Under Cabinet Lighting – The Good, the Bad and the Luminescent

When remodeling your kitchen, lighting and electrical should be something to consider early on in the process. We advise our customers to contact a qualified electrician who can provide tips on optimizing the lighting in a kitchen space.

Under cabinet lighting can be a great option when recessed ceiling lights are not installed directly above the counter-top or where overhead lighting is limited. Below are some helpful tips in choosing and arranging under cabinet lighting in conjunction with your kitchen renovation project:

• Selection: We recommend Xenon strip lights (as shown above), which can maximize energy-efficiency and luminosity, in a space saving package.

• Timing: If you are arranging for your existing cabinets to be remodeled, the under cabinet lighting should be installed before cabinet work begins. Be sure to advise your electrical and cabinet professionals of all intended work, so they can coordinate and finalize all necessary details for your project.

• Location: The best placement of under cabinet lights is toward the front of the cabinet, which will not only properly illuminate the work space, but also minimize glare off the backsplash.

If your lights are already located toward the back and you only want to change the fixture, there is no problem leaving their placement as is (as shown above).

• Installation: Be sure to ask your electrician to leave about an extra foot of wiring to allow the position of the lights to be arranged flush with the cabinet underside. This amount can also lend greater flexibility with placement and positioning of the light.

For our customer’s situation in the picture above, we also installed a light rail to achieve a distinguished look to the cabinetry. The use of a light rail with already flush lights is optional with respect to under cabinet lighting; more a choice of style than necessity to hide the light.

Thanks for reading!