Ambient Lighting Hacks For A Fun Kitchen

A was dreaming of a kitchen laden in dreams, where clean and contemporary lines were juxtaposed by riots of rebellious colour. Colourful LED strips were wired into cabinets, an unexpected surprise with a click of a button. By day, the kitchen would be colourful but in a different way, natural light flooding through rectangular windows, illuminating splotches of greens, purples, reds and pinks in a pictureque rainbow that brought colour into your home. By night, it was a lightshow, bulbs gleaming over kitchen islands, illuminated with accent strip lights that brought the kitchen alive. It was a mood-boosting affair, a sensual dance between colour, and minimalism, depending on the mood. After all, ambient lighting was glorious, a narrative of projection. But alas, it was just a dream. While A created happiness at home, there was only so much changes she could make in a rented flat.

For now, she manifested her dream so it would become a reality in the future. Someday, they would have their own houses, where they would be free to make the changes that they wanted. A home that was full of celebratory colour, beautiful no matter what time of day. Abstract art prints and paintings overlooking cat chewed sofas, a dichtomy between polish, and raw. A littered bookshelf, heaving with novels, a personal library with its very own statement light. A large lamp for when evening crept in, a centre light piece that was begging to be turned on. It was like a house full of lights, the kitchen no exception. Breathtaking, haunting yet joyful too, the lights would change depending on their mood. Drawn out lights with dim projection for melancholy pondering, bright and brash ever-changing lights when they had company. The in between, and the pretty to look at. The abstract, obscure, the traditionlist, all in one.

After all, a kitchen was no fun, without ambient lighting. Lighting that would tell a story, conjure emotion, and speak truth. A light that was all-purpose, that found itself yearning for attention. And so A created a fantastical vision, coming up with her own lighting hacks, that were inviting, practical, and creative. In true Faded Spring fashion, there would always be an emphasis on colourl, but she would try something new too. The stark, the minimal, and the bold and out there. Two opposing lighting styles, that packed personality, and charm in the best possible way. A could imagine it now. A soft, diffused light would seep sepia tones into the room. Romantic, intimate, cozy, the perfect setting for a relaxed dinner party.

On the other side of the scales, was the opposite of ambience: accent lighting that created a focal point. Hers would exude a different kind of light. She would use her galaxy light projector as inspiration and have it alternate, red, green, blue, tales of romance, serenity, and hope. It would draw attention to a statement art wall in the kitchen, a disco show of tricks. It might come across as flashy, but A was never understated. Instead, she was always of the opinion that more was more. She tried minimalism, and it just wasn’t her. Instead, she was a maximalist extrovert, who when it came to lighting, liked the weird and wonderful. Even for something as simple as her task lights, she had unusual fixtures. A green cactus LED light perched on her mantlepiece, a rainbow table lamp. There was no rhyme or reason. Unlike her fashion sense, her interior style was more hodgepodge. Maybe because she was just getting aquaintanced with interior design, but still, she was extra.

So what were her ultimate ambient lighting hacks? From investing in LED strip lights, to having automated lights, here were 5 key lighting ideas, for a fun kitchen. As far as A was concerned, she was definitely team ‘Too Much’. But what was wrong with that anyway?

Invest In LED Strip Lights For An Innovative Kitchen

She imagined that in a few years time, she would have glorious baby pink cabinets plucked straight out of Barbie’s house. It would be in your face, but in a cutesy pastel way, that felt decidedly like summer. Her kitchen though would be a mix of Rose Quartz (pink), and Serenity (blue), for a two-tonal bedroom that screamed fantasy. But what did the colour scheme have to with lights, you might ask. Her cabinets needed to shine, even at night, so what could be more fierce than led strip lights from Light Supplier?

<img src="pink.jpg" alt="pink and blue pastel kitchen"/>

Interior of modern kitchen

With its ease of installation, and high power saving efficiency, they would light her kitchen cabinets up in the best way possible. Whether it was a LED tape, a backlit lights kit, or an LED strip reel, it was guaranteed to make her future kitchen cabinets come alive. A’s personal favourite was the LED linkable under cabinet striplights. The minimalist colour would allow the pink kitchen cabinets to stand out on their own. With varied lengths, it looked great under the cabinet, and was even resistant to kettle steam. With a better spread of light over the kitchen surface, the kitchen would feel homely for guests, and present company.

LED strip lights, made great ambient lighting hacks, and even in A’s conjured vision, the fact remained. LED tape was one that spoke to her maximalist soul. In the kitchen, and outside of it, the colour-changing tape was waterproof, and could create millions of colour combinations. She imagined the dinner parties that she would create, a travel themed dinner journey, where blues and greens coincided. A relaxed buffet in the kitchen at the table, a stream of gentle yellow. A spa day at home, blue upon white, reminding A of a swimming pool in her own kitchen. But that was all hypothetical of course. The power of her imagination that transported her into a reality in the not too distant future.

Illuminate Glass Cabinets For A Modern Kitchen

A’s foster mum had glass cabinets at one point (albeit in her hallway), and A had always pictured how beautiful it would look in a kitchen. Sure, she had her heart set on her icecream colour combo, but it didn’t mean that she wasn’t open to other options. The juxtapostion between ambient lighting bouncing off the glass of the cabinets would be gloriously magical. It would be modern, yet vintage. Out there, yet sophisticated too. She wasn’t mad about it.

She could use LED strip lights, or even puck lights, which could be controlled via a remote, or seperate remote. One thing she had to take into account was where the ambient light switches would be placed. How could you illuminate the glass cabinets effectively? As long as the lights where easily accessible, and not in the way of the ‘cooking part’ of the kitchen, she would be just fine. She needed to place the lights in a location that was easy to access, and the kitchen cabinets seemed like the obvious choice. After all, she didn’t want to get blinded by the lights, but at the same time, needed to have the cabinets on show. It was just about striking that fine balance.

If she was feeling extra fancy, she would install LED strip lights above the overhead cabinet, which would enhance the gap between the overhead cabinets and the ceiling. Though people saw lights as boring, A knew different. To A having overhead, or under cabinet lights, would create a fun modern kitchen, that was awash with personality. As the self-professed personality queen, she was absolutely here for it!

Have Automated Lights When You Enter Rooms

One thing that A loved about staying in hotels, was the fancy lights that would turn on, whenever you would walk into a room. It was a novelty, so maybe she wasn’t used to it, but it filled her with childlike wonder. Why? Because the lighting would immediately brighten A’s entry into a room, both literally, and metaphorically. She adored how it could clean up the appearence of a room. There was no bulky fixtures, or anything that looked out of place. Instead, there were clean lines, that were illuminated beautifully.

From an eco point of view, it was eco-friendly as well. Automated lighting was only used when neccessary, so no bills were being racked up when you weren’t in the house. Energy efficient, it would make home lighting that much more kinder to the environment. This would help to reduce energy usage, resulting in lower electricity bills and a smaller carbon footprint, which was important to A. As well as sustainability, the automated lights were controlled in three different ways. Either via time controls, light sensors, or motion sensors, the latter of which A preferred. If you weren’t in the room, it wouldn’t come on.

A thought this would be neat whenever she entered the kitchen, and conjured up the scenarios in her head. She knew there were automated lighting systems that would adapt to different scenarios (i.e. cooking lights), but simple was best in this case. Just a simple motion sensor automated light, that brightened up her evening, whenever she set foot in the kitchen. It didn’t matter whether she was in the kitchen cooking, entertaining or foraging for snacks, automated ambient lighting hacks would create a fun sustainable kitchen.

Make A Kitchen Island The Focus With Accent Lighting

Although ambient lighting and accent lighting were different, she believed that the two could come together in perfect harmony. There was the kitchen island, that A envisioned in her mind, that would be begging for lights. But what was a kitchen island, she heard you ask? Why only a marvellous freestanding cabinet, that would compliment A’s envisioned kitchen design. There would be stools around it for extra seating, with its own set of storage drawers, to store kitchen goodies. A soft strip light would be installed under the countertop, illuminating the island in a gentle light, that had a golden glow. It was soft, yet strong, barely there, yet enhancing.

She could also create a ‘floating kitchen island’ if she wanted, she just needed to get the lighting spot on. According to Allison Lynch, by ‘introducing lights around the plinth of the islands’, it could create a floating island effect, that was as magical as it sounded. It was whimical and ethereal, yet practical too. Even at night, the island would float on by, as guests were transported into its fantastical lair. There were other ways to make a statement when it came to lighting as well. Large pendant lights overhead, would stand out from the crowd, in a classic drum shape. Equally a chandelier would bring the drama. Beaded or pearled, diamond studded, or bronzed, the chandelier would be worth the investment.

Equally, Ana loved the idea of spotlights too. It felt showy in the best possible way, and were practical as well as aesthetic. From an aesthetic point of view, the spotlights were subtle but impactful. From a task lighting point of view, it would be helpful when A and D would cook in the kitchen, without too much glare. In short, kitchen island lighting was a wonderful way of introducing ambient lighting to the home, in a fun way!

Play Around With Colour-Changing Lights For A Mood-Boost

A was always one for colour. Even when she was young, and couldn’t choose her own wardrobe, she was aware of what she gravitated towards. And who could blame her? After all, colour was magical, it was transporative, and spoke volumes. With colour she felt safe, alive, and true to herself. Even with lighting it was the same. Sure, she had sensitivity to light at times, but bright lights without glare massively appealed to her. She would model it after her Galaxy light projector, a nebula fantasy of blue, and green with white dotted constellations. Except there would be no stars, but gentle colours. Blue to connote peace, tranquility and sleep. Purple that was senseous, red that was passionate. Green that was calm, and serene.

Though LED lights were the easiest way to play around with colour, there were other strategies too. A breakfast bar would have drum pendant overhead lights with a golden summer glow. Red patent spot lights would hang over a kitchen islanding, emitting white light. There would be coloured strip lighting under kitchen cabinets, and doors too, in a mesmerizing dance. Different interior styles would mesh together, industrial vs traditional, minalism vs vintage retro. For A her Galaxy idea prevailed, where she would place strip lights underneath cabinets, layering with pendant lights overhead, that brought interest even during the day.

Maximalism wasn’t for everyone, but it was certainly A’s flavour. Besides, you could mix and match statement, and more subtle pieces to create dynamicism in the kitchen. As far as A was concerned ambient lighting was made that much more exciting when you tried something new. The only thing she wanted to avoid? Creating lighting that looked cheap. She might be a girl on a budget, but she still wanted her kitchen to look, and feel good. Mood boosting LED strip lights would create interest, and excitment in her home, even when she was entertaining. When it came to lighting hacks, LED was always going to be a frontrunner.