Home Garden

Where Should I Place Under-Cabinet Lights?

Under-cabinet lights are inexpensive accessories that can instantly change the look of a room. Under-cabinet lights can be functional as well as decorative, and you should place them anywhere you need extra task lighting or above any objects or surfaces you want to highlight. The lights focus directly on countertops and other work surfaces without casting shadows, giving the room a clean, modern look. Install under-cabinet lights in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms or garages.
  1. Benefits

    • Cabinets often prevent overhead lighting from effectively illuminating a countertop or other work surface, resulting in dark, shadowy areas around the edges of the room. Under-cabinet lights are easy to install, and the hardware will remain completely hidden under most upper cabinets. The lights are also complementary accessories to many kitchen and bathroom renovation projects, since they highlight the tiny crystals inside a newly installed granite countertop and augment the modern feel of an updated room.

    Work Areas

    • Under-cabinet lights provide essential illumination for kitchen tasks such as chopping vegetables, decorating cakes or reading recipes. Install under-cabinet lights in the garage to help you complete tasks such as painting small, detailed pieces of woodwork or repairing wiring on small appliances. Under-cabinet lights in the bathroom can give you extra lighting for detailed tasks such as painting fingernails or tweezing eyebrows.

    Decorative Displays

    • Under-cabinet lights can provide dramatic lighting for countertop displays or artistic wall murals. A bright under-cabinet light can serve as a floodlight, providing a brilliant circle of illumination for a countertop display of decorative objects such as an antique bread bowl and rolling pin. Install swiveling under-cabinet lights to illuminate a custom-designed painted wall mural or artistic backsplash.

    Spacing

    • Determine the location of every under-cabinet light you plan to install before you begin the installation process. Home Improvement writer Tim Carter recommends installing one under-cabinet light for every 30 inches of counter space. Space multiple lights evenly along the length of the cabinets, and place under-cabinet lights at least five inches from the corners or ends of cabinets so the lights aren't illuminating the floor.