If the kitchen is the busiest room in your house, is the lighting as good as it can be? A kitchen needs a high level of lighting because of the time spent doing the many jobs performed there. Preparing and cutting food requires task lighting to ensure safety; so does reading a recipe on a cellphone. And the room itself needs good overall lighting to assure safe footing and general ambiance. If a table and chairs or counter is where you eat meals in the kitchen, lighting above the area is also necessary.
To upgrade kitchen lighting, know the room size and what you do there when you’re shopping at a lighting retailer or the lighting department in a home center. You can easily be overwhelmed by the variety of stylish designs, shapes and sizes you’ll find. Typically, a single flush-to-the-ceiling fixture is a good choice in the center of the room, providing general lighting. A short pendant, or a series of them, is often used for lighting a large peninsula or island. For dining, overhead lighting that hugs the ceiling is a popular style. No matter what design or style you choose, definitely buy an Energy Star-rated fixture, which will save you money each year in less energy costs and guarantee a high level of energy efficiency every time you flip the switch.
An electrician will charge $209, which includes labor and material, to remove and replace an old ceiling light fixture with a quality Energy Star-rated fixture. That assumes the replacement fixture will be installed in the same location as the existing fixture using the existing electrical line. If you have electrical experience and tools, you can make the swap for $95, the cost of the fixture, and pocket a 55% saving. But if a new electrical line is needed, it'll cost more, and it’s definitely a job for a professional.
No matter who does the job, consider giving the ceiling a fresh coat of paint if it’s needed before the electrical work. Schedule the paint work so you remove the old fixture, paint the ceiling and then install the new one. Both paint and a new fixture will do wonders to brighten the kitchen and the time you spend there.
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Pro Cost—DIY Cost—Pro time—DIY Time—DIY Savings—Percent Saved
$209—$95—1.0—2.5—$114—55 percent
