How To Choose A Kitchen Lamp That Works Perfectly As Decor

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Although standalone lamps aren't quite as common in kitchens as they are in living rooms or bedrooms, there are plenty of reasons to bring them into your cooking space. Those who hate big overhead lights, like many Gen Z and millennial folks, will drag a smaller lamp almost anywhere, for one. And if your counters are a bit dim or overshadowed by cabinets, then a portable solution is easier, faster, and cheaper than building something in. But you can't add any old fixture into the appliance mix. Once you've taken the necessary safety precautions — keeping cords clear from walkways, placing lamps away from heat sources — it's time to give decor some serious consideration.

If you've already crafted something like an understated farmhouse kitchen or have perfected a vintage look via backsplash tiles, then you can focus your lamp choices on a given aesthetic. But you will still need to be more particular about a lamp's materials than when using one elsewhere in your home. In the throwback design case for example, satiny fringe might make a lampshade feel as though it arrived from another era. But that precise detail, which could end up oil splattered at best and accidentally set alight at worst, just shouldn't spend time in the kitchen.

Notions about gingham drapes dancing in the breeze aside, there's a reason you don't otherwise associate a ton of fabric with the kitchen: It's an obvious fire hazard. Tea towels, sure, fancy napkins, fine. But things like flowing drapes and fabric lampshades just don't make functional sense. And as in a lot of similar instances, form follows function. Those flammable materials just wouldn't look quite right in most kitchen settings, either. Metal and tempered glass are much better bets for kitchen lamps, and they often work better with the overall aesthetic.

A classic banker's lamp like this version from Torchstar, is ideal for most kitchen counters. The lamp's glass shade will resist errant sparks or spattering grease. They're easy to clean with little more than a damp cloth, and the standard green hue is plenty versatile. Most are also the ideal height to position over something like a cutting board or beneath suspended cupboards. Another option is any kind of rechargeable or battery-operated cordless lamp (absent porous materials) to keep wily wires away. And a wireless wall sconce is tops for keeping counters clutter-free and better illuminated.