How To Choose The Right Color For Your Kitchen Ceiling Light

Figuring out lighting in your home requires a lot of thought, especially in the kitchen. First, and most obviously, you will want to choose a decorative lighting fixture. With recessed lights, lamps, decorative pendants, and under-cabinet lighting, there are tons of options for kitchen lighting. You also need to decide on the brightness of your bulbs, as lumens in lighting can affect your home design. Then, you move on to another important decision for the overall aesthetic of the room — determining a color for your lights. While you could choose a bold red or green bulb, most homeowners will want to look at the color temperature of basic lightbulbs. This choice is important for creating a nice atmosphere in your kitchen, reducing eye strain, and preventing your space from feeling cramped.

There are three colors for kitchen lighting that will work in nearly any kitchen: warm white, neutral white, and cool white. These hues of white are differentiated by correlated color temperature, which is measured in degrees Kelvin (K). Cooler lighting has higher K values, while warmer lighting has lower K values. Cool white lights are great for waking you up and promoting focus during tasks, while warm white lights are cozy, comfortable, and inviting. Neutral white balances the two and can look either warm or cool depending on the room. Using this information and thinking about the atmosphere you want your kitchen to evoke, you can determine the best lighting color for the different parts of your kitchen.

For your overhead light, consider the overall style you want in your kitchen. A warm light matches a cottage, farm, or traditional kitchen, looking very cozy. It also complements warmer decor colors like reds, tans, and yellows. If you have wooden cabinets, warm lighting will make your kitchen feel very cohesive. On the other hand, choosing a cool light can accentuate a modern kitchen and make it look clean and fresh. Cool lighting will brighten white cabinets and make blues and grays look crisp. 

While you want to create an attractive aesthetic in the kitchen, you also need to have lighting that adequately allows you to prepare food. Cool and neutral white lights are good for task lighting, which is the best type of lighting to use in your kitchen. They work for ceiling pendant lights above an island or as under-cabinet lights, allowing you to better see the details of your cooking or cleaning. Task lighting can be in the 5000K range, but you probably do not need lighting that cool in the kitchen. A neutral white that is around 4000K should be cool and bright enough for use in the heart of the home. A true cool white light of around 5000K is usually reserved for commercial applications and could make your home feel too much like a garage or warehouse. Plus, if you spend time reading recipes and cookbooks, you may want to opt for slightly lower K values, as warmer lighting is better for reducing eye strain.

When it comes to actually buying lightbulbs based on the color temperature you desire, there are a few things to look out for. Definitely start by finding the Kelvin number on the box. Lower numbers, starting as low as 1,000K, are the warmest lights, and higher numbers, up to 10,000K, are cool. For the kitchen, you likely want to be between about 3,000K and 4,500K. Lightbulb boxes may also have descriptions saying that they are warm or cool, but you should always check the Kelvin number for an accurate understanding of the color.

If you want flexibility in the color temperature of your kitchen ceiling light, consider finding a color temperature-changing lightbulb. These lightbulbs can be quite pricey. For example, at the top of the line, the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Lightbulb costs almost $50 and has a wide variety of possible color temperatures, ranging between 3,000K and 6,500K. Or, you can skip the expensive Philips Hue bulbs and try an IKEA lighting hack instead. The IKEA TRÅDFRI Lightbulb costs only $24.99 and has three color temperatures: 2,200K, 2,700K, and 4,000K. The range of options is more limited than the Philips Hue bulb, but the price might be better for those on a budget. Whether you splurge on a lightbulb that can change temperatures or find a regular lightbulb with the perfect Kelvin value to complement your kitchen's decor, color temperature can make a big difference in your home design.