Kitchen Lighting Ideas that Impress

Are you searching for kitchen lighting ideas to elevate your remodel? Not simply a food prep space, your kitchen should feel like a welcoming spot for family and friends. Unfortunately, it rarely gets the upscale lighting treatments that other rooms in the house do. From glamorous chandeliers to gold pendant lights, you’ll be amazed at how quickly the right lights will take your space from fine to extraordinary. Below, we reveal some of our favorite kitchen lighting ideas that are sure to impress. 

Vintage-Inspired Lighting

While pendants are among the most popular kitchen lighting ideas, a vintage-inspired system can make your newly redesigned space feel delightfully elegant. Consider hanging an oversized chandelier above your kitchen island. As My Domaine reveals, it’s “a great way to add a focal point to your space and help to create a more formal feel if you tend to dine at your island a lot.” The Magazine also favors mirror-finished chandeliers because these vintage-inspired fixtures “add tons of dimension in a predominantly-white space.” Exquisitely designed, you’ll love how these stunning pieces draw and bounce light “in a way that creates gorgeous flares at all times of the day.”  

Contrast for White Kitchens

Dazzling white kitchens can often benefit from bold pops of color. Traditionally, this has come from custom appliances, but you can easily make your light fixtures the source of visual inspiration. For white kitchens, The Spruce loves a recent remodel by House of Jade Interiors. The design features “four oversized pendant shades” done in black for a sophisticated contrast against the crisp white space. The Magazine cheers: “The fixtures provide plenty of task lighting while drawing the eye toward the back of the space, which adds visual depth.” Of course, black shades are not your only option; think about dark blues or deep greens that can be referenced by door frames or windows for a variation on this eye-catching idea.  

Matching Accent Colors

If your backsplash, cabinets, or bar stools feature a rich accent color, you might want to match it in your lighting fixtures. The editors at Southern Living enjoy the idea of employing lantern pendants with frames that mirror the space’s color palette. Does your backsplash or kitchen wallpaper feature an array of colors? Pick one to reference with your lantern frames to make your space feel perfectly tied together. 

Referential Patterns

In much the same way that you would mirror colors, you can bring impressive style to your kitchen by matching striking patterns. My Domaine is a fan of this approach, particularly with classic designs. One of their favorite kitchen lighting choices took its inspiration from exquisite black and white parquet flooring. Pendant lights that illuminate the galley portion of a kitchen and butler’s pantry were customized to reflect the flooring with vintage-inspired white metal shades and black accent bands. The result feels both modern and iconic. 

Complementary Palettes

Southern Living advises that homeowners completing upscale remodels should not “shy away from [using] complementing color in the kitchen.” Rather than having lighting disappear against bold décor, the Magazine raves about a recent design that saw a statement light take center stage over an expansive island. There, “a grapefruit pink pendant [got] playful against tropical green” on the cabinets and backsplash.  

Framing Sconces

If you are remodeling a large kitchen, there may be areas that need additional lighting beyond pendants or other overheads. During the day, windows help bring in natural light to brighten the space above your sink. At night (or on particularly cloudy days), you may want more illumination. One of the most popular kitchen lighting ideas for supplemental light is a framing sconce. My Domaine concurs: “A few modern sconces can help frame a window and add task lighting above the sink where you need it.” 

Will your new kitchen feature open shelving? You might be surprised to learn how well sconces support this trend. My Domaine recommends “[hanging] a couple of sconces in the open space above the shelves to help fill the walls and add a little warmth.” 

Mid-Century Modern Styles

If you are already considering having gold fixtures adorn your kitchen as part of a Mid-Century Modern redesign, adding two cluster orbs that are mid-century-inspired will truly impress. My Domaine explains: “These clusters of orbs add tons of light without looking too bulky. Plus, the gold finish [will bring] out the finish on the fixtures throughout the space.”  

Want something more dramatic? You’ll love adding spherical island pendants, like those that give My Domaine’s editors “major galaxy vibes.” They name this style among their favorite Mid-Century Modern kitchen lighting ideas as “they are oversized just enough to create an eye-catching focal point, but not so much that they take away from the rest of [a] modern kitchen.”  

Sputnik-style lights have long been seen in upscale dining rooms, so why not enliven your kitchen island or breakfast bar with one? My Domaine agrees that these chandeliers make an impressive statement, particularly when the rest of the design is sleekly minimalist. 

Choose Gold Lighting

Gold fixtures are growing in popularity, particularly in upscale kitchen remodels. If you are updating your cabinets and island to embrace a deep blue or green color palette, contrasting pendant lighting will dazzle. Depending on your space, you may opt for chunky pendants or slimmer versions in order to fit three across your island. If you are going for a slimmer pendant, Southern Living adores the idea of choosing “matte gold fixtures to provide a radiant look.”  

Want just a hint of gold to bring a luxuriously warm glow to your space? My Domaine suggests you “seek out pendants with a metallic gold finish on the inside.” You’ll be thrilled at how inviting your space feels at just a flip of a switch. 

Embrace Copper

You might be surprised to read that copper is gaining on brass accents in high-end renovations. If this kitchen lighting idea appeals to you, My Domaine agrees with the choice. The editors reveal: “We love how … copper pendants look over [a] kitchen island—modern, but not overdone.” 

Glass Globes

Are you concerned that pendant lighting might be a distraction from your other kitchen design elements? Selecting elegant glass globes could be your solution. Southern Living enjoys this kitchen lighting idea, as “glass globe lights captivate attention without taking away from other details in your kitchen, like beautiful backsplashes, wallpaper, or seating.” 

Geometric Shapes

For a glamorous kitchen update, upgrade your lighting with what Southern Living refers to as “industrially glam and wonderfully geometric” fixtures. With each glass square in these dazzling orbs outlined in gold, designers agree that large geometric “gold fixtures brighten up a space” before you even turn on the light. 

Angular shapes can grab the eye, even when the light fixture is clear glass. This style works wonders for contemporary and Scandi kitchens, as they complement the style beautifully. These lights are also terrific in spaces where this modern contrast will elevate an otherwise traditional design. 

Unusual Materials

Choosing fixtures crafted from unexpected materials can make your kitchen feel genuinely bespoke. It’s one of the reasons that The Spruce loves this kitchen lighting idea. They applaud a recent remodel by ReDesign Home that “installed concrete pendant lights in [a] chic black kitchen.” They are impressively crafted and thrilling to see – a definite conversation starter when entertaining. Plus, as the Magazine reveals, “the stone-like texture of the fixtures lends a splash of organic beauty to the traditional cooking space.” Inspired! 

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