Under Cabinet Lighting

Why We Love Under Cabinet Lighting

All the components for creating the perfect under cabinet light for your kitchen can be found here, from hardware parts to complete kits, light bars and rope lights. Many of these under cabinet and under counter lights can be linked so the entire kitchen counter can be lit, and there are LED under cabinet lights and fluorescent options available so hard-to-reach bulbs won't need replacing nearly as often. With a mix of under cabinet light fixtures, your well-lit countertops will round out the look of your kitchen.

Where Under Cabinet Lighting Works Best

Puck lights and light bars are at home under kitchen cabinets and counters, shining useful atmospheric lighting on dishware and utility space. They are the ideal source of task lighting, perfect for making sure you pick up on every single line of your favorite recipe. Or use them to add an ambient touch of light to counters that will pair well with suspensions or wall lights in the room. But under cabinet lighting doesn't have to be restricted just to the kitchen. This style of accent lighting is also handy for the office space. Many office desks benefit from the addition of bright downlighting, making computer screens and paperwork much easier to see, avoiding eye strain and fatigue. And if you have storage cabinets in your garage, light bars and puck lights are great options for adding illumination over workbenches, too.

A Counter Light Fixture for Every Style

For every style and every need, an under cabinet light system is a go-to choice for optimal task illumination. These unobtrusive accent fixtures seamlessly blend into kitchens without disturbing the existing decor of the room. Legrand Adorne offers a complete under cabinet lighting system with a variety of options for different switches and outlets. From parts and connectors to the fixtures themselves, you'll find everything you need to get a system up and running. The Unilume collection from Tech Lighting graces contemporary kitchens and also includes every item you need to set up a full system. Finally, to achieve bright counter lighting from energy efficient fixtures, look to the assortment available from WAC Lighting.

How to Choose Under Cabinet Lighting

With so many options and styles to choose from, selecting the right under cabinet lighting system for your home requires research to determine exactly what you need. Follow these questions to help ensure you choose the best system for your application.

• What is the right size?

  First, assess your kitchen's size to know how big of a counter lighting system you will need. Most styles of under cabinet lights can be connected together to accommodate kitchens of all shapes and sizes. Appropriately measure the amount of space available under each cabinet, as well as any standalone cabinetry you plan to illuminate.

• What components do I need?

  Depending on how much counter space you want to light up, you'll find there are a variety different components to do so. Here you can find under cabinet puck lights to cast a rounded, centralized amount of light on your countertops, as well as elongated light bars that will cover a much larger area. Most under cabinet light bars are adjustable to fit within the layout of your kitchen cabinets. You can then choose to add smaller button lights to the set up to completely round it out. The right combination of under cabinet light fixtures is up to your kitchen's layout and your own personal aesthetics. Complete kits are available as well so you can get everything set up in one fell swoop.

• Do I want an LED under cabinet system?

  The short answer is yes. Using an under cabinet light system with LED light sources will guarantee you the brightness you want in task areas like the kitchen and you'll likely never have to replace the fixtures (most LEDs have a 25+ year life expectancy). However, under cabinet systems are offered with other light sources including incandescent and xenon bulbs.

• How bright will my under cabinet lighting be?

  These brightness of these light fixtures is measured in lumens and the Kelvin temperature of the light. The higher the Kelvin (typically expressed in K), the whiter the light and the higher the lumen output, the brighter it will be.

• Can I dim my under cabinet lighting?

  Absolutely! Place your new under cabinet fixtures on a dimmer switch to effectively control the mood of your kitchen. When combined with overhead lighting in the space, you'll have no trouble creating the perfect ambiance you want.

• Installation: Hardwired or Plugged In?

  Once you know the different fixtures you want to outfit your system, you need to decide how the system will receive power. In most cases, you will need to hardwire the fixtures into your existing electrical output. However, some button lights and light bars can simply plug into the nearest power outlet. If you have installation questions, we recommend consulting with your electrician.

Other Considerations

Counter illumination from accent lights should only be one element of your kitchen's overall lighting design. Look to additional fixtures to dress up the space with. Appropriate kitchen lighting can be comprised of pendants, island lighting, wall sconces and a ceiling fan if you need to keep air moving around the room. And as another form of accent lighting, consider picture lights for the living room and dining room. Picture and display lights are great ways of drawing attention to works of art and creating new layers of illumination in the home.