Adding things in a small space is challenging because the more you do, the more it gets cramped. The same goes for adding lighting fixtures. Whether mounted on the ceiling, placed on the floor or on top of a surface, it takes much consideration before getting it done! But why do you need to do so?
Lighting is necessary to brighten the space, make it more functional, and ensure safety and security. In addition, it helps with aesthetics and ambience, making everything fall into place! Without sufficient illumination, it’s impossible to utilise and appreciate the room. So, it’s crucial to have them even if you have a small home.
Besides the ceiling, walls, and furniture pieces, cabinets are another place to add lighting fixtures. Yes, it can be a bit difficult, especially in a narrow space. However, the transformation it brings is phenomenal, and all the trouble you have to go through is worth it!
So, what is cabinet lighting, and how does a well-designed system elevate your space?
The Significance of Cabinet Lighting
Lighting designers include cabinet lights in their lighting designs because they can enhance the space’s visibility, aesthetics, and functionality. How?
With cabinet lighting, you’ll have additional illumination in supposedly shaded areas. Typically, cabinetry casts shadows over practical worktops. If you have cabinet lights, these shadows are taken care of, making the place ready for meal preps and more!
Besides increasing visibility and functionality, cabinet lights can improve the room’s aesthetics. If you arrange them correctly, you can make the space more open!
Types of Cabinet Lighting Fixtures
There are three primary types of cabinet lighting fixtures: puck lights, strip lights, and recessed lights. How are each different from each other?
Puck lights resemble hockey pucks and can be battery-operated or hardwired. It often comes with an adhesive backing, making them the top pick for renters. If vertical clearance is not an issue, this is an excellent lighting fixture for you since it produces outstanding illumination and is effortless to install!
On the other hand, if you want to preserve the limited gap between your upper cabinet and countertop, you can choose between strip lights or recessed cabinet lights. A strip light is a ribbon-like circuit board with LED chips on one side and adhesive backing on the other. It’s also pretty easy to install, but you can always hire an electrician if you find these kinds of tasks daunting.
Alternatively, a recessed cabinet light will require you to trim a cut-out hole so the fitting can sit flush against the surface. While it creates a customised and elevated look, mounting requires more time because of the cut-out hole, and it’s not an option for many renters.
Choosing the Right Lighting for Small Cabinets
What cabinet light is suitable for your space? Here are some recommendations that you can try!
Puck Lights for Compact Spaces
Since puck lights have battery-operated versions, it’s the most convenient to mount in compact spaces. Once you stick the fitting onto the surface, it’s ready to brighten your area!
To get the best results with your puck lights, you’ll want to space them one to two feet apart. However, if your cabinets have a shorter distance, you’ll want to put them closer together. Also, to avoid scalloping, bring the fixtures nearer to each other.
Linear Strip Lights for Seamless Illumination
Are you not a fan of the individual streaks of luminance from puck lights? If that’s the case, you should consider a linear strip light. With this, you’ll have a continuous, uniform glow throughout the length of your cabinetry.
Since strip lights adhere to nearly any surface, you can be creative with their placement. Besides, under your cabinet, you can stick this lighting solution beneath each shelf for more lighting or use it for extra ambient lighting and mount it at the bottom of your lower cabinets!
Recessed Lights: Space-Saving Elegance
There’s nothing wrong with using puck lights or linear strip lights. However, if you want to achieve the built-in customised look, you have to use recessed cabinet lights! It’s unobtrusive and space-saving while providing sufficient luminance to increase the area’s functionality. If you own your home, use recessed lights and hardwire them into your main power supply. That way, you don’t need to worry about switching batteries.
Installation of recessed cabinet lights begins with knowledge and experience. You should have enough skills and information to mount this type of lighting, particularly if you choose to hardwire. It’s not as simple as batter-operated puck lights that are peel-and-stick. So, if you want to be sure, it’s best to call an electrician.
Say you have all the necessary tools, equipment, and data to install a recessed cabinet light. If so, go through the mounting guidelines of the model you got and follow them step-by-step. If your cabinet lights are low-voltage, ensure you have the correct LED driver to make it work. You can find this information in the product description or consult the supplier.
Smart Lighting Solutions for Cabinet Spaces
How can you make your cabinet lights more efficient and functional? If you tend to forget to switch off your lights or if you don’t want to venture into the darkness while you look for the light switch, you have to integrate smart controls. With this, you can automate the wake-up and sleep hours of your lights and manage them through your smartphone or smart speakers like Alexa or Google Home.
Depending on the features of your cabinet lights, you can also dim or brighten them or set different lighting effects to further enhance the ambience of your space!
Lighting Colour Temperature for Cabinets
The colour temperature of your cabinet lights can make it easier or harder for you. When selecting the colour temperature, consider the space. If it’s for food preparations and other tasks that require focused illumination, choose cool or natural white light. If it’s in an area mainly used for styling, you can use warm white light for extra ambient lighting. To better see the contents, cool or natural white light is the best choice for the inside of your cabinets!
Conclusion: Illuminating Small Spaces with Smart Cabinet Lighting
Cabinet lighting is a must to improve the functionality of the space, elevate its aesthetics, and boost visibility. Even if you have a small room, adding cabinet lighting is possible. You only need to find the type of fixture that works for you! So, if you’re ready to buy your fittings and don’t know where to get them, visit our website, Simple Lighting. We have an extensive collection of not only cabinet lights but indoor, outdoor and commercial lighting as well!
