a big difference so really want to get it right!

Thanks a lot!!!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

Claire Nicholson
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Hi there,

Sounds like an exciting time with your project!

Having been through something very similar in the last 6 months I have to say, I couldn't agree with your final statement anymore if I tried! We had given very little thought to our lighting and I have to say, what we have ended up with enhances the room more than I couple possibly have imagined! I was a real sceptic about lighting at the outset!

We have ended up with a very cleverly 'zoned' lighting system so that we can highlight the kitchen, dining and living areas of our open plan room separately.

I am not sure if this is helpful but this is what we ended up with and how 6 months down the line of daily use and entertaining we actually use it in the room;

2 pendant lights on dimmers over a 2.5m dining table, with no downs lights in this area.

3 pendants over our island, also on a dimmer but with down lights in this area.

1 ceiling / pendant light in our seating area with additional down lights in this area.

Additionally we have warm led strip lights on open shelving above our sink run in the kitchen.

All of our down lights are on a dimmer in the main 'kitchen' and living parts of the room.

In reality we next to never have the main down lights on, even with the dimmer as it feels like an airport runway, although I wouldn't want to be without them for the rare occasions where I am prepping a lot of food in the evenings prior to guests arriving etc.

Whilst sitting in the living area watching TV we never have the down lights on and most commonly have the dining pendants on for some dim backlighting.

When at the dining table we have the pendants there dimmed and use the LED strips on the shelving which creates a lovely glow in the rest of the room as background light.

When cooking the LED strip and pendants on full above the island are plenty sufficient.

All of the above was created by our very clever designer!

Have you thought about getting someone to do you a professional lighting plan? It's a fraction of the cost of your electrics not to mention light fittings! Low hundreds in terms of costs.

The other huge advantage from our perspective was we ended up with a very professional PDF document in 'electrician speak' which we were able to print and hand (or email) to the electricians who came to quote for the job. This meant there was no uncertainly, no communication errors and no room for the price to move once we got underway. It also meant we were comparing completely like for like with the different quotes!

On top of that our designer got great trade discounts with fabulous lighting companies and passed her discounts onto us!

I've attached our floor and lighting plan so you get a feel for the space and some reference to all my comments above.

Hope it helps with a few ideas!

Best wishes,

Claire
Sunny Day
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks a lot, Claire. This is really helpful and your new kitchen looks awesome!!! I think I can steal your idea or two ;-)

Have your lighting designer ever spoken or proposed about having downlight pointed at an angle?
Related Discussions
Advice re: blind design for open plan kitchen/diner
Q
Comments (73)
I've had a look at activewindowfilms.co.uk sounds like there may be a small amount of light reduction, at the price it's worth a trial though. Yes, people stare straight in here! It's a bit uncomfortable when you feel like you have eye contact with a stranger when you're eating your dinner! :-) I guess it's human nature though... I'm not sure I can handle bolder with the splashback, mostly because I'm keen to keep it as neutral as possible, so that other items can be changed as fashion changes or if I sell up at some point. I had considered a mirror splash back.. I wasn't going to tile, just glass upstands below the sockets. 14:27 For privacy I think the first option would work if it really is invisible as it appears. The watery colour of the splashback works with the blinds and art. I wonder whether to go a bit bolder though? Are you tiling at all? Where did you get find the invisble film? I may try that as a temporary solution until we can afford shutters or curtains. People literally stop and gawp at our dining room!
...See More
Kitchen diner - design changes
Q
Comments (12)
That's a tricky one! There are obviously 2 arguments for this.. Based on (I think!) current trends, I would add a utility and make the dining room a family space so with enough room for the table, seating and a tv. I may be tempted to extend out the back by 4m if it doesn't compromise the garden and is in budget as it makes that space more workable as a family room ( appreciate it is very long though!). Can you also convert a part of the garage out of interest? On the flip side, 15 years is a long time and the house will likely need a new kitchen then and therefore purchasers may be able to reconfigure the space to suit them although utilities would be trickier. I came across this article as I wasn't sure if estate agents took into account the square footage of any storage when valuing houses, as I know ours didn't feature in the floor plan and we're lucky to have quite a lot http://www.countrylife.co.uk/property/guides-advice/phil-spencer-on-valuations-34312 From a surveyors perspective though I believe storage will impact the valuation but whether it equates to the same in price per sqf I doubt it??! It's a shame you don't get any surveyors on houzz really! I think in any case it would be an idea to recruit the services of someone like One Plan or maybe an architect ( karen at One Plan gets excellent reviews though!) to get a space that properly functions and will either appeal to a wider market or can easily be reconfigured to do so. That's my completely non-pro ramblings!
...See More
Need help with Kitchen Diner Design
Q
Comments (5)
Hi A&S kitchen Wardrobe, thank you for your swift response, although I would love someone redesigning my kitchen again, we have already agreed on designs with a local company. I know require styling tips and advice o finishing touches which will help Compliment and bring life to the kitchen such as the wall colour, flooring and lighting. once again thank you for your reply. regards Asifa x
...See More
Help with kitchen/diner design after garage conversion
Q
Comments (15)
Hi Ellie, I work with tricky layouts all the time, I've just finished one which I uploaded today on my profile called "the awkward kitchen". It's always hard looking at a space you know well with fresh eyes. I think the current kitchen needs to become the dining area with the kitchen window (I assume is garden side) perhaps turning into doors out. this then gives you the garage to create the kitchen and this could be a really fabulous space. I'm imaging the back wall of the existing garage being a bank of tall units which can be really welcoming with the right lighting. It would also keep the working area of the kitchen towards the window and in the light and social area. If you'd like to have a no obligation chat to bounce some ideas around, I'd love to hear from you and then if you'd like to take it further, I can help on either an hourly or package deal to design your perfect kitchen with you. Emily x
...See More
Claire Nicholson
6 years ago
Hi,

Ah, thank you and I'm glad it was helpful.

To be honest, no and I don't know a huge amount about lighting!

The fab lady who did our design (Gina from Create Perfect) was from on her, so she may be able to offer some advice.

There are also lots of helpful people on here with far more knowledge than me, who should be able to help you.

It sounds like you've got a few good ideas already :)
PRO
Create Perfect
6 years ago
My ears were burning! Hi there.

There are
indeed different beam angle’s - a wide not being as intense meaning the center of
the beam of light wouldn't go as far. It does make a big difference in a room
but you don't always have the option – on domestic GU10’s they are likely to be
40’s.

A narrow beam
angle (25 degrees) we call a spot and the wider beams (60 degrees) as floods.
You would use a wider beam in your lounge area because they don't need to be as
bright and are usually illuminated to around 150 lux to perform basic tasks
like watching the TV. As your talking about your kitchen you need to see what
you are doing more clearly and by using a wider beam you can space out your down-lights further
apart than the standard 1m.

If
you're unsure about which beam angle to choose, selecting anything from 35 to
45 degrees will work fine for most rooms but it really does depend on the use
of the space, lux required and spacing of the lights to get the right angles
for you. This is why we always recommend a light plan/package which, as Claire
rightfully points out, you can then also use to get different electrician and
products quotes to ensure everyone is quoting the same work/products.

I hope this helps but feel free to get in touch if I can be of any further assistance. All the best with your project Sunny Day :)

Kitchen diner lighting design

Comments (4)

Claire Nicholson

Sunny Day
Original Author

Related Discussions

Claire Nicholson

Create Perfect

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Kitchen diner lighting design

Comments (4)

Claire Nicholson

Sunny DayOriginal Author

Related Discussions

Claire Nicholson

Create Perfect

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Sunny Day
Original Author