RENOVATING THE LIGHT IN YOUR KITCHEN

When designers work together amazing things happen.  A few years ago we collaborated with a Kitchen Designer for their showroom, and with MINT Lighting Design’s lighting expertise beautiful kitchens were transformed. 

We collaborated on two distinctly different Kitchen designs in the Showroom, adding our signature MINT design style to the lighting

The intention of the lighting was to create a sense of space and open-ness with indirect light, improved focused task lighting to make benches a delight to work on – and showcase the beautiful materials in the kitchen and finally feature lighting to bring a little WOW to the kitchen. 

Our light is warm and high-quality as we prioritise visual comfort and functionality in all our kitchen designs. 

More than any other room in a home, the kitchen needs layers of light to allow us to transform it from our favourite café to a study room with the kids to a highly functional cooking zone. 

Layering our light to provide ambient lighting, task lighting and accent lighting allows us to transform our surroundings at the flick of a switch.

By adding indirect light to the kitchen, we soften hard edges, create a sense of space, and reduce shadowing on work surfaces. 

The colour of the light we use at MINT is 3000K neutral warm white - because we know that a warm environment is just right for helping our families feel at ease and relaxed whilst still ensuring a fully functional level of light. 

We have all been in kitchens where the standard layout of down-lights places them over the walkways of the kitchen instead of over the bench leaving us frustrated by harsh shadows as we cook.  As you can see in the lighting designs for this collaboration, whilst we still have quality task lighting in the kitchen (strategically placed OVER the benchtops) we are balancing that with layers of ambient light to soften the room

Provincial Kitchen Lighting Makeover

The Provincial kitchen demonstrates a fantastic treatment when joinery stops lower than the ceiling.  Indirect light from the top of the joinery units pushes up, highlighting the volume of the room, softening shadows, and offering us an option for gentle illumination for relaxing evenings.

Provincial Kitchen Before

and After a MINT Lighting Makeover

Another clever feature was added to the Provincial kitchen, invisible until you open that generous corner pantry.  Light integrated vertically into the pantry allows you to have adjustable shelves – and perfectly illuminated pantry goods on every one of them.  Pantries, and the inside of cupboards are often overlooked.  Designs often rely on downlights to push enough light into those spaces for us to see.  However opening doors and corner cabinets are notoriously in the way of the light, casting shadows just where you want to see

Provincial Kitchen Before

and After a MINT Lighting Makeover

The Modern Kitchen Lighting Makeover

The Modern kitchen island is the hero of the space through discreet light under the benchtop – showcasing the beautiful materials selected for the island and bringing some low-level ambient light into the kitchen.  Integrating light into the overheads also adds both a beautiful feature and some well needed functional light to the benchtop.

The Modern Kitchen Before.

and After a MINT Lighting Makeover

We are very careful at MINT when it comes to selecting quality light fittings for your home – in the same way that your kitchen designer ensures that your selected benchtops, tapware, and fixtures are all high quality and built to last.  We focus on sustainability, efficiency, performance and of course, beautiful light.

Quality architectural LED light fittings allow us to craft functional task and beautiful ambient lighting.  High quality performance from the smallest imaginable light fittings ensures that they are not the dominant visual feature, but rather their light is the impact working for the overall design and function of the room. 

When it comes to accents and features where the light itself is the hero, a perfectly designed pendant or wall light can be the jewel in the crown of your ideal kitchen. 

With the right lighting, your kitchen becomes more than just a functional area in your home, it becomes the central hub for your lifestyle.