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For best results, choose a finish that closely resembles your cabinets. To ensure even lighting across the counter, use light bars that closely match the width of your cabinets. If you’re using puck lights instead, place them 8-12″ apart for even light distribution, or space them out further to create pockets of light.
What is the best light color for under cabinet lighting?
Best Color for Under Cabinet Lighting 2700K is considered the same color as the classic incandescent light bulb. 3000K is slightly bluer and is similar to halogen bulb light color, but still has a warm, inviting yellow color to it.
How many lumens do you need for under cabinet lighting?
For under cabinet lighting, you should look for fixtures that produce at least 250 lumens per foot. Therefore, if your fixture is 24 inches long, you want it to produce at least 500 lumens. This should provide enough light across your counters.
Should under cabinet lighting be warm or cool?
A cooler temperature is often the best choice for task lighting because it is brighter, making it easier to see what you’re doing. For kitchens, think 4200K and higher. If you are adding under cabinet lighting to the cabinets in your lavatory or bathroom, you will want a warmer and more flattering light.
Do under cabinet lights go in front or back?
When mounting any fixture under a cabinet, position it to the front. If there is a lens, face it toward the backsplash. The bottom-front rail of the cabinet should hide the fixture from your line of sight, whether you’re standing or seated. A plug-in fixture may be used for short runs of under-cabinet lighting.
What color lighting is best for kitchen?
Warm white (3,000 to 4,000 Kelvin) is more yellowish-white. These bulbs are best suited for kitchens and bathrooms. Bright white (4,000 to 5,000 Kelvin) is between white and blue tones.
How do you hide the wires under cabinet lighting?
One of the simplest solutions to unsightly under-cabinet wires is using a cable protector. You can secure the wiring into one bundle with tie wraps and adhere it to the cabinet’s underside with staples. The wiring length itself should extend directly from the light to the wall.
Is 5000K too bright for kitchen?
5000K is ideal for kitchens with white cabinetry and a modern to transitional style. If you have a darker kitchen with traditional wood color cabinets, a 3000K light would be optimum. It’s important to use kelvin temperature within kitchens instead of warm white, neutral or cool white terminology.
Is cool white or warm white better for eyes?
Warm white is more relaxing for the eyes and softens the skin tone and reduces imperfections. We all look better in warm white. We recommend Cool White for: For LED lighting under kitchen cabinets, most people will turn to Cool White.
Do under cabinet LED lights need a transformer?
When installing low voltage under cabinet lights, you will have to take some special measures. You’ll need a transformer to convert your home’s voltage supply to a much Page 11 11 lower number, and if you plan to use any accessories, like dimmers, they’ll need to be compatible with your lighting system.
Where should under cabinet LED lights be placed?
If you want to install under cabinet lighting as task lighting, you should place the strip lights closer to the middle front edge of the cabinets, so the countertop will be exposed to as much light as possible. For ambient or accent lighting, you may want to place them closer to the back edge.
Where should LED strip lights be placed?
To level up your light design, try installing LED strips in these five places around your home. Under cabinets. As the name implies, under-cabinet lighting illuminates areas underneath your cabinetry. Along toe kicks. Under shelves. Under the bed. Behind computer and TV screens.
Are LED lights good for kitchen?
LED lighting also produces a higher quality of light that reduces heat and reveals color better, which is important for task lighting in the kitchen. And, LED kitchen lighting lasts longer and is more durable than traditional lighting, meaning you won’t have to worry about frequent maintenance to change bulbs.
Are LED lights bright enough for a kitchen?
Brightness = Safety The bright, clean light that LEDs create makes it much easier to use your kitchen. With low light halogen or incandescent bulbs, it is difficult to see what you are doing unless you are directly under or next to the light.
How bright should my kitchen lighting be?
In the kitchen, the recommended brightness levels run about a powerful 4,000-8,000 lumens with a recommended LED color temperature of around 2,700-5,000 K. Your dining room, on the other hand, warmer temperatures will bring coziness to any dinner party.
What kind of wire do you use for under cabinet lighting?
Although wire size ultimately depends on your light-fixture manufacturer’s specifications, 12-gauge wire is standard for most incandescent and fluorescent under-cabinet fixtures. A basic installation requires a 12-2 NM cable.
How do you hardwire LED under cabinets?
Then, follow these steps for installation: Disconnect the power. Locate the correct breaker and turn off the power supply to the switch outlet where you’re going to connect the lights. Attach the lights. Cut the wall. Run the wire. Run the cord. Connect the lights. Wire the switch. Cover your work.
Can LED strip lights be hardwired?
When hardwiring the strips, you will just need to make solid connections between all your strip wires to the output wires on the power supply. This can be done with wire nuts or wiring all strips to a common positive and negative wire so you can make a one to one connection with the hardwired power supply.
Is 6500K good for kitchen?
6500K lights are very good for all areas which require a high concentration and focus. This can be office spaces or other industrial areas and even your garage and your kitchen at home. Many other rooms and applications like applying makeup require warmer lights which fells more comfortable and cozy.
Is 6500K too bright for kitchen?
Generally, ‘warm’ light is anything 3000K or lower, while ‘cool’ light is 4000K or above. 4000-4500K: produces a bright white light that’s ideal in kitchens, offices, workspaces and vanities where detail-oriented tasks are performed.
How do I choose a light bulb color?
Light color or appearance is measured on the Kelvin (K) temperature scale, and it’s the difference in soft white versus daylight bulbs. Lower Kelvin numbers mean more yellow light; the higher the Kelvin number, the whiter or bluer the light.
