Do you need a kitchen lamp?

Kitchen lighting is one of the most important considerations when planning a kitchen. Finding the right combination of task and general lighting is a challenge that usually involves several different types of lights: overhead whether pendants or recessed, under cabinet, and even within cabinets and drawers to help you find items more easily. However, Francky Knapps suggests that there is another type of kitchen lighting you need that includes an option that you might not expect to find in a kitchen: a table lamp.

Francky says that many kitchen lights can be harsh and overpowering, and notes that exposure to excess amounts of artificial light can even affect your sleep habits and health. She says that for many kitchen tasks you don’t even need that much light and that her small, inexpensive lamp provides “just the right amount of light to make popcorn, pour cereal, put the dishes away, and just generally feel like a Beatrix Potter character.”

Apparently Francky is not the only one who feels this way as there are more than 1,000 posts using the Instagram hashtag #kitchenlamp. I understand this aesthetic, as I installed an adjustable-arm light in my kitchen that has a dimmer switch and I use it, turned down to the low setting, as a ‘night light’ that stays on all evening and provides a warm glow sufficient to grab a glass of water or a cookie from the jar. I love the way it makes my kitchen look at night, like something from a still life painting. However, I prefer stronger light for most tasks and use the lamp as focused task lighting turned to its highest setting. I also wouldn’t want a lamp that sits on the counter because counter space is precious – and because I would probably break it.