Kitchen schemes
For most of us, the kitchen is the room where we spend the most time, preparing food, eating and entertaining. Proper lighting can help make it safe, hygienic and enjoyable.A central pendant light gives a good general lighting, but if that's all you have you'll be forever working in your own shadow and cooking will be a headache - literally. Whatever the shape or size of your kitchen, the light should come from behind or to the side of where you're working - not in front. You also need a high level of task lighting at the sink, the cooker, the fridge and worktops, especially for chopping vegetables.
Kitchen light should be a similar to true daylight so you can see when food is cooked or off. Don't plug lights into sockets that are overloaded with appliances such as toasters and food processors. And don't put lights in places where they could dazzle you while you're carrying boiling water or sharp implements.
If you're buying a new kitchen, you'll find that most modern ones come with built-in lights, or you can mix and match pieces from the kitchen supplier. Items like cooker hoods come with in-built illumination. Cupboards can have built-in lights that are triggered when the door's opened.