Sconce in the kitchen – ideas for the perfect lighting

Lighting in the kitchen with using not only a chandelier, but also a sconce, looks much better, because in such a combination the light is given out gently and evenly. Competently arrange light sources and combine ceiling central lighting with a local one is a whole art. Designers are able to design lighting, given its direction, power, color, brightness of bulbs. What are the basic rules you need to know if you are a designer?

What is the best place for a sconce?

1. Light accents can separate the dining area from the working area. In the photo below you can see how wall sconces, chandeliers above the table, sconces above the sofa and pendant lamps over the bar counter can zone the kitchen room.
2. Local lamps are neededfor spacy rooms not only to isolate the dining area, but also to create comfortable lighting. In this case, sconcescan be hung along the wall at an equal height;
3. In the dining room or in a combined kitchen-dining room, one chandelier is also not enough. The sconces in this case highlight the pictures, cupboards and add symmetry to the space;
4. If your kitchen has low ceilings, then instead of a chandelier it is better to hang a few sconces in the dining area;
5. For small and narrow kitchens it is not enough to provide the room with light only from the central chandelier – such lighting visually narrows the space, to expand it you can use several points of light from wall lamps. Even one sconce above the table can make the lighting better;
6. To emphasize any wall decorations, set the sconce above the photos, plates, paintings;
7. You can also install the sconces on the edges of the hood and on the open sidewall of the cabinet above the sink or stove;
8. The location above the bar counter is also an excellent place for sconces.

General rules

• Remember that the lower the lampis placed, the lower the ceiling appears. But in this case the local lighting will be more comfortable. And on the contrary – the higher the sconce (with the light directed upwards), the higher the kitchen will appear;
• If several sconces are placed along the perimeter of the walls at the same height and distance from each other, the space will visually become wider. In the photo below there is an example of how the light from a sconce can expand a small kitchen with dark walls, which narrows the space of the room;
• Chandeliers, floor lamps and, of course, sconces are often produced in accordance with one collection so that you can decorate the kitchen as a single space. The main thing is that the ceiling and wall lamps should not conflict with each other in style, material and color.

Choosing a diffuser and the direction of light

• Bulbs, which are completely covered with plafond create a very soft lighting;
• If the bulb is covered by the diffuser only from below, the light will bedirected upwards – on the ceiling and the wall, which is more suitable for creating general lighting, rather than local;
• If the bulbis closed from above, the sconce will brighten up only the space below. Such local lighting is suitable for the dining or working area. If the light will blind your eyes, replace the lamp with a matte one;
• The most universal and widespread option – sconces with the light directed both up and down through the plafond (diffuser). Such a sconce will not blind your eyes, creating both general and local lighting in the kitchen.

Choosing a perfect material and design

• Wall light fixtures for kitchens should be easy to clean, so it is better to refuse fabric shades;
• Wooden elements must be necessarily protected by a layer of varnish, while all forged elements should be covered with mastic, protecting the metal from grease and dust;
• Keep in mind that the chrome or gold bracket is prone to get dirty from any touch, and these spots may be very noticeable, so it is better not to hang such a lamp above the table and in the work area;
• Classic sconces with crystal / glass / plastic elements are also not for the working area. If you have such lamps in your kitchen, it’s important to have a properly worked cooker hood, in order to protect them from fat drops in the air.
• Since the classic sconces do not have diffusers, choose matt bulbs of the corresponding shape;
• Place the wall lamp above the table,lamps with shades of neutral “warm” colors are the mostpreferable. A transparent blue or purple glass for a shade is not the best solution.

Choosing light bulbs:

– It is also important to focus on the power of bulbs – too bright room as well as too dark can be uncomfortable for the eyes. 120 wattsis the most optimal for ​​ten square meterskitchen. You can roughly calculate the total power of lighting devices based on the area of ​​your kitchen.

– It is necessary to consider the type of bulbs. Low-cost incandescent bulbs have low efficiency, fluorescent bulbs are bright and soft, but can be tiring for the eyes;

– For a sconce with a lampshade or lampshade with slots and perforations, transparent light bulbs are best suited. They will create patterns of light and shadows on the ceiling and walls;

– If the wall lamp does not have a diffuser – a lampshade, then the lamp should be matt-coated;

– If the lighting in the kitchen with a sconce is arranged in the working area, it is optimal to prefer bulbs of the cold spectrum of light (white).

Where it is better to hang a chandelier?

• In case you want to abandon the ceiling chandelier or supplement it with several sconces around the perimeter of the kitchen, then the standard height is 1.7-2 m above the floor. But this is not a rule, the main thing is that you should easily reach out to the lamp switch, but at the same time it should not be at eye level if it shines brightly;
• If the sconce is placed above the table or in the dining area above the seats, the optimum height is slightly higher than the head of the seated person, so that the light does not blind the eyes, but you can hang the sconces at the level of human growth (1,7-2 m).

Installation of sconces before and after repair

Lighting in the kitchen with the installation of sconces should be planned in advance.

Provide for the location of 2 or more sockets, preferably before or at least during the repair, so that the wiring is hidden in the wall. The best option is to locate the sconces in the design project in the 3D visualization program or in Auto Cad, noting all the sockets, switchesfrom the wall on a separate layer. Or you can just draw a wall in scale and mark the desired places for sconces and their switches.

If the repair is already done, then it’s not already possible to hide the wire completely. But you can close it with a plastic box covered with wallpaper or just fix the wire with decorative clips along the wall and along the baseboard to the socket, so that it looks neater.

How to hang a sconce in the kitchen

It is not difficult to hang a sconce in the kitchen correctly. To do this you will need the lamp itself, a suitable switch and a cable for the connection. Among the necessary tools there are:

• screwdriver,
• puncher
• voltage indicator
• drill
• hammer
• dowelsandscrews.

The process of installing the sconce consists in the following algorithm:

1. Determine the location of the sconce, the height of its location.
2. The sconce should be completely assembled.
3. Turn off the electricity!
4. Mark out the wall and drill the holes –as a rule, the sconce is completed with a special fixing metal plate or bracket.
5. Hammer the dowels into the holes.
6. Connect the lamp holderis to the wires. Use a tester.
7. The rest of the chandelier is attached to the lamp holder.
8. Check the device for operability.