Country kitchen lighting ideas
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If you live in a farmhouse, converted barn or cottage, get ready to hunt out our country kitchen lighting ideas.
Or, you might have opted for a country or rustic style kitchen in a new build home.
Either way, lighting is a crucial aspect of every kitchen, whatever size or style.
Every kitchen lighting design needs to be functional as well as decorative. Think about targeted, task lighting for preparing food as well as general ambient lighting overhead. There might be specific architectural features that you want to highlight with accent lights.
Get in touch with a local electrician who can help make your lighting plans a reality. Pop your postcode into the search bar below and find recommended electricians near you.
Country kitchen lighting ideas may also come with the added challenges of lower ceilings, wooden beams or high vaulted ceilings. Smaller windows that bring in less natural light might be an issue too.
Help is at hand and we have rounded up the very best country kitchen lighting ideas.
Country kitchen lighting ideas
From modern rustic pendants to Scandi-style rattan, country kitchen lighting ideas will add masses of character and personality.
Get ready to shine a light on every part of your country kitchen with our illuminating ideas and inspo.
1. Hang lights low
If your country kitchen is blessed with high, cavernous ceilings, you’ll have plenty of head space to show off a pendant light.
Ensure pendants are hung at the right height to allow unhindered access around the kitchen and bright lighting to work by. Aim to hang pendants at 70-90cm above an island or breakfast bar. Fit a trio of pendants above the main working area of the kitchen for everyday task lighting.
2 Mix up lighting styles
There are no strict design rules with a country farmhouse kitchen – and that includes your lighting choices.
Embrace this laid-back, mix and match style with different materials and rustic finishes for a relaxed, cosy mood. The same goes for light fixtures.
You don’t need to stick to one style of light. Instead, play around with modern track systems and vintage shades. The key is to choose the same finish for a considered and cohesive look.
Here the all-white kitchen backdrop is illuminated with chrome spotlights and a burnished zinc chandelier. Both are completely different styles but unified by the same cool metallics.
3. Create impact with size
Hang a trio of oversized lights in a country kitchen and create an instant wow factor.
These metal, domed pendants act like a subtle division between the kitchen and dining zones. Choose a muted grey colour for a foolproof way to embrace a relaxed country style.
Seek out pendants that can be pulled down (and then retracted) to create intimate pools for light for dining.
We adore metal pendants which come in a range of styles – from supersized industrial shapes to shallow ceramic styles.
4. Layer your lighting
A layered lighting scheme is key for any kitchen – not least in a large, open plan barn conversion.
The high vaulted ceiling creates an eye-catching architectural feature but lighting needs to be carefully planned. Do get in touch with a kitchen designer who can advise on all aspects of a new kitchen including all-important lighting.
Install lights at different levels to create a richer, more flexible light scheme, especially in open plan kitchen living rooms that incorporate different functions.
Mix flush-fitted, ceiling downlights with low-slung pendants in the kitchen and dining zone for task and ambient light sources. Make sure they are wired onto separate circuits for a versatile design.
In the living space, the flickering firelight won’t fail to add the cosiest glow all day and night!
5. Choose recessed spotlights
Modern ceiling spotlights work equally as well in a country kitchen as they do in a contemporary style.
They are super useful in cottages and rustic dwellings with low ceilings that might not have enough head space for pendants.
Install flush fitting lights under wall cabinets and into plinths too for a simple yet effective lighting solution.
Here’s to the perfect blend of modern and rustic!
6. Add a vintage touch
Enhance a classic, Shaker-style kitchen with French enamelled ceiling pendants. The white rustic lights offer just the right hint of rustic cool in this black and white kitchen.
The key to a monochrome kitchen is to introduce texture, shape and personality to stop the space from appearing too clinical.
Add plants, foliage and greenery on different levels of the kitchen for a softer, nature-inspired look.
7. Let it shine with metallics
Warm up a modern cottage kitchen with a copper, brass or gold light fitting. The glossy white surfaces and crisp lines are broken up the bold metallic globe lights which inject a dash of glamour too.
See our blog on orange kitchen ideas for an unexpected colour choice that we are loving right now for the cooking space.
Perfect for the autumnal vibes too!
8. Channel an industrial look
Industrial style lighting can be the perfect partner for the eclectic design tempo of today’s country kitchen.
Choose lights in charcoal hues, dark metals and classic factory-inspired shapes to enhance the industrial silhouette. Pair with bare brick walls, exposed industrial pipework and hanging rails for a look that’s urban, rugged and oh-so-liveable.
Country style kitchens just got edgy!
9. Clear the way with glass
You can’t go wrong with glass pendants in a country style kitchen. Whether you fancy a constellation of mini bulbs or huge, oversized shades, glass light fixtures are classic designs that won’t impede the view from one zone to another.
These large scale pendants might have dominated the kitchen in any other material, but the antiqued glass lets the light diffuse through the room.
Scour antique fairs, car boot sales and flea markets for vintage light fittings that can be rewired for safe use.
10. Be brave with bare bulbs
One the simplest and most effective country kitchen lighting ideas is to leave it bare. By that, we mean hanging lengths of bare bulbs amid what can sometimes be busy decor.
There are so many options of striking filament bulbs available today – plus different coloured flex and wire to make a statement.
Who needs a shade when bulbs can be this beautiful?
Small country kitchen lighting ideas
Add a pop of colour: China blue enamelled lights inject a colourful accent to this rustic style kitchen.
Go for Scandi cool: Stick to a pared-back light fixture in rattan or plywood for a modern rustic kitchen vibe.
Light up a butcher’s block: Good task lighting is crucial, even over mini preparation zones such as this rustic butcher’s block.
Did you find what you were looking for in this idea piece for Country kitchen lighting ideas? We hope so! Let us know in the comments or tag us in your renovation on Instagram.
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