Good lighting is important in any room, but particularly so in a modern kitchen, given that it is usually a multifunctional space which needs to work just as well for cooking as for socialising and entertaining. For the best modern kitchen lighting ideas, think about a mix of three types: general for lighting the room, task to concentrate the light where the work is done, and accent to create a mood and highlight beautiful features.

Here, layers of light are provided by a row of three eye-catching ceiling pendants which illuminate the hob and kitchen island worktop, integrated colour-changing LED lights in the glazed wall cabinets for subtle glamour at night, and downlights below the wall cabinets for illuminating the sink and worktop.

General lighting in a bespoke kitchen is often provided by downlights in the ceiling, positioned to suit your space. You may want to angle them towards cabinet doors, creating a beautiful wash of light, or over work surfaces to provide bright lighting for preparing food. Set them on dimmer switches so that you can create a softer mood in the evening when you want to relax with a glass of wine or create an inviting ambience for dinner.

Integrated in-cupboard lighting comes on when the cupboard doors are open and automatically shuts off when the doors are closed. Ideal for pantry, breakfast, bar and glassware cupboards, integrated lighting performs a practical function in illuminating contents, but can also be used to highlight elegant features and luxurious materials – you might choose to leave a beautifully-lit bespoke bar cabinet open for the evening, while you enjoy your drinks.

Table lamps make a sure-fire way to introduce mid-height light. Turn off the ceiling spots and turn on a lamp for an instantly softer mood. Rechargeable table lamps are now widely available in a host of chic designs, making a useful cordless solution if you want to position a lamp a long way from a socket or on a table without the worry of tripping over trailing cables.

Wall lights are another mid-height lighting solution, useful as accent lighting and to supplement pendants, providing flexible options for lighting zones of the room according to mood. They can be used to make a room feel larger, simply by drawing the eye outwards, while wall lights on articulated arms can be angled to highlight special features or provide bright task lighting.

Pendant lights above an kitchen island, peninsula or dining area are popular and for good reason. They instantly create a focal point, enhancing the role of an island as a key feature in any contemporary kitchen, and are available in a multitude of designs to allow you to personalise your room. Odd numbers tend to look most balanced, often as a row of three, but you could hang pendants in a cluster to one side, opt for a row of five if you have a large kitchen island or go for a single showstopper. The choice is yours.

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Our expert kitchen designers can help you make the best choices for your Roundhouse bespoke kitchen or wardrobes. Visit any of our seven Roundhouse showrooms; Wigmore St, Clapham, Fulham, Richmond, Cambridge, Guildford & Cheltenham and get planning!