Expert Eye: 8 Cabinet Lighting Solutions for Your Kitchen
Illuminate your kitchen with practical and energy-efficient cabinet lighting, using these ideas as inspiration
Anne Ellard
4 May 2017
Houzz Australia Contributor. Kitchen designer at Kitchens by Kathie in Brisbane, Australia. I strongly believe that above all else, the most important thing when designing a kitchen is creating something that the client loves!
Houzz Australia Contributor. Kitchen designer at Kitchens by Kathie in Brisbane,... More
Lighting is a key element in any room of the home, but it’s most important to get it right in the kitchen. The addition of some carefully planned lighting can increase not only the aesthetics, but also the functionality of a kitchen. Always try to opt for modern LED lighting, as it’s energy efficient and therefore inexpensive to run, it emits excellent light and doesn’t get hot when in use, something that can be a safety concern when building lighting into cabinetry.
With warm, cool and coloured light to choose from, in various application methods, lighting can be added to almost any cabinetry in the kitchen. Check out these cabinet lighting ideas and see how they can improve your kitchen.
With warm, cool and coloured light to choose from, in various application methods, lighting can be added to almost any cabinetry in the kitchen. Check out these cabinet lighting ideas and see how they can improve your kitchen.
1. Display cabinet lighting
Glass door cabinets are a great place to display prized crockery collections, decorative items and glassware in a kitchen. Add extra impact to displays with the addition of some lighting inside the cabinets. Position a downlight in the top of the cabinet and use glass shelves to display items. The glass shelves will allow light to travel down right to the bottom shelf.
Tip: The same principle can be applied to open-shelf units, just remember that the lighting will highlight finger marks and dust on the shelves and on crockery. Glass-fronted doors help to keep dust out.
Light up your kitchen with LEDs
Glass door cabinets are a great place to display prized crockery collections, decorative items and glassware in a kitchen. Add extra impact to displays with the addition of some lighting inside the cabinets. Position a downlight in the top of the cabinet and use glass shelves to display items. The glass shelves will allow light to travel down right to the bottom shelf.
Tip: The same principle can be applied to open-shelf units, just remember that the lighting will highlight finger marks and dust on the shelves and on crockery. Glass-fronted doors help to keep dust out.
Light up your kitchen with LEDs
2. Island overhang lighting
LED strip lighting, or LED downlights, can be fixed to the underside of the overhang at the back of an island bench, and be used to highlight an interesting back panel.
This lighting is intended to be purely ambient and doesn’t serve as a form of task lighting. Use these lights to create a dramatic effect in the kitchen, particularly after the main task lighting in the space has been turned off at the end of the day.
Tip: Put the lights on a dimmer, which can be operated either by a switch located near the lights or by remote control, to lower or brighten the lights depending on the occasion and the mood you want to create.
LED strip lighting, or LED downlights, can be fixed to the underside of the overhang at the back of an island bench, and be used to highlight an interesting back panel.
This lighting is intended to be purely ambient and doesn’t serve as a form of task lighting. Use these lights to create a dramatic effect in the kitchen, particularly after the main task lighting in the space has been turned off at the end of the day.
Tip: Put the lights on a dimmer, which can be operated either by a switch located near the lights or by remote control, to lower or brighten the lights depending on the occasion and the mood you want to create.
3. Kickboard lighting
Kickboard lighting creates the illusion of more floor space, particularly when used in conjunction with a reflective floor surface. A low-profile LED strip is the perfect fitting to use here. Put the strip inside a diffuser so that the individual LED diodes are not as visible in the reflection on the floor.
These lights can also be placed on a dimmer switch so that their brightness can be easily controlled. The kickboard lighting in this kitchen makes the cabinets almost look like they are floating above the ground.
Kickboard lighting creates the illusion of more floor space, particularly when used in conjunction with a reflective floor surface. A low-profile LED strip is the perfect fitting to use here. Put the strip inside a diffuser so that the individual LED diodes are not as visible in the reflection on the floor.
These lights can also be placed on a dimmer switch so that their brightness can be easily controlled. The kickboard lighting in this kitchen makes the cabinets almost look like they are floating above the ground.
4. Above-cabinet lighting
The lighting located above the cabinets in this kitchen shines upward towards the ceiling, creating a feeling of grandeur. The ceiling immediately feels higher than if there were no lights and just dark shadows above the cabinets. Strip lighting is a really good option here, as it creates a continuous flood of light with no breaks.
Tip: The lights can either be hardwired to a switch next to the switch for the ceiling lights, or they can be plugged into a power point and operated by a hand sensor located under the overhead cabinets.
In an all-white kitchen, if you feel brave enough, you can add colour to the space by selecting coloured LED lighting, which can be changed from white to yellow, red, green or even purple and orange.
Expert advice: how to get kitchen lighting right
The lighting located above the cabinets in this kitchen shines upward towards the ceiling, creating a feeling of grandeur. The ceiling immediately feels higher than if there were no lights and just dark shadows above the cabinets. Strip lighting is a really good option here, as it creates a continuous flood of light with no breaks.
Tip: The lights can either be hardwired to a switch next to the switch for the ceiling lights, or they can be plugged into a power point and operated by a hand sensor located under the overhead cabinets.
In an all-white kitchen, if you feel brave enough, you can add colour to the space by selecting coloured LED lighting, which can be changed from white to yellow, red, green or even purple and orange.
Expert advice: how to get kitchen lighting right
5. Lighting under overhead cabinets
Under-cabinet lighting serves two purposes, creating both ambient lighting and task lighting. Under-cabinet lighting that also illuminates the benchtop space creates a much more user-friendly area in which to prepare food.
I always suggest putting under-cabinet lighting on a hand sensor switch, located in an area where you are most likely to stand when working at the bench. This ensures that you can quickly and easily turn the lights on as you need them. A hand sensor also eliminates the need to touch a button or switch, perfect for when your hands are covered in flour or a sticky mess.
Under-cabinet lighting serves two purposes, creating both ambient lighting and task lighting. Under-cabinet lighting that also illuminates the benchtop space creates a much more user-friendly area in which to prepare food.
I always suggest putting under-cabinet lighting on a hand sensor switch, located in an area where you are most likely to stand when working at the bench. This ensures that you can quickly and easily turn the lights on as you need them. A hand sensor also eliminates the need to touch a button or switch, perfect for when your hands are covered in flour or a sticky mess.
6. Backlit onyx stone
This is probably one of the most dramatic ways (and, I should also add, one of the most expensive) to add impact through lighting in the kitchen. Onyx is a semi-precious stone that can be used in many applications, such as benchtops, splashbacks and wall panelling.
Many onyx benchtop designs (although not all) have natural translucency, which means they can be backlit, as shown here on the island back panel. Select cool or warm light for the lighting, depending on the colour of the stone, and consider putting the lighting on a dimmer switch.
Browse more onyx in kitchens
This is probably one of the most dramatic ways (and, I should also add, one of the most expensive) to add impact through lighting in the kitchen. Onyx is a semi-precious stone that can be used in many applications, such as benchtops, splashbacks and wall panelling.
Many onyx benchtop designs (although not all) have natural translucency, which means they can be backlit, as shown here on the island back panel. Select cool or warm light for the lighting, depending on the colour of the stone, and consider putting the lighting on a dimmer switch.
Browse more onyx in kitchens
7. In-drawer lighting
This is the luxe end of lighting. While not essential, in-drawer lighting makes items inside the drawer more visible while adding a wow factor. This is particularly useful in deep or utensil drawers where there are a mix of contents. It is also a great addition in cabinets that have black, or very dark-coloured internal carcasses. These lights are generally activated by opening the drawer, and deactivated by closing it.
Check with your cabinet designer to make sure such lighting is compatible with the drawer hardware they supply, and if any alterations need to be made to the cabinetry to accommodate them.
This is the luxe end of lighting. While not essential, in-drawer lighting makes items inside the drawer more visible while adding a wow factor. This is particularly useful in deep or utensil drawers where there are a mix of contents. It is also a great addition in cabinets that have black, or very dark-coloured internal carcasses. These lights are generally activated by opening the drawer, and deactivated by closing it.
Check with your cabinet designer to make sure such lighting is compatible with the drawer hardware they supply, and if any alterations need to be made to the cabinetry to accommodate them.
8. Lighting inside pantry
A walk-in pantry is on the top of many of my clients’ wish lists when designing a new kitchen, as is an appliance centre similar to the one pictured here. The addition of some LED strip lighting in the top of such cabinetry makes the contents more visible and the cabinet more user-friendly.
The strip light should be set towards the front of the cabinet, and the shelves set back slightly to ensure the light can shine down to the base of the cabinet. Consider putting pantry lighting on a door sensor so that the lights automatically turn on when you open the doors, and off when you close them, eliminating the need for a switch.
Tell us
What types of lighting have you designed for your kitchen, and how does it benefit the space? Share your design tips in the Comments below.
More
Read more lighting stories
A walk-in pantry is on the top of many of my clients’ wish lists when designing a new kitchen, as is an appliance centre similar to the one pictured here. The addition of some LED strip lighting in the top of such cabinetry makes the contents more visible and the cabinet more user-friendly.
The strip light should be set towards the front of the cabinet, and the shelves set back slightly to ensure the light can shine down to the base of the cabinet. Consider putting pantry lighting on a door sensor so that the lights automatically turn on when you open the doors, and off when you close them, eliminating the need for a switch.
Tell us
What types of lighting have you designed for your kitchen, and how does it benefit the space? Share your design tips in the Comments below.
More
Read more lighting stories
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No windows? Why? We are just thinking about these things in the last week as we are doing our coach up. Love the indoor lighting idea for the draws....http://bigbusbigadventure.com
Hahahaa... had this discussion an another site about kickboard lighting... consensus was 'why would you want crumb-lighting?'
I suggested that the weird glow would feel as if Voldemort was about to pop out of a drawer, or that the fridge would shortly be replaced by the tardis.
Couple of people I asked thought it 'looked cool', but I couldn't for the life of me get a reason why.
Of course, that's just my opinion - the world would be boring if everyone liked the same stuff. My Mother-in-law loves it. She loves any lights - fair enough.
I can't understand when you'd be bothered to switch it on... parties? I don't really see the point. Does anyone have and love them? What do you love about them?
I don't really get the lights in the drawers thing, unless the room was very, very dark.
Some of this lighting that companies are pushing now just seems like a profligate waste of power and resources to me. Even with the small power use of LEDs. A kind of 'keeping up with the neighbours' thing.
I think it's fab for places where it's needed, though, like counter tops. I must say that that particular example of backlit stone made me feel a little nauseous. And I don't think I'd want my knees lit up like Christmas, sitting at the island. I'd feel a little exposed!