*Collaborative post.

One of the most common mistakes people make with interior design is overlooking the importance of lighting a space. Lighting can be used to create height and depth in any given space as well as helping to draw attention to accents. Good lighting is essential to truly creating a modern & inviting feel in your home.

Integrated Downlights for Kitchens

The kitchen is the heart of the home and there are many ways to can go about lighting this room to accentuate a modern design. Installing Integrated Downlights into the ceiling is a great way to add a modern flair to the kitchen. These spotlights are sold as one complete unit with the bulb being part of the downlight. With LED bulbs, these can last up to 15,000 hours so will not need replacing for a long time.

Integrated downlights come as on complete unit so you need to decide what bezel and colour temperature you need to find the right one. For most people, Warm White or Cool White will work best in the kitchen.

If you’re planning on installing these lights above the stove where boiling posts are likely then you need to make sure they’re installed fully flush but that you’re choosing a downlight that is rated for that environment. What are most commonly known as “Bathroom Zones” will help you work out which downlights can be used in which environments. Anything that can be used in Zone 1-3 is perfect for the kitchen. Anything that is not IP rated should be avoided as these will not be suited to moisture rich environments such as kitchens.

Another thing to keep in mind is the beam angle of the downlight. Lamps with small beam angles are great for creating a tight beam of light that is ideal for spotlighting. Integrated Downlights like this one from Collingwood with wider beam angles are designed to be installed in the ceiling to light the whole room. Depending on the size of your room depends on how you want to arrange these. Going for fewer lamps with a wider beam angle will be the best option for many homes.

Sometimes known as Architectural Lighting, integrated downlights are mostly hidden from view as the terminals are installed directly into the ceiling cavity. They’re the perfect way to get a minimal, modern style into your Kitchen to give a new atmosphere quicker and cheaper than you might expect.