Seeing The Light In The Cooking Area
I’m sure you know that proper illumination is essential to enhance your work efficiency. That’s why you have a study lamp right on your desk or work-table. In the same way you should have proper lighting in the kitchen. You may not notice it, but the dim atmosphere adds to the bother of cooking four meals day in and day out.
‘Proper’ illumination requires you to design the lighting system in your house with care. Tables, desks, and counter tops must receive shadow less light. In the kitchen, low-hanging cabinets tend to obstruct natural as well as artificial light. Since you can’t rearrange the larger items of furniture, the easier option is to put in under cabinet lighting units which give light directly onto the work area.
Bear this in mind when you next think of renovating the kitchen. It will be wise of you if you go in for cabinets which have factory-fitted lights.
If renovating is not in the cards, then you can alter the existing cabinets and fit them up with lights. If you are a DIY type, then go ahead, it’s an easy enough project. On the other hand if electrical fitting is not your cuppa, then you’ll have to call in an electrician to do the alteration. These lights are low-consumption types and will not add to the electricity charge appreciably.
An idea which merits consideration is to use those small lighting gadgets that you just press-fix on to almost any surface. You tap them to turn them on and off. Carrying their own long life battery inside, you don’t need to do a pin of work to implement this kind of lighting. They’re cheap, dinky, durable and easy to use. Just fix them against the underside of the kitchen cabinet over the cooking area and see them in action.
Their appearance is not very important since the lights are concealed under the cabinets. You’ll only notice them when they are switched on.
If you usually send out for your meals then putting up these lights is not a top-priority project for you. But if you do like to cook and do spend a lot of time in the kitchen, then you will really appreciate the extra light. To keep the project budget down to the bare minimum you should try the touch lights described above.
Once you appreciate the difference these additional lights make to the kitchen work area, you’ll quickly realize that there are many other areas in the house which could be brightened up with under cabinet lighting. So, what’s holding you back?
Ned Dagostino on December 1st 2008 in Home
