Lighting a 10 × 16 ft kitchen
Total light needed
5,600lumens
160 ft² × 35 foot-candles
| Room area | 160ft² |
|---|---|
| Target light levelIES guidance for a kitchen | 35foot-candles |
| Total lumens | 5,600lm |
| Colour temperaturetask-heavy; add 50 fc over counters | 3000–4000K |
| Bulbs (800 lm each) | 7bulbs |
| Recessed cans (4 ft spacing)560 lm each | 10fixtures |
- Room
- kitchen
- Width
- 10 ft
- Length
- 16 ft
Where 5,600 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 160 ft² that is 5,600 lumens in total.
Split it up
One fixture putting out 5,600 lumens and 10 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.
Colour 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 colours crisp, which matters where there is work to do.
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 5,600 lm fixture and 10 smaller ones add up the same but look completely different.