8 Ways To Incorporate Smart Lighting In Your Kitchen For Stunning Ambience

Did you know that, on average, Americans spend more than 1,000 hours per year in their kitchens? That's equivalent to almost 42 days! With that being said, it's important to make sure that your kitchen is as comfortable and easy to utilize as possible, and smart lighting can help you achieve just that. 

One of the ways smart lighting can level up your home is by increasing functionality and convenience in key areas. Although adding smart lighting to your kitchen may seem intimidating, it doesn't have to be. It can be incorporated through new fixtures or making some simple changes to your existing ones. On top of illuminating your space, smart lighting gives you the freedom to set the mood in your kitchen with just a few voice commands or screen taps. So, let's take a look at some awesome ways to incorporate this technology into your kitchen to create your ideal ambience. 

If you're looking for a quick and affordable way to bring smart lighting into your kitchen, LED strips can easily brighten up your space in style while adding task lighting under your cabinets. Solutions like Govee's LED Strip Lights can be purchased for around a dollar a foot. Plus, these and many other strip light options work with popular technologies like Google Home and Alexa. This allows you to turn the lights on and off and adjust the tone and brightness to your liking within a mobile app or with voice commands. LED light strips usually have adhesive on one side so you can easily stick them under your cabinets, taking the guesswork out of installation. For more options, check out our guide on how to choose the best under-cabinet lighting for your kitchen. 

Putting LED strips under your cabinets can bring a nice glow to your kitchen that helps to create an inviting atmosphere. A warmer-toned amber light or white light is best for this feel, but with a full-spectrum set, you can even choose unique colors for holidays or parties (some options will even change color to the beat of your music). Depending on the layout of your kitchen, you can consider placing the LED strips above your cabinets as well as below them.

Pendant lights are a popular choice for kitchens because they are stylish and practical. This, combined with smart technology, creates an even more effective lighting option for your kitchen. These fixtures come in a variety of sizes and styles, so you can pick the design that will work best for your kitchen. Options like Lumary's Smart LED Linear Pendant have a sleek, modern look while versions like Emorol's Hanging Lamps inject a softer, more traditional vibe.

Smart pendant lighting can give your kitchen a beautiful focal point. And, you can adjust the lighting to the mood you'd like to create right from your phone or smart home hub. For example, if you're hosting a small dinner party and want to create a more intimate atmosphere, you can quickly set your pendant (along with other smart lights) to be a bit warmer and dimmer. Or, if you're in the middle of meal prep and need more light, you can increase the brightness with a simple voice command. All of this can be accomplished without having to run to a dimmer switch. Keep in mind, however, that smart pendant lights may require professional installation, so this may not be the best option for those looking for something budget-friendly. However, if you merely want to add some smart capabilities to your existing pendant lights, you can simply swap some smart bulbs that can pair with a home assistant or app. We cover this in more detail further below.

You know those little corners at the base of your cabinets? Those are toe-kicks, and they're probably not something you think much about. However, you're about to start looking at your toe-kicks in a whole new light, maybe even literally. Toe-kick lighting is a cozy kitchen feature that can make your space feel high-end, and opting for smart LED lights for the area has even more perks to it. Depending on the design of your kitchen and your personal preference, you can choose to add lights to all of your toe-kicks or just some of them.

Of course, toe-kick lighting can come in extra handy at night. Simply set a timer in the app for the lights to come on at bedtime and to turn off in the morning. That way, you know you'll always be able to see where you're going when you need to get up and grab a midnight snack. A smart light strip, mini smart tile lights, or smart step lights (like the ASD LED Recessed Step Light Fixtures) can work for this purpose, depending on the look you prefer.

If you love the look and feel of integrated illumination, then smart recessed lighting could be the perfect option for you. Sets like the Philips Hue Smart LED Downlights are great for a variety of functions, including task and accent lighting. Recessed lighting is both popular and practical, blending in almost seamlessly, and providing a clean and streamlined look. 

In addition to the benefits of traditional recessed lighting, the smart functionality gives you more flexibility to adjust the lighting to your needs. For instance, if you're cooking and need some more concentrated light in a specific area, you can increase the brightness with a tap of your phone or a voice command. Converting your cans to smart downlights also means you can perfectly customize your overhead lighting to create a calm and soothing ambience, rather than a hard overhead glare — the thing that most people dislike about overhead lighting. If you already have traditional recessed lights installed, converting them shouldn't be too complicated, as some smart units come in varying sizes so you can retrofit them to your current fittings. However, if you're not confident with wiring, this will still require professional installation.

One of the main reasons why you might want open shelving in your kitchen is for display purposes. These shelves can be a great way for you to show off some of your favorite decorative pieces like artwork or antique dishware, and smart lighting can help you do exactly that. You can illuminate open shelves by using smart LED strips, mini lamps, or wall-mounted options. Depending on the solution you choose, you may be able to install the lights yourself. 

One of the biggest benefits of adding smart lighting to your open shelves is that you can change the look and feel of the lights based on what items you have on display. Smaller lights, like Angel Halo's Smart Wall Sconces, can make excellent backlighting for a glow behind glassware. Or, overhead options like Vigmoj's Wireless Picture Light (which can't connect to a home hub, but has its own app) can create an elevated vibe with dramatic downlighting. 

Having smart lighting in these areas can also reduce the number of switches you have to turn on and off every day. If you're aiming for a layered lighting plan in your kitchen, you might end up with half a dozen switches (especially if you're installing renter-friendly options) — or have them all connect to one switch, which then means you can never choose which lights to have on and which to have turned off. If this one switch also controls your overhead lighting, even worse, as you won't be able to enjoy the soft, soothing glow of just the accent lighting. Most smart solutions will allow you to group lights, operate them via voice command, and set timers, giving you flexible, convenient control — and ensuring you don't have to run around your kitchen switching off a handful of lights on open shelves before bed. 

If you want to show off your dishes or drinkware in a glass-front cabinet, integrated smart lighting could be the answer. However, this strategy isn't just for display purposes. It can illuminate the dark corners of your cabinets, making your storage space more functional. 

Just be aware that a lot of puck lights and other cabinet lighting products have the word "smart" in their name, but don't have true smart light capabilities. Many of these fixtures use motion sensors to automatically turn on when needed, which is not a new technology (and usually not what you want for glass-fronted cabinets anyway). For example, the Lightbiz Store's LED Wireless Motion Sensor Puck Lights will turn on for a set time when the cabinet door opens. With this particular product, you can set them to stay on if you have glass-front cabinets you'd like to illuminate. However, they won't be able to connect to your home hub or virtual assistant, and you'll always need to scratch around for their remote to turn them on and off. For actual smart lighting for your glass cabinets, look for solutions that will work with Alexa (or whichever home assistant you use), allow for hands-off operation via voice commands, grouping with other lights, and so on — such as the GE Cync Reveal HD+ Smart Undercabinet Puck Light Fixtures (which you can hardwire or plug in).

One of the most cost-effective ways to incorporate smart lighting in your kitchen is to replace your traditional light bulbs with smart ones. With these, you can use your phone (or another smart device) to control your lights remotely without having to spend money on new features. You can purchase a standard one like Govee's Smart Bulb, which works with Amazon and Alexa, for about $10 each. As long as these fit your existing fixtures, you can easily swap out the bulbs yourself instead of having to rely on a professional.

Smart light bulbs can personalize your home and open up a world of possibilities for your kitchen's lighting. Many of these bulbs can be controlled via your mobile phone or voice commands, which allow you to create the ambience and functionality you want in mere seconds. Options like the Govee bulbs also have built-in ambience presets like "sleep," "rest," and "read." Bulbs like these can be scheduled to turn on and off and grouped together so you can operate areas with a single voice command. Plus, you can illuminate your kitchen when you're away from home. This brightens the living space, making it less appealing to intruders.

Even though your pantry may be a separate room, it still plays a role in how you interact with your kitchen. For that reason, adding smart lighting to this area is something you might want to consider, especially since you won't have a shortage of choices. For instance, if you have a butler's pantry with lots of shelving, adding smart strip lights there could create a gorgeous glow. Those who have prep space in their pantries may also like a countertop light like the Smart Table Lamp by meross.

Smart lighting in your pantry can serve a practical purpose while adding to the overall ambience. For example, smart lighting with motion sensors can turn on as soon as you walk into the pantry, which can come in very handy when your hands are full or coated in flour. Alternatively, you can utilize voice activation, set your pantry lights on a timer, or use a blend of all of the above and group certain lights (such as any LED strips in open pantry shelving with the accent lighting in the kitchen) so they go on and off together.