Display Your Arts and Crafts Kitchen's Charm with Decorative Lighting
The arts and crafts design style brings a vintage elegance to the kitchen, with its emphasis on natural materials, artisanal craftsmanship, and decorative details. Proper lighting is key to enhancing these special features inherent in the arts and crafts aesthetic.
Strategic use of pendant lights, sconces, and other decorative fixtures creates ambience while showcasing the rustic charm of an arts and crafts kitchen.
Overview of Arts and Crafts Kitchen Lighting
Arts and crafts lighting sets a warm, inviting mood with its soft glow, visible bulbs, and industrial touches. When done right, the lighting brings out the vintage, handcrafted beauty of the space.
Ambience Created by Arts and Crafts Lighting
The lighting in an arts and crafts kitchen creates a welcoming, cozy atmosphere. The warm glow from Edison or filament bulbs is a signature characteristic, often paired with dark metal tones and light wood accents. The overall effect is a vintage, handcrafted ambience.
Proper placement of pendant lights or sconces casts a soft, ambient light that makes the space feel lived-in. This lighting brings out the authenticity of thenatural materials and artisanal elements that define the arts and crafts style.
Common Characteristics
Some typical characteristics of lighting in an arts and crafts kitchen include:
- Visible bulbs and light fixtures instead of recessed or hidden lighting
- Metal finishes like oil-rubbed bronze, aged brass, or black
- Glass, mica, or wood light shades that filter and soften
- Pendant lights, sconces, and flexible track lighting systems
These fixtures employ craftsman details like metalwork and natural materials to continue the handmade aesthetic. Vintage Edison bulbs also tie into the industrial and antique influences often seen in arts and crafts spaces.
Key Types of Decorative Lighting
Several lighting options are especially well-suited to complement and enhance arts and crafts kitchen decor.
Pendant Lights
Pendant lights add visual flair while providing ambient illumination. A single statement pendant light over a kitchen island makes an attractive focal point. Clustered pendants work well over dining nooks or seating areas. Their suspended, dangling light is on display.
Pendant lights mounted at varying heights complement exposed ceiling beams common in arts and crafts kitchens. Vintage bulbs like carbon filament or globe styles continue the handcrafted vibe. Arts and crafts pendants made from metal, glass, or wood suit the style.
Wall Sconces
For additional ambient lighting, decorative sconces mounted on walls flanking cabinetry inject old-world charm. Sconces work well placed above open shelving to accentuate displayed items. Styles like mica lamps, wagon wheel fixtures, or industrial cage sconces complement the aesthetic.
Sconces in finishes like oil-rubbed bronze with an Edison bulb filter light beautifully. Positioned by windows or doorways, the warm light from an arts and crafts sconce creates pockets of inviting radiance.
Track Lighting
Track lighting offers targeted illumination perfect for highlighting countertops, islands, or other kitchen work zones. The industrial style of exposed wires and pendant fixtures plays up the vintage influence.
Flexible gooseneck arms allow track lighting to be positioned and angled as needed. Spotlight arts and crafts details like open shelves, decorative tile, or rustic ceiling beams.
Under Cabinet Lighting
For more discreet task lighting, under cabinet lighting provides functional glow. Thin LED strip lighting installed beneath wall cabinets illuminates countertops without drawing attention to the light source. Paired with recessed downlighting, under cabinet lights create ambient brightness.
Some under cabinet systems feature color-changing lights, allowing you to shift the mood and accent different kitchen features. This adaptable illumination discretely accentuates an arts and crafts kitchen’s charming details.
Lighting to Complement Arts and Crafts Style
Certain fixtures and placement strategies help lighting complement and complete the arts and crafts aesthetic.
Selecting Fixtures and Finishes
Look for light fixtures and materials that match the kitchen’s finishes for a cohesive style. Dark metal tones like oil-rubbed bronze pair well with visible Edison style bulbs. Mica, stained glass, or perforated metal lampshades filter light beautifully. Wood accents and detailing on fixtures also enhance the handcrafted ambience.
Positioning Lights in the Kitchen
Strategic positioning of pendants, sconces, and accent lighting draws the eye to key focal points while providing sufficient ambient brightness. Illuminate kitchen islands, dining nooks, and countertops where preparation occurs. Accent architectural details like exposed beams, open shelving, or decorative backsplashes.
A thoughtful lighting plan layers ambient, task, and accent lighting for visual depth and dimension. This multidimensional lighting casts the kitchen in the warm, inviting glow that defines the arts and crafts look.
Recommended Brightness Levels
Follow these recommended luminance levels for an optimally illuminated arts and crafts kitchen:
- 50-75 footcandles for general prep and movement areas
- 75-100 footcandles for kitchen islands and dining/seating nooks
- 100+ footcandles for focused task areas like sinks, stoves, and countertops
Layering lighting fixtures creates the needed brightness for workspace utility and ambience.
Dimming and Controls
Look for dimmable pendant lights, sconces, and accent lighting to allow control over the ambience. Smart lighting systems with dimmers, WiFi-enabled adjustments, and app/voice controls make it easy to set the desired mood.
Dimming lets you shift from the soft glow of a relaxed Sunday morning to the bright task lighting needed for a weeknight dinner party. This flexibility optimizes the kitchen lighting for any activity or occasion.
Enhancing Your Arts and Crafts Kitchen with Lighting
A few tips will help you use lighting to best showcase your arts and crafts kitchen.
Prioritize Task, Accent, and Ambient Lighting
Balance all three main types of illumination. Use task lighting like under cabinet lights tobrighten food prep zones. Display decorative sconces or pendants to accent architectural details. Include ambient lighting from recessed downlights or track lighting for overall visibility.
Select Complimentary Fixtures and Finishes
Coordinate different fixtures like pendants, sconces, and under cabinet lighting for a unified aesthetic. Matching the finishes and visible lamp styles maintains the cohesive arts and crafts look.
Layer the Lighting
Installing lighting at varying heights adds visual interest. For example, pairing pendant lights over an island with recessed cans in the ceiling creates depth. Combining task, accent, and ambient sources also improves dimensionality. Your arts and crafts kitchen lighting will provide both beauty and function.
Lighting plays a starring role in any arts and crafts kitchen. Decorative fixtures like pendant lights, sconces, and track lighting emphasize the handmade craftsmanship and authentic materials inherent in this classic style. Strategically placed lighting highlights the rustic elegance of your arts and crafts kitchen for timeless appeal.