If you’ve taken the time to decorate your kitchen in a Tuscan style, it’s quite likely that one of the things you didn’t bother considering was what Tuscan kitchen lighting would look like to match the rest of the room! Lighting is one of the most important aspects of a kitchen, but often it gets neglected in favor of nicer cabinets, a backsplash, a new countertop – but if anyone was to look up when they entered your kitchen, would the lighting tie the theme together? Here’s a look at some of the options available to homeowners who want to recreate that authentic Tuscan theme in every area of their kitchen.

Tips on Tuscan Lighting

If you look at the rest of your home, you probably notice something similar in all the rooms – when you moved in, you removed all the old, worn-looking chandeliers and light fixtures, and replaced them with modern, clean-looking light fixtures. Maybe you’re lucky and you saved some of those older pieces, because guess what? That’s the kind of thing you need for Tuscan kitchen lighting.

When picking out lighting for your Tuscan kitchen, stay far away from anything contemporary, modern, sleek, or shiny. Muted metals are excellent for re-creating that ‘Old World’ feel, because they often have a more rustic appearance – for example, wrought iron lights are extremely popular for Tuscan kitchens. The lighting should feel antique but not gaudy, so be very careful when choosing any light fixtures that are chandeliers or pendants.

Overhead vs. Wall Lighting

To reflect the eclectic nature of the Tuscan design, it’s often a good idea to choose multiple kinds of lighting for the kitchen, and not simply rely on one overhead light to complete the job. While recessed or track lighting may seem like a good option for most kitchens, if you add that kind of light source in a Tuscan-themed area, it will look very awkward and out of place.

Instead, try a variety of lighting and don’t fight with yourself over whether to use overhead or wall lighting. With the overhead lights, choose chandeliers or pendants in muted metals with an antique look, as suggested above. However, these fixtures work best when complemented with Tuscan styled wall sconces.

Whether the shade hangs up or down, Tuscan wall sconces have defined, eye-catching lines – and to make it even more traditional, choose several sconces in bronze finish. The glass shade should be frosted white; usually two or three of these will create the desired effect.

Other Kitchen Lighting Sources

You probably converted your kitchen into a Tuscan room because of how incredible these rooms can look during the high daylight hours – in Italy, Tuscan kitchens often relied on natural sunlight to provide the light, but today’s homeowner doesn’t always have the luxury of their kitchen facing the east or west for the best sunlight hours. To compensate, get the most that you can out of natural sunlight by using light-colored curtains that can be drawn back to let the light in.

Then, to make up for the lack of sunlight on some days – but also to try and maintain a more natural look – install under-counter lighting that is hidden from view. This will recreate that sun-filled ambiance in the kitchen, maintaining the bright and multi-faceted glow that makes Tuscan decorating such a popular choice.