How To Do Kitchen Lighting Now: A Style Guide to Six On-Trend Ideas

If you’re building from scratch or about to embark on a reno, you know that the kitchen is kinda a big deal. There are a million decisions to make—including choosing the perfect lighting. Kitchen lighting has to be practical, but you want it to look good so you can show off the rest of your fab kitchen. And if you’re in a rental or just looking to freshen up your current kitchen, changing the lights can have a big impact. Here are 6 super stylish lighting ideas to get things cooking.

Add something shiny to your kitchen with a touch of copper, brass, rose gold, or silver for a modern pop that can work with any style.

1. Copper globes glow in this kitchen in this kitchen from L’Appartemant Living.
2. Half-brass globes are wholly beautiful in this kitchen by Caitlin Wilson Design found via Rue.
3. Pops of copper hold their own in this bright green kitchen by Bestor Architecture discovered via The Kitchn.
4. A copper trio featured in Lonny was spotted on Blood and Champagne.
5. Big, silver globes are available from Knoll.
6. A golden touch warms this kitchen spotted on HGTV.

Who said you have to pick one light? If you decide on just one shape or size, mix things up with a grouping of the same type, or make a big impact with smaller lights by getting a cluster. Sometimes more is more when it comes to lights.

1. This simple light featured on decor8 is three times better than one.
2. A grouping at different heights adds interest in this LSA Architects kitchen found via HomeDSGN.
3. Clear globes float like bubbles in Bree & Andy’s DC Home Hits The Bright Spot.
4. Simple bulbs make a big impact in a group in this kitchen by Karpaty Cabinets.
5. White shades in different sizes for the win in a 2011 issue of est magazine, spotted on Chic Deco.

Whether you’re a true color lover or just looking for a pop in your otherwise-neutral space, consider adding some color with your light fixture. Stick with a simple design, but don’t hold back with your color choice.

1. Pops of yellow brighten up this simple space in Raina & Robert’s Modern Farmhouse Makeover.
2. A case of the blues never looked so great; this kitchen was featured in the now-defunct 101 Wonideeën (now vtwonen).
3. Pretty in pink goes modern in this space featured on decor8.
4. Pendants are minty fresh in this kitchen by SVK Interior Design…
5. …and this one from Vita Ranunkler.
6. Sunny yellow will make you smile when you walk into a kitchen like this one from Better Homes and Gardens.
7. Kelly green lights really stand out in this kitchen in Traditional Home.

Give your kitchen an industrial touch by letting your cords show in the best way possible; you can really have some fun and create a beautiful lighting mess. Hang them directly from the ceiling—or, get them all wrapped up on a rod for a more cohesive look, as in these great examples.

1. Cords are wrapped charmingly around a bracket in this kitchen from sköna hem found via HomeEdit.
2. Industrial lights from Home Depot are, fittingly, wound around a pipe.
3. Dainty cords are draped and knotted in this kitchen by BLACKBIRD found via Simply Grove.
4. Wrapping the cords makes it easy to hang lights at different heights—and adjust them in the future—in this kitchen by Soma Architekci.
5. The tangle of cords in this kitchen by Kasia Orwat Home Design (found via Contemporist) plays well with the graphic nature of the space.
6. Cords are cleverly hung over the rafters in this kitchen featured in Inside Out found via desire to inspire.
7. A cord-wrapped rod breaks up the kitchen’s white wall in this home available from ENTRANCE found via Apartment Therapy.

Break tradition and take your lighting off the ceiling! Put it on the wall instead, and use sconces to light your kitchen. They’re great because they make for perfect task lighting and—depending on what style you pick—can be unexpected and unique design features.

1. A pop of blue/grey looks great in this kitchen from Made in Persbo.
2. Movable sconces offer flexibility in this kitchen designed by Blakes London.
3. Traditional sconces, as seen in Better Homes and Gardens, look modern when grouped.
4. Great-looking lighting right over the sink is always helpful, as in this kitchen from Mazen Studio.
5. A row of sconces lights up this entire Heather Bullard kitchen found via Marcus Design.
6. Stovetop cooking is made easier with sconces in this kitchen by Veranda Interiors.
7. Classy brass sconces and hardware gleam in an otherwise-white kitchen from Studio McGee.

Who said the kitchen can’t be a glamorous place? Adding some fancy flare to an already glam kitchen—or as contrast in a simple kitchen—creates lots of interest. Make the chandelier shine as the main design feature in your kitchen.

1. This chandelier is a delicate dose of glam in this simple, neutral kitchen from DESIGNMAG via Design Love Fest
2. There’s glam from floor to ceiling in this luxe Interior HomeScapes kitchen.
3. A chandelier provides a pop of minty freshness in this kitchen by Amie Corley Interiors.
4. Look up! This chandelier makes a huge statement in this Jessica Helgerson Interior Design kitchen.
5. Major glam can work in a cozy space, as seen in Shana’s Glamorous Custom Kitchen.
6. Black cupboards and a serious chandelier create drama in a farmhouse kitchen featured in House Beautiful.
7. A capiz shell chandelier brings a beachy look to a fresh and bright kitchen in Better Homes and Gardens