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Lighting Questions--Display, Pendant, and Under-Shelf

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Maybe this should be in Lighting? Or decorating? Oh well. I've searched here and both of those places to see what's recommended for IN cabinet lighting, rather than UNDER cabinet, but I haven't found much. We're planning some glass-fronted cabs (on the right in the photo below) as well as four smaller cabinets up above, and I'm wondering about peoples' experience with lighting.

Should there be LED strip along the top, bottom or side(s)? Pucks at the top? Glass shelves in the bigger cabs with lighting only at the top? Wooden shelves with lighting at each? Dimmable? Diffusers? Color temp. matching the rest of the kitchen or leaning cooler or warmer? Any other considerations (including stop overthinking)?

As for pendants, I stumbled onto these insulator pendant lights and I'm intrigued, especially since you can get vintage-looking braided red cord or red and white herringbone cloth covered cord, which might be a nice nod to our red stove. Has anyone seen these? I'm wondering if their proportions would work by the sink and if they'd cast enough light. Would doing a pair in place of each of the schoolhouse lights too be overkill?

We're also planning some open shelves for the other side of the kitchen, and I'm wondering if people put lighting only under the bottom shelf to light the counter, or under upper ones too. Preferences for puck or strip?

Thanks for any thoughts!

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Comments (5)

User
8 years ago
LED tape lighting will cover 90% of your lighting needs here. Your local Hafele dealer can fax a floor plan and elevations to Hafele, and they will design it all for you and give you a parts list.
AvatarWalt thanked User
Oaktown
8 years ago
Beautiful kitchen. I suggest you might go to a lighting store (not a big box but one that also does wiring) browse general options, and talk with a specialist first. If you go when they are slow you might get a nice free crash course. LED tape is very convenient but some folks don't like the look of all the little spots. The insulator look is cool but if you will need UL listed fixtures to pass an inspection, you might need to go to a larger retailer (think they have similar fixture at Barnlight Electric). Good luck!
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dreamhouseforsomeday
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Just a quick comment--I'd make the light over the peninsula island larger or move your pendant lights over there.
raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
8 years ago
I think the insulator lights are cool, not sure it they would be quite large enough proportionally -- didn't really see any dimensions on the site. With LED bulbs would likely be bright enough (depending on the lumens of course) and I love the idea of the red/white cord!

I personally would want all the color temps to match. When you put 2700k next to 3000k, the 2700 looks really yellow, when by itself you wouldn't notice that.
texasgal47
8 years ago
Lighting placement depends on the interior dimensions of the cabinet and type of shelves (i.e., glass vs. wood). For example, a display cabinet in the kitchen has solid shelves and is wider so led tape lighting was run up the sides, close to the cabinet front, and then across the top to meet in the middle and then exit up from there. For narrower display cabinets in the den, tape was just run up the sides. Short, wider upper cabinets in the dining room have glass shelves and mirrored sides and back. For those, led tape was just run across the top, near the cabinet front. A piece of matching batten molding was installed in front of the light tape to hide it when viewed from the front.

Display cabinets in a sitting room are lit by led light fixtures installed at the top. In that situation, it was too difficult to hard wire them to a light switch. There is a switch on the light fixture and the cord is snaked behind the cabinet and plugged in behind a sofa.
AvatarWalt thanked texasgal47

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