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Today, the kitchen is often the hub of the home, and is considered as good a place for warm and friendly gatherings as it is to cook dinner. As such, kitchen lighting should be versatile enough to provide suitable illumination both for a gathered crowd and for an intimate meal for two.
When you begin to plan your kitchen lighting design, keep energy efficiency in mind. Equipped with fluorescent tubes, a large ceiling fixture can provide good, diffused general lighting while helping you to save money on your energy bills. By itself, however, this type of ceiling fixture can lead to shadows over work areas such as the sink, counter, or stove. To avoid working in your own shadow, it is wise to add task lighting in the form of track lights placed over the workspace.
Undercabinet lights are worthy of a place in the kitchen as well. Use them to illuminate countertops. It is best to position them as close to the front of the cabinet as possible to reduce glare. Undercabinet lights should cover at least two-thirds of the counter. As always, select fluorescent fixtures for maximum energy efficiency.
If you need help with lighting your kitchen, it is wise to talk with a lighting consultant. He or she will be able to answer your questions, offer a gold mine of lighting tips, and help you in selecting the right light fixtures.
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