Kitchen Lighting for dummies

You have finished your kitchen- installed new flooring, stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops and a new kitchen island with brand new bar stools. Still, there is something missing. Here are a couple lighting tips to highlight your renovated kitchen. Hey, you put in all that work, why not show it off!

lighting will make or break the setting of your kitchen, no doubt. Keep in mind that this is the room in the house that brings everybody together and the way it is lit is very important. First off, try under cabinet lighting to highlight your new cabinets and your granite or Corian counter tops. Under Cabinet lighting works best on black or chrome finishes, but works with pretty much everything. The easiest model to install are the plug in ones, a project that takes no more than 30 minutes of your time. I recommend installing low voltage under cabinet lighting to create a subtle, yet quaint touch to your kitchen. This will not only give you nice lighting for you to see what you're doing, but it will also complement your new kitchen very nicely. If you want to take the time to install them to work with your light switches, try this HGTV article as a guide. This is a little more difficult, but is still an easy project to maneuver.

Pendant Lighting is a very new trend in kitchen decor. Stay above the trend by smartly installing pendant lights in just the right areas of your kitchen. A pendant light can tie in the lighting of the room or show off your kitchen island, which is a very integral area for food preparation. A Geoge Kovacs or LBL Light would work perfectly depending on the overall look of your kitchen. For a more simplistic modern kitchen with a chrome theme, stainless steel pendant lights are perfect. Not to be outdone, there are plenty of really cool pendant lights to highlight colorful kitchen decor. ET2 or LBL Pendant Lights come in many different colors and designs, with many options to mix and match. Check out these really cool pictures I found, courtesy of HGTVpro.com, showing some sweet kitchen Pendant lighting.

Also, check out this really cool, thrifty, DIY idea on installing lighting dimmers for just $7! Just make sure the breakers are off or you'll be burnt toast.