KelvinPlanHow much light each room needs, and what color it should be.

How many lumens for a 22 × 26 ft kitchen?

Total light needed
20,020lumens
572 ft² × 35 foot-candles
kitchen · 22×26 ft22 ft26 ft20,020 lumens total · about 26 fixtures · 3000–4000K
Room area572ft²
Target light levelIES guidance for a kitchen35foot-candles
Total lumens20,020lm
Colour temperaturetask-heavy; add 50 fc over counters3000–4000K
Bulbs (800 lm each)26bulbs
Recessed cans (4 ft spacing)557 lm each36fixtures

Notes

  • Foot-candles are lumens per square foot at the work surface. Ceilings above 9 ft, dark walls or dark flooring all eat light — add roughly 10% per extra foot of ceiling height.
  • Spread the total across several fixtures rather than one bright source. One 20,020 lm fixture and 36 smaller ones add up the same but look completely different.

Where 20,020 lumens comes from

Lighting is specified in foot-candles — lumens landing on each square foot of the surface you care about. A kitchen is worked to 35 foot-candles. Across 572 ft² that is 20,020 lumens in total.

Split it up

One fixture putting out 20,020 lumens and 36 fixtures adding up to the same number light a room very differently. A single source throws hard shadows and glare; several spread the light and make the room feel larger. Aim for layers — ambient, task, and something low for the evening.

Color temperature

3000–4000K suits this room. Warmer light reads as relaxed and is what you want where people wind down; cooler light keeps edges and colors crisp, which matters where there is work to do.

Nearby sizes

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