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Discover our productsLighting by room
In a kitchen, a single central ceiling light is not enough: it lights the back of whoever is working and leaves the worktop in their shadow. Strips in profiles under the wall units, pendants over the island and BBC airtight downlights in the ceiling combine into layers, each controlled separately.
300 to 500lux
LED strip in a profile fixed under the wall units, at the front edge, to light the full depth of the worktop without cast shadows; with no wall units, line up ceiling downlights above the front edge.
LED Profiles300lux
Pendants 65 to 75 cm above the surface, one every 60 to 80 cm, on a separate dimmable circuit to switch from cooking to dining.
Pendant Lights150 to 300lux
Recessed downlights in a regular grid, 50 to 60 cm from the unit fronts so they do not light the user's back; IP44 near the hood and hob because of greasy vapour.
Spots BBC LED100 to 200lux
Strip or cabinet spotlights in alcoves, display cabinets and cupboard interiors, with a door-activated sensor; keep the driver accessible and ventilated.
Lighting for Furniture500lux
Waterproof battens with closed diffusers, smooth and easy to degrease, in rows above the workstations; every area of a restaurant is covered on our hospitality and restaurant page.
Waterproof LED Strips| Zone | Illuminance (lux) | UGR max | CRI min | Recommended IP / IK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worktop | 300 to 500 | 90 | IP20 | |
| Island / table | 300 | 90 | IP20 | |
| General lighting | 150 to 300 | 90 | IP20 to IP44 | |
| Under wall units / alcoves | 100 to 200 | 90 | IP20 | |
| Restaurant kitchen | 500 | 22 | 80 | IP65 |
No standard sets illuminance levels for homes: residential values are Silumen recommendations, while professional kitchen values come from NF EN 12464-1 (restaurants).
Other rooms and applications
No standard sets a value for homes. We recommend 300 to 500 lux on the worktop, 300 lux on the island or table and 150 to 300 lux for general lighting. In professional kitchens, NF EN 12464-1 requires 500 lux.
3,000 K in a kitchen open to the living area, to stay consistent with the lounge. 4,000 K suits a closed kitchen or the worktop alone. Avoid mixing two whites in the same field of view, and choose a CRI of 90 to judge cooking and the freshness of food.
With an LED strip in an aluminium profile with an opal diffuser, fixed under the unit at the front edge. The profile dissipates heat, hides the individual LEDs and protects the strip. Measure the total length of the units, size the driver with a 20% margin and, if needed, add a sensor switch.
65 to 75 cm between the bottom of the pendant and the surface. Any higher and the light dazzles seated guests; any lower and it blocks the view and gets in the way. Over a 2 m island, two or three pendants spaced 60 to 80 cm apart spread the light evenly.
The kitchen is the room where you work most with your hands: chopping, weighing, keeping an eye on the cooking. A single ceiling light in the middle of the room puts you in your own shadow as soon as you turn to the worktop. The right approach combines three layers of light, each on its own circuit: general lighting, task lighting on the work surfaces and accent lighting for atmosphere.
This is the priority zone. Under wall units, an LED strip set in an LED profile with an opal diffuser gives a continuous line of light, with no visible dots and no glare on a glossy splashback. Fix it at the front edge rather than against the wall: the light then covers the full depth of the worktop. Aim for 300 to 500 lux and a CRI of 90. COB LED strips, with no visible dots, are the most comfortable choice here.
Above an island, pendant lights structure the space and mark out the dining area of an open-plan kitchen. Hang them 65 to 75 cm above the surface and put them on a dimmer: full brightness for cooking, low light for dinner. Choose models with a diffuser or a concealed source so as not to dazzle seated guests.
Recessed downlights in a regular grid give even light over walkways and unit fronts. Place the first row 50 to 60 cm from the units, not above the user's head. Under an insulated ceiling, BBC airtight downlights preserve the air-tightness required by the French RE2020 regulation. Near the hood and hob, choose at least IP44: greasy vapour quickly clogs an open fitting.
Cabinet lighting adds the depth many kitchens lack: a spice alcove, a display cabinet, an open shelf. A sensor-activated strip inside a wall cupboard helps you find a utensil without switching on the whole room. Keep the same white as the rest of the kitchen for a consistent result.
Mixing cool white on the worktop with warm white on the ceiling in a kitchen open to the living area. Fitting downlights too close to the unit fronts, which creates bright patches on the wall units. Forgetting to make the pendants dimmable. Hiding a driver behind a unit with no ventilation and no access to replace it.
In professional kitchens, NF EN 12464-1 requires 500 lux at the workstations. Waterproof LED battens with closed diffusers are easy to clean and withstand splashes. For a residence, a hotel or a restaurant kitchen, send us your plans: our lighting study is free for professionals and we send quotes within 24 working hours.
