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Help with choosing under-cabinet light

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

We will be putting in 2 wall cabinets, each 27-inches in width for a total of 54 inches. We would like to put in under cabinet lighting and have wiring available (we plan to have a dimmer switch on the wall).

Our electrician recommended Kichler brand LED lights. There will need to be two lights (one in each of the two cabinets) and I want to get the right size light for the 27-inch width.

However, it seems Kichler only makes a 22-inch light. Do you think that would work in a 27-inch cabinet, or would there be an obvious gap in the lighting?

There are other bands that make 24-inch lights, which would seem a better fit for the cabinet size, but the reviews are a bit more iffy.

Thanks!

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Comments (7)

crcollins1_gw
5 years ago
Contact InspiredLED online and they will create something to fit your space exactly, no muss no fuss. Highly recommend them.
iamtiramisu
5 years ago
^^i second this - inspiredLED was great to work with and the product is fantastic.
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Colors do render differently under different lighting. I love purples and purple looks muddy under yellow lighting (I use 5000k). My sister has fall colors in her home (gray greens, golds, deep oranges) and they look better in her 2700k lighting. My SIL like peaches and creams and light blues and went with 4000k lighting. Please do look at your colors and pick something that complements and doesn't detract from the overall aesthetic you are trying to achieve. Warm white or cream cabinets can look too yellow under lower k value lighting. Cool whites can take on a blue hue with high k value lighting.
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User
5 years ago
You want LED tape lights for almost everything. Look at Hafele.
raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Inspired LED has been spoken highly of here many times over the years.

That said, I used Utilitech (from Lowe's) 3000K LED bars, hardwired in. One thing that I like about my particular model is that even though they are on a dimmer switch, I can also turn individual lights off or on as needed which I tend to use more often than dimming.

A 24" light bar in a 27" cabinet will be perfect -- that gives you only 1.5" on either side of the light. But 22" will be just fine also. One of my light bars is only 24" in a 30" cabinet and still gives good illumination to the counter below.
lizbeth-gardener
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Look at GE Enbrighten LED under cabinet lights. They come in 12", 18" and 24". You can switch these from soft warm white (3000k), to cool white (4000k), to daylight (5000K) with a flip of the switch on the light. These are available from Amazon and HD-probably other places. Just make sure you get the Enbrighten if you want the ability to change colors.
Joy Wills
5 years ago
We went with Armacost because they were a brand that was recommended to us by the contractor and lighting guy at Lowe's. Our KD flaked out on ordering the lights he had planned so I had to find a replacement asap. Inspired LED was great and very responsive, but wouldn't have met the 2 day deadline the contractor gave us.

Either way, I agree that LED tape lights are the way to go. Just make sure your contractor/electrician has worked with them before. Ours had not, and it made describing how they should be installed a nightmare.
User
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you everyone, I appreciate it!

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