Track lighting for kitchens ideas
10 Modern Track Lighting Ideas for Your Kitchen
Amanda Ayres / Dylan James
Poor track lighting. The ‘80s and ‘90s overdid the trend, leading many of us to scrunch our noses at the thought of it. But is it time to rethink track lighting? Short answer: yes. It’s DIY friendly, versatile, and if you look hard enough, can come in contemporary designs. Kitchen track lighting is particularly making a comeback and can be especially useful in a galley kitchen, which is long and skinny, just light the fixtures themselves.
Caitlin Murray, founder and creative director of Black Lacquer Design, is on board with track lighting—when done well. “Track lighting notoriously conjures images of chunky 1980s fixtures that were very much function over form,” she says. “But, it's definitely due for a rebrand—and now is the time.”
To get a modern look while using notorious dated-looking track lighting in your kitchen, Murray recommends opting for fixtures that are sleek, sculptural, and done in luxe finishes, like bronze or brass. “I would avoid anything that looks low quality or overly-industrial,” she says.
Like all design elements, track lighting has its upsides and drawbacks. “Track lighting can provide significantly more brightness than a typical ceiling mount fixture and fill a space more evenly,” Murray explains. You can't deny the convenience of being able to adjust and angle the bulbs to point to the spots that need the most light, like workspaces or wherever bar stools are.
“On the other hand, it can be difficult to come by pieces that are design-forward and pull their weight in a well-executed space.” Time to change that, don't you think?
If you're ready to embrace the track lighting again, scroll on for 10 kitchens that have bright, beautiful track lighting.
37 Kitchen Lighting Ideas to Brighten Up Your Space
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Jessica Alexander for Black Lacquer Design
Exhibit A that track lighting can be contemporary: see above. Murray knows track lighting is in need of a rebrand, so here she's putting forth her own effort to do just that.
In this kitchen, a slim, sophisticated brass fixture features compact bulbs that barely take up any space (especially in terms of track lighting, which can be bulky and clunky) but brings a big punch of personality. By placing it between the stovetop and island, where most likely you'd be moving back and forth to chop and sauté, the kitchen is evenly lit, no matter where you are.
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Filesof5
Hello, texture! Hello, pattern! Oh, hello, track lighting! For such a contemporary space, you may be surprised by the addition of track lighting, but that's exactly the point: track lighting can be contemporary. Filesof5 worked with the slope of the ceiling, emphasizing the angle with a white track lighting system, which shines bright on the chevron flooring and wonderful wood peninsula.
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Greg Riegler for In Detail Interiors
If you can't think past the generic, boring image of track lighting you have in your head, forget it.
Think more of a bulbous brass fixture like In Detail Interiors used in the kitchen above. It's both pretty and practical—our favorite combination. It's not quite track lighting in a traditional sense, but it gives you the same effect. By placing this kind of lighting over a peninsula, you'll illuminate the spot where you and your family will belly up to eat breakfast, do homework, and socialize.
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Inglis Architects
Why stop at one track lighting fixture when two bring double the drama? In this sparse industrial kitchen, Inglis Architects took advantage of ultra-tall two-story ceilings to hang these two parallel fixtures. (Though with all those windows, here's guessing the homeowners don't need too much extra light in the daytime hours.)
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R ARCHITECTURE on Unsplash
Say you're working with an open-concept kitchen and dining room, and you want to include similar (but not the same) lighting options in each space. Here's your solution.
While the kitchen island is lit by beautiful black pendants, the nearby dining area, with its long table, is outfitted with equally as long track lighting systems. They're similar and coordinating, but help differentiate the spaces.
Here's Where To Get The Best Lighting To Brighten Up Your Home
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Sidekix Media on Unsplash
If you're working with a long, narrow kitchen—a cramped galley kitchen, perhaps, or one like the design above—track lighting is your friend. A long track allows you to arrange and angle a multitude of bulbs each in slightly different areas to wash your whole kitchen in light. For slimmer galley kitchens, track lighting tricks the eye into elongating the space, playing up its strength.
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diyshelley/Instagram
To call attention to track lighting in your kitchen, opt for a stark contract in color from your cabinetry. Here, a matte black track lighting system balances a nearly all-white kitchen, adding both visual interest and practical, adjustable lighting.
There's a reason simple black track lighting heads have stuck around for decades.
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Sidekix Media on Unsplash
This neutral kitchen begged for an unassuming neutral light fixture. Enter this simple, straightforward track lighting system, with four bright bulbs evenly spaced to illuminate the high-traffic area. Here's proof that sometimes it's best not to overthink a design decision, and make the obvious, easy choice.
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Amanda Ayres / Dylan James
If you're lucky enough to be washed in sunlight through big windows in your kitchen, like in this modern blue beauty, you may want to opt for low-voltage bulbs in your track lighting. That way you're adding a subtle glow to your kitchen, where you're constantly doing eye-straining tasks that require concentration, without illuminating it too bright. (This is especially helpful in a bright, white, open concept kitchen.)
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stylecuratorau / Instagram
Isn't this kitchen relaxing just to look at? It's visually uncluttered, in part to the slim, sleek, and symmetrical track lighting that pairs perfectly with the black cabinetry, delicate bar stool legs, and dining table chairs.
One catch to track lighting: it lends itself best to modern homes with clean architecture.
20 Kitchens With the Most Beautiful Pendant Lighting
Types of Track Lights For Kitchens
Kitchen track lighting is flexible, inexpensive, easy to relocate, and it provides task lighting exactly where you need it. In other words, track lighting is ideal for kitchens. From sleek, curving tracks with high-intensity halogens that wind around the kitchen to straight tracks with LEDs that illuminate the countertops, track lighting proves to be the lighting solution that can do it all.
Pros and Cons
Features of Kitchen Track Lighting
- Flexible: Where track lighting really excels is in its flexibility. Tracks can be mounted virtually anywhere you need light.
- Energy-saving: Track lighting can actually be an energy saver. How? You only need to install as many lights on the tracks as you need. Also, tracks can be wired independently, so that one track can be left off or dimmed, while another one picks up the lighting duties.
- Lightweight: Lighting tracks can be attached to ceiling drywall with anchors. Tracks are generally not so heavy that they need to be screwed into joists (wood). They can be mounted on a hollow surface with molly bolts.
- Bulb cost: Factor the cost of expensive halogen bulbs into your purchase if you decide on halogens. They can often rival the cost of the track lighting kit itself. Most newer track light heads are using the long-lasting LED bulbs or LED heads that are self-contained.
- Visual impediment: The one thing about track lighting that's inescapable is that they hang low from the ceiling, creating a visual obstruction. With a higher 10-foot ceiling, it isn't so noticeable. But 8-foot ceilings are too low for some of the lower hanging types of track lamps.
Tip
You'll need to be aware of your power draw when adding lights to the tracks. The tracks are not infinitely scalable. Carefully read product instructions to see how many lights you can add.
This is, however, less and less a factor with the increased use of LED lighting options.
The 6 Best Track Lighting Kits for Your Home of 2023
Types of Track Lighting
Choose between linear track lighting, flexible monorail tracks, and cable (or wire) track lighting.
Basic Linear Track Lighting
A basic track lighting kit comes with three to five mounting heads, a 4-foot track, and all the mounting hardware. Available colors: black, white, or brushed nickel. This is about as basic―and inexpensive―as it gets. Prices usually range from $45 to $100.
The steel mounting plate works off of an existing ceiling box (or you can install a new wire from scratch). Wires extend through the mounting plate to the track. The track attaches to the mounting plate.
Once that's done, most of the installation work is complete. You only need to hang the rest of the track on the drywall or on joists. Tracks usually have a generous number of pre-drilled holes, so you'll be able to use existing holes with no need to drill new holes.
Lamp heads twist into the track. Push the terminal into the track and turn the mounting head 90 degrees to lock it into place. Finish by adding lamps.
Elbows are available that will shoot off more tracks in other directions―but only at 90-degree angles.
Flexible Monorail Track Lighting
Flexible kitchen track lighting can be curved in any number of ways to accommodate dark areas―or simply because curved tracks add to the look of the kitchen. This is an increasingly popular style of track lighting.
A basic flexible track lighting kit comes with a 12-foot track and four 50-watt heads.
This is called line voltage track lighting, which means that a separate transformer is not needed. Because there is no transformer, the base of the track lighting is smaller and sleeker.
Flexible track lighting also comes in low voltage, where a separate transformer is needed to provide low voltage power to feed the track. The heads for this type of track are often quite small and modern in appearance.
Cable or Wire Track Lighting
When attaching the track to the ceiling is a problem, one solution is to install cable (or wire) track lighting. Two parallel wires stretch across the room, from end to end.
The wires are left uncoated, so the track heads can be moved to any position on the cable. These are always low voltage, since the wires are exposed and uncoated. The transformer is often located in a hidden location to provide for a sleek look.
Switching and Swapping the Fixtures
The real fun of installing kitchen track lighting is not so much the tracks―it's the fixtures. Once you have the tracks installed, you can swap out the fixtures whenever you want.
If you want to go from contemporary to traditional, for example, all you need to do is purchase new track lighting heads for around $10 to $20 per head.
Tip
Try to find light heads that match the track. Switching out the track is more difficult, not just because it needs to be re-wired but because of the multiple drywall anchors that need to be removed.
Kitchen lighting: 30 photo examples of interior design
Contents
- Types of lighting: track, spot, built-in, LED, for cabinets
- Variants of a modern stretch ceiling in the dining room kitchen: 10 examples
- Design recessed lighting in the interior of the kitchen
- Beautiful trendy lamps in the interior of the kitchen
Lighting in the kitchen is very important both in practical and aesthetic terms. In a modern Italian kitchen interior design project, lighting is sure to be multifaceted. For example, spot lighting on the ceiling will be complemented by a chandelier, sconces, countertop and cupboard lighting.
The more different light sources, the more lighting scenarios you will have. By the way, LED strips and spotlights can have different shades of glow, which will help create an intimate atmosphere, for example, for a romantic dinner.
Ceiling lighting in the kitchen is one of the most important details.
It is best to choose the option with a trio - a chandelier + LED strip on the edge of the false ceiling + spotlights around the perimeter of the false ceiling.
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Types of lighting: track, spot, built-in, LED, for cabinets
The lighting in the kitchen in the photo does not look as important as in reality. In fact, the lighting and the color of the lamps greatly affect your perception of the kitchen. The white or silver glow usually makes your eyes tire quickly, especially when cooking. Therefore, we recommend light yellow, pale yellow and warm yellow shades of lamps for general lighting and gold/yellow/colored red for decorative lighting.
Ceiling spotlights on the perimeter ceiling
Spot lighting in the kitchen is usually created on a stretch or false ceiling.
Most often we are talking about round, square or rectangular spotlights, built into one line around the perimeter or over the entire ceiling area. Such lamps can be repeated more often in the area of the kitchen set and less often - in the center of the room or at the countertop, by the window. A stretch ceiling with spotlights will most likely be complemented by the main lamp - a chandelier.
LED strip along the perimeter of the ceiling in the interior
This stylish version of the LED strip around the perimeter of the room looks very stylish. It futuristically highlights the art deco accent chandelier and floor lamp.
Track profile luminaires
Track lighting in the kitchen or profile rail systems are two types of luminaires strung together in a line. Track lights are an outdoor type where the track itself is visible on the surface of the ceiling. Whereas profile rail systems are built-in long niches, from which even geometric patterns (such as rectangles or more complex shapes) can be composed.
Profile systems look especially impressive in contrasting colors (black on white, gray on white, etc.).
Illumination of built-in cupboards in the interior of the kitchen
Stylish lighting of cupboard modules can become the most important decorative element in the interior of the kitchen. Usually it works from a special switch and immediately in all lockers.
Kitchen interior with versatile built-in lighting
The versatility of built-in lighting guarantees a cozy atmosphere and highlights all dark and shady areas in the interior. Built-in lighting is never too much!
Go to the catalog of kitchens
The catalog contains all the factories producing Italian kitchens from inexpensive models to premium and elite ones.
Kitchen catalog
Modern kitchens classic kitchens Loft kitchens Kitchen Provence Neoclassical kitchens Art Deco Kitchens
Variants of a modern stretch ceiling in the dining room kitchen: 10 examples
Lighting in the living room kitchen is no different from lighting in a separate kitchen, but the ceiling design can be divided into two or three zones.
Usually - on the culinary and kitchen-dining area. At the same time, in the kitchen-living room there may be accent lamps above the dining group. The suspended ceiling in the kitchen-living room can be designed on several levels, and in a separate small kitchen, a continuous stretch ceiling is usually used.
Kitchen-living room with stretched central and suspended plasterboard ceiling
Lighting the kitchen area - its culinary part - is extremely important. Particularly important is the working lighting of the kitchen. The LED strip can be built into the headset or be installed on top of the apron. There are options for spot lighting in the headset itself, if it is provided for in the model of this brand. You also need spotlights on the ceiling directly above you when you are standing in front of the countertop, since the light of the chandelier will be blocked by your back.
Kitchen-dining room with stretch and false ceiling with a rectangular niche
Typical kitchen lighting is usually done in a modern style.
In the classics there can be openwork elements, in art deco - geometric, in neoclassical - simple moldings and decor. In general, the design of the ceiling looks modern, although the interior may reflect the fashion trends of a completely different era. Since the decoration of the ceiling is usually white, and we do not often look up, there is no dissonance in styles. Lighting in a small kitchen can be completely strict and minimalistic.
Simple stretch ceiling in a small loft style kitchen
Lighting in the kitchen with a stretch ceiling can be very different. Track lighting (and profile busbar systems), built-in spotlights, chandeliers, LED threads around the perimeter are possible here. A stretch ceiling can have zones with suspended plasterboard elements with a variety of lighting. Remember that the white kitchen needs lighting too!
Plasterboard step for built-in lighting along the set
Lighting above the kitchen - either directly above the cabinetry or at the top (crown) of the upper cabinets - can be very useful for accentuating the design of the fronts of the kitchen cabinet.
It is too far from here to the countertop to consider such lighting useful for the work area, but it can be very beautiful nonetheless.
Suspended ceiling with spotlights around the room and chandelier socket
Lamps create a safe zone for cooking, which is why proper lighting of the kitchen worktop is so important. In addition to the chandelier, we recommend spotlights at the bottom of the upper wall cabinets or an LED strip in the same place.
Design suspended ceiling with bionic shapes in contemporary style
Now consider table lighting in the kitchen (or island). The most common option involves using light from the main lamp or spotlights on the ceiling + a couple of sconces on the wall in front of the table. The option with an accent lamp (paired or even triple) right above the table can also be very interesting.
Stylish false ceiling with rounded edges and LED strip
In the interior of the futuristic kitchen in the visualization above, we see several elements of built-in lighting and super-fashionable spherical lamps on a gold frame at once. Finishing the facades in rose gold-tone metal looks simply gorgeous here!
Kitchen-living room with stretch and false ceiling with LED strip in silver
The LED strip in a silver glow on the ceiling complements this green interior with a Venetian terrazzo floor in a futuristic way.
Kitchen-dining room with LED lighting around the ceiling
Another kitchen option with LED lighting, two neoclassical chandeliers and a pair of sconces in the dining room.
Design recessed lighting in the kitchen interior
The lighting in the kitchen under the wall cabinets can be silver, pale yellow, gold or even colored - the choice is yours. By the way, the apron itself can be supplemented with lighting. Backsplash lighting, often used for onyx or marble, looks very impressive.
Recessed lighting in kitchen hood
Some household appliances have their own built-in lighting: hoods, refrigerators and freezers with glass doors, ovens (in active mode), espresso machines (in active mode), etc.
Accent ball-shaped cascade lamp above the bar
In the photo above, we show a variant of the cascading ball-shaped lamp with a gold base.
Luxurious kitchen cupboard lighting
In the visualization above, you can see a modern-style kitchen set with beautifully illuminated cupboards.
Peninsula accents and shelf lighting
Another trendy version of the double cap lamp above the bar. Pay attention to the LED strip in the design of the shelves on the side.
Design lighting for decorative shelves in the kitchen
You can see a stunning design option for shelf lighting in the design of the futuristic headset in the visualization above.
Beautiful trendy lamps in the kitchen interior
The chandelier chosen by the designer for your kitchen can be especially luxurious. There are several types of popular pendant lights suitable for kitchen interiors.
Luxurious French white chandelier with classic silhouette
For example, French classic chandeliers with crystal are one of those.
Neoclassical chandelier with gold-tone crystal elements
Blown glass chandeliers are popular in luxury interiors, especially in dining rooms.
Triple art deco spotlights over the peninsula
Also in fashion are art deco lamps, which are often made of glass with refraction, gold, metal and crystal. They usually have a geometric shape, pronounced and technical.
Parametric lamps above the kitchen island
Another popular style is modern contemporary with parametric elements. Such lamps or chandeliers can resemble the details of a spaceship and have repetitive parametric elements: circles, grids, geometric shapes such as rhombuses or others.
Neoclassical crystal chandeliers on metal steel frame
Such a neoclassical style chandelier with art deco elements will look great in any pro-French interior.
