Tips for Lighting Modern Outdoor Kitchens

An outdoor kitchen can be a great space for summertime hangs and family BBQs! But when the sun goes down, you’ll want to continue enjoying your outdoor space without interruption. To ensure you can cook, host, and party during all times of the day or night, you’ll need some outdoor kitchen lighting.

We believe that even your outdoor lighting must enhance your space with more than just illumination; it should create a comfortable atmosphere and express your personality. If you’re ready to plan some modern outdoor kitchen lighting that matches your aesthetic, follow along as we explore the most important things to consider before getting started. Then, we’ll wrap up with some unique ideas, including outdoor kitchen pendant lighting, string lights, and much more! 

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Important Tips for Outdoor Kitchen Lighting

Lighting your kitchen may strike you as basic. You just need overhead lights so you can see what you’re chopping or grilling, right? Wrong! There are actually several factors for modern outdoor kitchen lighting that are essential to the functionality and beauty of your space.

Understanding Where You Should Use Lighting

Outdoor kitchen lighting is very similar to indoor kitchen lighting. Layered lighting is ideal for every area where you’ll be prepping, cooking, and sitting. Because your cooking area needs practical lighting, it will naturally be brighter than the seating area, where the vibe is more relaxing. Some of the key areas you should light in the prep area include:

• Overhead lighting for countertops where you prep the food
• Overhead lighting for cooking appliances, like grills, mixers, or outdoor stovetops
• Wall sconces for storage appliances, like refrigerators and cabinets

You should also make sure you have enough lighting to illuminate walkways throughout your cooking area, as well as to and from your seating areas.

Lighting Covered Outdoor Kitchens

Outdoor kitchen lighting for covered kitchens is a lot easier than lighting an open-top space. You now have the perfect structure for installing even more fixtures overhead, including outdoor kitchen pendant lighting. 

Post lighting is when you specifically illuminate the structure posts in your space. You can use outdoor pendant lights and unique string lights to create a design that frames your seating area with light and reflects light down from the rafters. Direct your modern outdoor kitchen lighting more effectively indoor/outdoor shades (we’ll talk more about this later)!

Lighting An Open Air Kitchen

Without a kitchen roof or other awning cover, outdoor kitchen lighting can be a little more difficult — but it’s not the end of the road! Instead of using the rafters to hang your lighting, you’ll have to focus a bit more on connecting and layering string lights between the structures of your home and garage, for example. 

You can also supplement your existing outdoor wall sconces with string lights to accent certain places with layered lighting that gently illuminates a more intimate space.

Kitchen Adjacent Lighting Essentials

While you’ve probably got a lot of thoughts on how to light up your cooking and seating areas, there are a few other places you should incorporate lights, including:

• Areas where there are changes in elevation to ensure safety
• Walkways so guests can see where the pathways are
• Bathrooms and handwashing stations so they’re easy to find

You can use any type of lighting here, depending on what installation options are available. Explore plug-in overhead lighting options that can accommodate any type of space, noting that if your outdoor kitchen is completely covered, enclosed, and protected from the elements, you may consider using some indoor light fixture styles.

Three Types of Lighting

We’ve mentioned layered lighting already, but we’re going to briefly cover it to ensure you understand exactly what you need for outdoor kitchen lighting.

• Ambient Lighting: Softer, more general lighting that provides overall coverage for the entire space. This type of lighting should put your guests at ease and make them feel welcome.
• Task Lighting: Practical lighting for essential spaces, like your kitchen prep area or walkway steps. It’s the lighting you need to ensure safety when cooking or walking around in your outdoor spaces.
• Accent Lighting: More artistic lighting that creates shadows and shapes. You can highlight artwork, the textures on the walls, or the flowers in your garden with subtle, angled lighting.

Wherever you choose to place your lighting, just make sure no fixture is angled to shine directly into anyone’s eyes.

Outdoor Kitchen Lighting Inspiration

Now it’s time to take a look at some of our top recommendations to find inspiration for lighting your own outdoor space!

Check out our swag hooks to make positioning these string lights around your space a breeze!

Ready to get started? Browse the collection of fixtures at Color Cord Company today to find the perfect outdoor kitchen lighting for your space!