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Let’s face it: We spend a lot of time in the kitchen, whether we are folks who love to cook or just plain love to eat. Either way, the kitchen is a focal point for many California homes, and it’s one of the first places we start thinking about renovating when we want to update our homes. One way to easily update the look of your kitchen is by adding some innovative and new lighting features. Dave Lee of Dalcon Electric in San Jose says that these days, there are many options on the market for lighting your kitchen. Your options include conventional lighting, recessed lighting, motion detectors, energy-efficient bulbs, florescent lighting, LEDs, and color rendition lighting. While there are many choices out there, Lee recommends the following that work especially well for kitchens in the San Jose area:

• Color rendition lighting is especially well-suited for kitchens and bathrooms. This type of lighting works with the Color Rendering Index (CRI), which measures the ability of a light source to reproduce the colors of the objects lit by the source. Since most objects are not a single color but rather a combination of many colors, light sources that don’t have certain colors may change the appearance of an object. The better the rating of color rendition lighting, the more it replicates the natural lighting of the sun and allows you to enjoy the appearance of your home.
• Overall lighting that uses non-fluorescent lights can illuminate the whole kitchen with a soft, gentle glow.
• Cast lighting that dangles over a peninsula or island can softly illuminate a focal point. It also adds a dramatic touch to the layout of your kitchen.
• Adding lighting under or in the gaps between your cabinets and the ceiling can create a soft glow to warm the room. This type of lighting is low-profile and easy to conceal.

While it may seem like an easy type of home update, to make sure that you end up with the best lighting options for your kitchen, call a lighting contractor in your area. There are many ways to light a kitchen, and some are better than others–which is why it’s important to consult an experienced professional and take the time to find the type of lighting that will ultimately best serve your space.