How to Choose Downlights for a Kitchen

Downlights are the workhorse of kitchen lighting: they light worktops evenly, stay out of the way of cupboard doors and extractor hoods, and look clean on a flat ceiling. The choices come down to five things: recessed or surface-mount, the cut-out size, the lamp type, the colour of the light, and how many you need. This guide walks through each so you can order the right fittings first time.

1. Recessed or surface-mount?

Recessed downlights sit inside a hole cut in the ceiling, so the ceiling stays flat. They need a ceiling void above deep enough for the fitting (each listing shows the height) and are the usual choice for plastered or board ceilings. Surface-mount downlights bolt onto the face of the ceiling, so they suit concrete slabs, exposed beams and any room where you cannot cut into the ceiling. They stand about 90mm proud of the surface and come in round and square versions.

Our downlight range has both: recessed fittings with 60mm to 75mm cut-outs, and round and square surface-mount fittings around 94–96mm across.

2. Check the cut-out size

If you are replacing existing recessed downlights, measure the hole in the ceiling, not the visible trim. Most of our recessed downlights show the cut-out size in the title (for example "68mm cut-out" or "75mm cut-out"); where it is not in the title, it is in the product details. Matching the cut-out means no patching and no gaps. For a new ceiling, the electrician will cut to the size of the fitting you choose, so pick the look first.

3. GU10 fittings or integrated LED panels?

Most of our downlights are GU10 fittings: the fitting holds a separate GU10 LED lamp, which you buy with it. The advantage is flexibility. You choose the wattage, the beam and the colour temperature, and when a lamp eventually fails you replace just the lamp. Our LED bulb range includes GU10 lamps in 3000K, 4000K and 6000K, with dimmable options.

Integrated LED panel downlights, such as the Synerji slim LED panel downlight, have the LED built in and are very thin, which helps in a shallow ceiling void. The whole fitting is replaced at end of life rather than just a lamp.

4. Pick the colour of the light

• 3000K (warm white) is soft and homely. It suits kitchens that open onto a living or dining area, and it flatters wood and warm finishes.
• 4000K (cool white) is crisp and neutral. It is the most popular choice for working kitchens because colours and food look natural under it.
• 6000K (daylight) is very bright and blue-white. It is better suited to garages and workshops than to a kitchen you cook and eat in.

Keep the same colour temperature across all the downlights in one room. Mixed colours on one ceiling is the most common mistake we see.

5. Fixed, tilt or anti-glare?

Fixed downlights point straight down and are right for general lighting across the floor. Tilt downlights can be angled, which lets you wash light onto a feature wall, the front of tall cupboards or a splashback. Anti-glare fittings set the lamp deeper in the housing so you do not see a bright spot when you look up, which is worth it over a kitchen island or breakfast counter where people sit under the lights.

6. Over the sink and in wet areas

A downlight directly above a sink, or in a scullery or bathroom, should be splash-proof. Look for an IP65 rating, such as the Synerji splash-proof recessed downlight. Standard IP20 fittings are fine for the rest of the kitchen ceiling.

7. How many downlights, and where

A simple rule of thumb for a kitchen: space downlights roughly 1 to 1.5 metres apart, and keep the outer row about 0.5 metres from the walls so light falls on the worktops rather than on the top of the wall units. Plan a row over each run of worktop and one over the island, then fill the centre of the room. A 3m × 4m kitchen typically takes six to eight GU10 downlights.

If you would like a second opinion on a layout, send us your kitchen plan on WhatsApp (081 696 3851) with the ceiling height and we will suggest a count and spacing from the fittings we stock.

8. Dimming

If you want to dim the kitchen in the evening, choose dimmable GU10 lamps and have your electrician fit a dimmer that is rated for LED. Non-dimmable lamps on a dimmer flicker or fail early.

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All downlights · GU10 and LED bulbs · Ceiling lights

Free delivery on orders over R2,000 across South Africa. All mains-powered fittings must be installed by a qualified electrician.