I’m a big fan of indirect lighting in the kitchen. I especially love lighting over the cabinets – great for showcasing items displayed up there. Unfortunately when my apartment was rehabbed five years ago, this was not one of the features that was added. By using rope lighting and an extension cord, I was able to add it myself.
The windowless kitchen in my apartment can get awfully dark. Adding this lighting brightens not just the top of the cabinets but also the ceiling and the corners. This gives the illusion of a bigger, taller space. And in my little apartment I appreciate any assistance making it seem bigger than it is!
I stretched the rope lighting around the top edge of the cabinetry and plugged it into an extension cord. There’s a gap between the wall and the cabinetry in one corner where I was able to drop the cord near an outlet. I chose a black extension cord that essentially blends with the chalkboard paint on the wall.
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Did the same thing, but with a plug-in on/off switch, and under the cabinets. Incidentally, LED Christmas lights work just as well, and are cheaper.
Loving how the dramatic lighting brings out the warmth of the wood while playing up the sleek modern accents. Nice!
Thanks for your detailed pictures. Now I can see how I could add the same thing or under cabinet lights, without having them wired in by an electrician.
althought the light is nice, i don't like having that space above the cabinets due to the dust that collects there...becomes a bit of a chore to keep clean, imho.
I didn't realize this until recently, but a lot of accent lighting that can be used in kitchens for up- or down-lighting doesn't need to be wired directly. So if you wanted puck lights or something that directs light in a more task specific way, you could achieve it without an electrician. Maybe more people know this — I don't know a lot about lighting — but on the off chance that I wasn't the only one who didn't know, thought I'd share!
Only thing is, I find outlets are kind of a hot commodity in the kitchen. But if you really want the lighting, it's probably worth giving one up for it.
Great tip. By the way, we are remodeling a kitchen next month and our cabinets look very similar to yours. Love your hardware. Where did you get it? Thanks.
@jfw1976 - The hardware is from Home Depot or Lowe's - can't remember which.
Thanks!
"Only thing is, I find outlets are kind of a hot commodity in the kitchen."
Leviton recently came out w/ a 3-plug outlet to help solve that problem:
http://www.leviton.com/OA_HTML/ibeCCtpItmDspRte.jsp?item=68465&minisite=10026
These are available along with the approriate faceplates thru Amazon.
This is the most clever thing I've seen! I don't know why I never thought of this. immediately saved this pic in my "inspiration folder" on my macbook.
great find, bepsf!
This is a great suggestion. Thanks for posting. I was also admiring your wall-mounted spice rack. Where did you find that?
Thanks, again!