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cabinets

Lighting is one of the most important elements of your kitchen. After all, the kitchen is usually full of knives, sharp cooking tools and hot surfaces that you don’t want to handle in the dark. However, besides boosting the functionality, your lighting can also improve the aesthetics of your kitchen. So, here’s how to properly layer lighting for a functional, flexible and bright kitchen. 

Recessed lighting 

General lighting is a must-have element since it gives you illumination for general kitchen tasks. It comes from above and provides lighting to the entire kitchen area. One of the best options for general lighting is recessed lighting. It provides plenty of light without cluttering the space and it looks quite minimalist and contemporary. Recessed lighting can even be used as task lighting if placed above the workstations like the sink or countertops. Wherever you put it, recessed lighting should be your first layer of kitchen illumination. 

Task lighting 

Task lighting is the next most important step towards the illuminated kitchen. If you’ve ever caught yourself almost mixing up a carrot and your finger, good task lighting will prevent these accidents from happening ever again. The best way to boost task lighting is with under-cabinet lights (that are often super affordable and quick to install). There are LED strips or light tapes that will provide you with the uniformly lit area where you do most of your cooking tasks. 

Illuminate the accessories 

One great way to boost interest in your space is to pay attention to accent lighting. It’s one of the hardest lighting tasks to pull off, but if you aim for quality instead of quantity, you’ll do a great job. This type of lighting sets the mood of the room, provides accents and dictates the atmosphere. You can draw attention to your art, accessories and statement pieces while “masking” some of the less attractive sides of your kitchen. For instance, if you have some decorative pots, vases, or figurines on top of your cabinets, put them in the spotlight with strip lighting, or illuminate wall artwork with individual picture lights. Pro tip: if you’ve just moved into your new home and want to properly illuminate your kitchen, make sure to install all of the new lighting fixtures before you get your electricity connection working. This way, you’ll be super safe while you or your electrician conduct wiring. 

Add a lighting focal point 

Improve both the illumination and style of your kitchen with a statement lighting fixture. Yes, recessed lighting is practical, but it doesn’t add much aesthetic appeal to the room. That’s why introducing a focal point might improve your kitchen’s style. Today, hanging pendants above the island (especially when grouped in twos or threes) are all the rage right now. They offer extra illumination, come in all imaginable styles and give a gorgeous final touch to the room. 

Light up your cabinets 

If you have gorgeous cabinets with glass doors, you might as well make the best use of them and give them some illumination. Place some lights inside the cabinet and you’ll not only improve the aesthetic appearance of your kitchen but also make it easier to locate stored items. Another great cabinet lighting idea is to place a light strip above the cabinets to give your kitchen a romantic glow. 

Install dimmers for a touch of atmosphere 

Speaking of the romantic glow, you can also install dimmers on your lighting. They are perfect for quick dinners over the island or a glass of water in the night. 

Illuminate your floors for maximum safety 

Safety in the kitchen shouldn’t be reserved only for the countertops. Installing “toe kick” lights under the base of the cabinets will prevent those nasty stubbed toes and add a stylish visual layer of light. You can even experiment with different lighting colors for a stronger effect! 

All of these different layers of light will not only make your kitchen more functional and flexible, but they will also make it more attractive and comfortable. So, layer your lighting and enjoy your beautiful kitchen today!

Just when you think there are no more new and innovative trends in kitchen design, the creative people from this home improvement niche surprise you. We have seen a lot of great stuff in 2017, from the rise in eclectic style full of mixing and matching to the introduction of newer materials like the tempered glass, both for worktops and the dashboard area. Lets not forget about the open concept kitchen opening slowly toward the living room. And for the fashionistas among kitchen designers, there was a great comback of colored metals in 2017, from gold to  brass and copper.

The kitchen design trends coming our way in 2018 are even more surprising and will have you grabbing your shopping cart in no time. Let the discovery begin!

The two-tone cabinets are making a comeback

Until now you could only see this type of mixes in old kitchens, when some of the cabinet doors were replaced and others stayed. Now we can expect to see it in brand new kitchens. Possible combinations can include black and white as the more effective contrast, for a gentler vibe opt for the gray instead of the black option. In rustic kitchen design we can see this trend reflected in the combination of painted and plain wooden cabinets, mix of navy blue and natural oak, will be especially popular.

The color revolution

In 2018, we can expect some new color schemes to enter our kitchen. No more will the blues, whites and grays dominate. We are here to welcome the new reigning queen of kitchen color – the dramatic purple – not only will it be seen in splashes in kitchen design, but we can also expect it to cover larger spaces. Another color we can expect to see is petrol-green both for back walls and cabinets. Oh what great contrast will it bring to your kitchen space. And if these two are not enough, we can look forward to bold, exotic shades, with orange dominated pallets. You can just see the kitchen opening up like a beautiful colorful flower.

New tech is invading kitchen design

Like with everything else in our lives technology has found its way into the kitchen. And 2018 designs will show us just how much. From smart storage space to 3D printers for pancakes. You will definitely see more and more of tech solutions in your kitchen. One of the smart designs include sensor control accessories, that you can open just by waving your hand, a smart trash bin and handy toaster ovens being the perfect example. Of course appliances are getting smarter every year, now most of them can be controlled by an app on your phone. However when it comes to design, retro is still in, and you can get all the lovely features packed up in a vintage design.

Getting close and personal

Personalization options are one of the innovative trends coming in 2018. Imagine being able to get your own design printed on the new kitchen tiles. This trend will definitely bring a lot of uniqueness to the design world. In case you are not feeling creative and inspired you can work with a trusted kitchen designer to get the best possible result. Possibilities are endless and you can enjoy the entire process.

The art of transformation

Transformative taps will be one of the major trends hitting kitchen design in 2018. Don’t let the simplistic design fool you, these taps will be able to transform plain water into sparkling, or even a great tasting, perfectly brewed coffee.Yes, you read well, tap coffee, what can be more ideal in the morning. It kitchen design trends like these that really surprise us and make us grow impatient until the moment we can actually include them in our kitchen.

 

So there you are, the long awaited kitchen design trends for 2018. This article has barely scratched the surface of what awaits us, there are a lot more surprises to come. From smart thermometers to new designer appliances, the following year will be the perfect combination of tech infusion and color burst, and we are going to love every second of it.