Kitchen lighting ideas for low ceilings: 16 brilliant solutions

If you’re on the hunt for kitchen lighting ideas for low ceilings, we’ve got some brilliant suggestions.

Perhaps you live in a cottage or farmhouse with low beamed ceilings. Maybe your new build home or modern kitchen extension isn’t blessed with a lofty height.

Every successful kitchen design needs an effective layered lighting scheme. A mix of targeted lights for cooking and preparing food as well as good general lighting for overall use.

That’s not forgetting accent lights to highlight certain kitchen features.

Kitchens with low ceilings are no exception – they need a well-planned lighting design too.

Take a look at our kitchen lighting guide for more help, and always plan kitchen lighting into a new kitchen design from the outset. Get in touch with a local kitchen designer for masses of advice and help.

If you are upgrading kitchen lighting ideas for low ceilings, you’ll need a local qualified electrician who can carry out the work safely and efficiently.

Kitchen lighting ideas for low ceilings

Transform your space with our clever kitchen lighting ideas for low ceilings.

Time to spark your creativity and put your kitchen in a whole new light.

1. Make the ceiling feel higher

Visual design tricks can make a kitchen ceiling feel higher. Paint the ceiling white and echo with simple, white lighting fixtures that blend invisibly into the background.

This detracts attention from the ceiling but still creates good illumination.

Use a variety of light sources at different levels to open up the space.  This large pendant is paired with neat directional spotlights to create effective layered lighting.

2. Go for glass pendants

Most style rules might advise avoiding pendant lights in a kitchen with low ceilings. Be smart and use a translucent material such as glass.

Hang a line of barely-there pendants in chic smoked glass over the dining table.  This way, the low hanging lights won’t get in the way or make a kitchen look smaller but still create maximum impact.

The light can filter through the glass and create efficient ambient illumination for eating and relaxing.

3. Try a modern track system

Okay, so low kitchen ceilings won’t have the headroom for huge chandeliers or dramatic low slung pendants. But that doesn’t mean lighting can’t be as striking or as effective – it might just need a little more thought and creativity.

They key is to choose a multi-layered lighting scheme. Install extra sources of lighting at different levels to make up for less compelling overhead lights.

Here rows of neat modern track lighting are fitted with adjustable spotlights. It’s a flexible choice so the illumination can be targeted to wherever you need.

Pair with under cabinet lighting to spread an ambient glow over the worktop area.

4. Choose recessed LEDs

For a slick, modern mood, install recessed LED strip lights throughout the kitchen.

It’s a brilliant way to add multiple layers of lighting in a kitchen with low ceilings.

Lay the LED strips or tapes along a plinth recess, under wall cabinets and into the ceiling and let your entire kitchen glow. It’s a fuss free solution for a contemporary kitchen.

Consider colour-changing lights that can be altered to suit the activity, the time of the day or simply for a background night time glow. Kitchen disco anyone?

5. Go for cool metals

Cottage kitchens will traditionally have low ceilings – so how to work with this for kitchen lighting?

First, opt for top-to-toe white surfaces to open up the space and draw attention way from the low ceiling. White painted ceiling, tick, white painted cabinets, tick, and white floorboards, tick.

The result is a calm kitchen packed with modern rustic charm. It also creates a blank canvas for the silvery metal light fixtures.

Use discreet, almost flush-fitted spotlights, fitted on to a track. These ones are fixed by a single light connection which means minimal disruption if you’re upgrading kitchen lights.

Pair with a more flamboyant candelabra style over the dining table for a cosy focal point while you eat and entertain.

6. Hang pendants over a kitchen island

Pendant lights are still a great lighting option, even in kitchens with low ceilings.

Just be mindful of where you hang them and at what height. The perfect spot is over a table or kitchen island unit.

Aim to hang the pendant light at 70-90cm above an island or breakfast bar. From the floor to the bottom edge of the pendant, this is around 200cm or 6ft.

Look at the size of your space and the dimensions of the kitchen island to get the balance just right. Seek out pendants that are height adjustable. These can pull down (and retract) if you need to create a more intimate light during the evening.

7. Use downlights in a small kitchen

Light up a compact kitchen with low ceilings by installing flush fitting downlights.

These almost invisible lights take up no room overhead and can be arranged in a grids or lines to reflect the layout of your kitchen.

Add dimmer switches so you can alter the intensity of your lights depending on the time of day. It’s a simple and super flexible way to illuminate every part of your kitchen.

8. Layer lighting creatively

Think outside the box when it comes to kitchen lighting with low ceilings. You might already be familiar with flush fitting ceiling downlights and under cabinet lighting as shown in this dark coloured kitchen.

But we adore the half dome surface lights that add a very quirky yet liveable mood to the entire space. They act like table lamps for the kitchen island unit!

Creative lighting solutions for kitchens with low ceilings might need the help of a lighting designer.

9. Be generous in an open plan kitchen

Don’t skimp on lighting, especially in an open plan kitchen living space with low ceilings.

If possible, plan in an effective lighting scheme before you decorate. Otherwise you’ll have to repaint ceilings and walls if lights are chased in.

Get in touch with a local painter and decorator for a really professional finish.

Use a combination of spotlights for good overhead lighting and pendants to create pools of zoned lighting.

10. Install a sky light

One of the best ways to increase natural light into a kitchen with low ceilings is by fitting a skylight.

Installing a skylight will let natural daylight to pour into your kitchen space. Skylights also improve ventilation, inject a bright ambience and cut back on electricity costs of artificial lighting.

Check out the average cost of a skylight in our handy guide.

6 more kitchen lighting ideas for low ceilings

From planning a full-scale roof lantern to changing the colour of your light bulbs, discover more kitchen lighting ideas for low ceilings.

Whatever your budget, find out how low you can go with kitchen lighting.

Plan a roof lantern: Install a roof lantern into a low ceiling – a gorgeous focal point and will punch in so much natural light. Read our roof lantern planning guide to find out if this is a good idea for your kitchen.

Offset wooden beams: Intersperse timber ceiling beams in a cottage or barn with modern light fixtures. The contrast of old and new is just perfection.

Embrace a cosy glow: Elevate the intimacy of a low ceiling by swapping bright light bulbs for ones with an ambient, amber glow. Perfect for over the dining table.

Keep it simple: Under cabinet lights offer good level of task and ambient lighting. Fit with a dimmer switch for a more flexible solution.

Sneak in wall lights: Boost a small pendant with extra wall lights. There are no hard and fast rules but as a benchmark, position wall lights so the top of the fixture is slightly above eye level.

Light up a skinny kitchen: Narrow kitchens with low ceilings come with extra challenges. The key is to layer your lighting with a mix of pendants, wall washers and spotlights – and if possible carve out space for a spectacular roof lantern.

Turn your kitchen lighting ideas into reality

Hiring a reliable electrician is possible when you use Checkatrade to help you find your local experts.

Pop your postcode in below and see what experts come approved by us and recommended by your local community.