Independence Day Decor: A Well-Lit Kitchen

Imagine you're standing in the middle of a beautiful kitchen that you just remodeled with all of these cabinets and granite countertops and marble backsplashes. And with fancy led lighting you see up on the ceiling. But how do you know once you've installed this type of lighting, whether it's done correctly? How do you know you're putting out the right amount of light? And are there any standards for that? Yes, there are standards.

What are the Standards for LED Light?

LED Lighting in a kitchen is measured by the Kelvin a given fixture generates. There are two standards that tell you what to expect from different types of light fixtures. These are Cool White and Warm White. Warm White is from 3000K and Cool White is from 6000K and beyond. Those who want to increase the light output from a fixture should consider adding either another high-output LED light or instead go for LED lighting kits.

How to Install Lighting

One of the first questions you'll need to ask yourself when installing indoor lighting is, how much light will you need? You want it bright enough so you don't have to crank on the main light every time you enter or exit the space, but not so bright you can't see what you're doing. That requires checking out light output for your specific area.

For example, if you're trying to illuminate your living room, but don't have a lot of direct sunlight, then you don't need to put out a lot of light (unless you want a suncatcher). You just need enough to keep it from getting too dark. Other common questions are: What type of lighting should I use? Is it better to use big bulbs? Does it matter if the light burns out faster? Do I need dimmers?

Design Pro Tip: Knowing the climate in your area will give you an idea of which color temperature to go for.