Lighting in Kitchen Design in 2025: A Guide for Luxurious and Functional Spaces

In 2025, homeowners are becoming more design-savvy and experience-driven than ever before. Your kitchen lighting is no longer a practical afterthought in your renovation—it’s a critical design element that shapes how your kitchen feels, functions and flows. 

Whether you enjoy hosting guests in a warmly lit, atmospheric space or need bright, focused lighting for precise meal preparation, the right lighting design can transform your kitchen into a refined, multi-functional space.

At The Maker Designer Kitchens, we understand that lighting in the kitchen goes far beyond illumination—it’s about creating a curated atmosphere that complements both the lifestyle and preferred design choices of each of our clients. 

Want to know how to optimise the lighting in your kitchen so it’s both highly functional and enhances the luxurious look and feel of your new space? Here are our top lighting tips for your 2025 kitchen renovation.

Why lighting matters in the modern kitchen

Lighting plays a vital role in enhancing your kitchen’s design, usability, and emotional ambience. 

In a space that has evolved into the heart of the home—a hub for cooking, dining, working and gathering—the lighting must flexibly accommodate multiple moods and tasks. The days of relying on a single ceiling lighting fixture are long gone, and we now have so many innovative lighting solutions to illuminate every corner of your kitchen.

The luxury kitchen offers a full experience

A luxury kitchen is not just seen—it’s felt. From the warm glow on veined marble to the soft illumination under floating shelves, layered lighting helps accentuate texture, colour and your luxury material choices.

It draws the eye to architectural features, heightens atmosphere and ensures your kitchen is both visually striking and highly functional.

The three layers of kitchen lighting

To design a well-lit luxury kitchen in 2025, you need to consider three distinct layers of lighting: ambient, task and accent.

 Each plays a critical role in enhancing both practicality and visual appeal.[H3] Ambient lighting: Set the mood, define the space

Ambient lighting serves as your kitchen’s base layer—providing general illumination and establishing the overall mood. 

In open-plan homes, where kitchens often flow into dining and living areas, ambient lighting also helps define spatial boundaries.

Trends in 2025 ambient lighting:

• Minimalist downlights with low glare and warm-dimming capabilities
• Smart dimmable systems that adjust automatically to the time of day or natural light levels
• Concealed lighting channels integrated into ceilings or cabinetry for a seamless look
• Architectural pendants that double as ambient and statement lighting

You should also consider whether you want your kitchen lighting to take on a warm glow, or a cooler feel. When deciding between cool white and warm white lighting, consider the orientation of your kitchen and your desired ambiance. North-facing kitchens in Perth may benefit from cooler tones, while east or south-facing kitchens often look best with a warmer light to enhance cosiness.

Task lighting: Precision where you need it

Task lighting is about delivering targeted illumination to the zones where you work the hardest—prepping, chopping, cooking and cleaning. A well-lit work surface makes everyday kitchen activities safer, easier and more enjoyable.

Best applications of task lighting:

• LED downlights installed directly above benchtops and cooktops
• LED strip lights under overhead cabinetry to eliminate shadows on benches
• Integrated lighting in pantries, drawers and cupboards for enhanced visibility
• Over-island pendant lights, which combine functional lighting with design impact

In 2025, task lighting is all about discreet integration and tech-enhanced performance. Think motion-sensor drawer lights, app-controlled brightness levels, and linear lighting systems embedded directly into cabinetry.

When designing a kitchen with The Maker Designer Kitchens, our award-winning designers integrate lighting during the design phase, so your lighting choices are neatly integrated into the final renovation. 

Accent & feature lighting: Make a statement

Accent lighting adds drama and visual interest. From sculptural pendants to illuminated shelving, this layer lets you highlight architectural features, textures or statement pieces in your luxury kitchen.

Accent lighting applications to consider: 

• Bold pendant lights in sculptural or coloured glass above an island
• Backlit splashbacks made from reflective tiles or in a statement colour
• Shelf lighting to highlight curated displays of glassware or ceramics
• Floor-level LED strips that create a floating effect under cabinetry

In 2025, feature kitchen lighting is all about blending natural inspiration, smart technology, and sustainability. Expect to see organic-shaped biophilic pendants, mixed materials like wood, stone, and metal, and colour temperature tuning to shift light warmth based on mood or task.

We believe that your feature lighting should complement the design, not compete with it. Our design experts ensure every lighting selection enhances the overall flow and style of your custom kitchen.

Designing to optimise for natural light

No lighting plan is complete without considering natural light. It’s not only the most beautiful and flattering light source—it’s also the most sustainable.

How to harness natural light in your kitchen design: 

• Window splashbacks that look onto gardens or alfresco spaces
• Skylights or solar tubes, especially in small or inner-city kitchens
• Bifold doors that open the kitchen to outdoor entertaining areas
• Reflective surfaces like gloss cabinetry or mirrored finishes to amplify daylight

In modern kitchen design, natural light is being used in combination with smart lighting controls. These systems automatically dim artificial lighting when daylight is sufficient, creating a seamless and energy-efficient balance.

Our design team considers orientation, shading and seasonal shifts in light to maximise your home’s natural light while protecting surfaces from sun damage.

Smart lighting for smarter kitchens

As kitchens become more connected, so too does the lighting. In 2025, smart lighting is a staple in luxury kitchen design. These systems not only elevate convenience but also contribute to energy efficiency and ambience.

Features of smart kitchen lighting:

• Scene presets for cooking, entertaining, dining or cleaning
• Motion sensors for pantries or under-cabinet zones

Lighting the different zones in your kitchen

Each area of your kitchen serves a different function—and your lighting should reflect that. Here’s a quick guide to zoning your lighting with purpose.

The island

Function: Prep, serve, socialise

Lighting: Pendant lights + downlights

Design tip: Choose oversized or sculptural pendants for wow-factor

The Pantry

Function: Storage and organisation

Lighting: Motion sensor LED strips

Design tip: Recessed lighting for a clean, architectural look

Cooking zone

Function: Cooking, stovetop work

Lighting: Bright downlights or directional task lighting

Design tip: Combine with a feature rangehood light for layered effect.

Benchtop prep space

Function: Food preparation, chopping, assembling meals, work station

Lighting: Focused task lighting such as LED downlights or under-cabinet strip lighting

Design tip: Opt for seamless, integrated lighting to eliminate shadows and keep the workspace clean and clutter-free.

Dining area

Function: Eating and entertaining

Lighting: Dimmable ambient light + decorative pendant

Design tip: Soft light to create intimacy and warmth.

What should I avoid doing when selecting lighting for my kitchen renovation?

Even in luxury renovations, mistakes happen—often because lighting is considered too late in the design process. Here’s what to avoid:

• Installing only one type of lighting (e.g. all downlights, no layers)
• Overlooking switch placement—which affects flow and convenience
• Not testing light warmth in the actual space (natural light impacts this)
• Mismatched design styles—e.g. a vintage chandelier in a hyper-modern kitchen
• Forgetting dimmers—a must-have for flexible, mood-friendly lighting

Is it time to bring your dream kitchen to light?

At The Maker Designer Kitchens we’re about creating spaces that reflect your lifestyle, taste and vision. 

Our bespoke three-step design process ensures every element, including your lighting in kitchen design, is considered from the very first design.

We blend design expertise, innovative lighting solutions, and local insight to create kitchens that look as good as they feel.

Visit our award-winning showroom in Bassendean, or book a design consultation with one of our kitchen designers. 

Let’s explore how we can bring together functionality, luxury and lighting to redefine the heart of your home.