This is a new kitchen project we were involved with. It started off as a brand new kitchen that was originally installed by the builder of a...
This is a new kitchen project we were involved with. It started off as a brand new kitchen that was originally installed by the builder of a new house. But there were a number of issues with the kitchen, which needed our design input to fix.
One of the main things was we didn't like with the original new kitchen was the pendant lights over the island bench. These light fittings were a black onion shaped light fitting, and we didn't like the design of them. The bulbs in the light fittings also produced a lot of glare, and made the space feel uncomfortable.
Normally we dislike the trend with new kitchens in New Zealand having three lights over the kitchen bench. If we were designing the kitchen afresh, we would have probably originally installed a black linear LED pendant light. But to replace these current three pendant fittings with a single linear pendent would have required repairing holes in the ceiling and repainting it. Not to mention the electrical work that would have been needed to remove two of the wires.
We decided to embrace the three lights design, and install three PH5 Pendant Lights to replace the existing ones. The big advantage of the PH5 Pendant light fitting is that they are anti glare, and are a timeless Scandinavian design. So they look great in a modern kitchen like this. We were initially concerned that the fittings would look too large and they would look too close together, but once installed, we think they look just right.
The PH5 Pendant light fittings have been hung lower than the original fittings. But they do not get in the way, and create a more intimate setting when sitting on the bar stools. They can always be raised higher in the future if needed.
We have also installed Philips Hue colour changing LED Smart bulbs into the PH5 fittings. This allows the lights to be dimmed or change colour. Each of the three pendant lights can be individually controlled via the Philips Hue app. The Philips Hue app also allows the lights to be controlled remotely from anywhere in the world, and also be set to turn on and off at a certain time. There is a huge amount of functionality that can be achieved with Philips Hue smart lighting.
We have also installed two Philips Hue strip lights. One has been installed under the overhead wall cabinets above the bench, and one under the kitchen island illuminating the bar stools. These Philips Hue Strip lights are also smart lights, and both change colour and dim. This new smart lighting system completely changes the ambience of the kitchen space. We will add more photos showing more of the Philips Hue lights in action.
Design is subjective, and many people reading this may have preferred the look of the old light fittings and fixtures. But we are very happy with the change, and it makes the space feel far more comfortable.
Other changes to the kitchen involved finishing parts of off. Parts of the kitchen hadn't been completed, doors didn't line up and there were inconsistent gaps, so a lot of adjustment was needed. New handles were installed on the over bench cabinets, and new stainless bar handles replaced the black handles.
We are very happy with the end results. For a relatively small amount the kitchen has been transformed.
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