At Home: Let there be light

For many cooks, a well-lit workstation can make a world of difference.

Whether designing a new kitchen or just thinking about upgrades, the placement of lights is key.

'We often work in near darkness at our counters,” says Donna Hamm, owner of Hamm's Home Interiors in Iowa City. 'Every kitchen needs lighting to illuminate the places they work.”

Type of light

Lighting for specific tasks, called task lighting, can be mounted under wall cabinets to shine on the countertop.

Ceiling lights, in contrast, provide general light to the entire room.

A third type of lighting is mood or ambiance lighting.

'There are lots of 10 foot ceilings now, and lighting is often placed on top of cabinets to create mood or ambient light,” Hamm says. 'Light in the toe kick area of base cabinets creates other interesting lighting effect.”

Lighting details

LEDs are the current trend in lighting, as opposed to fluorescent or halogen bulbs. LEDs provide clear, natural light. They are also cool to the touch and can be touched with bare skin. Halogen bulbs, on the other hand, will burn out if exposed to body oils.

Recessed lighting on the ceiling is popular. This type of light has the bulb flush with the ceiling.

'You can get a lot of lighting without fixtures all over the ceiling. It's inconspicuous light,” Hamm says.

Still want to incorporate a decorative fixture? Mix and match by also including recessed light so the whole area is uniformly lit.

Hamm's Home Interiors Inc. can handle all of your design needs. Give us a call or visit our showroom today.

1134 S. Gilbert St., Iowa City; (319) 354-1881; hammshomeinteriors.net