DIY Higher and Decrease Cupboard Lighting Tutorial | Thrifty Decor Chick

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Learn how to set up higher and decrease cupboard lighting with out an electrician.

There are a couple of methods so as to add your personal lighting above and beneath your kitchen cupboards, and I am sharing two of the simplest choices right here.

This DIY venture provides a lot heat and curiosity to a kitchen, but it surely additionally capabilities effectively as a result of it creates nice job lighting at evening:

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The lights and twine lights I shared years in the past have a hotter glow, but it surely’s quite a bit more durable to search out these particular incandescent strips now. Additionally, they do burn out finally and are bulkier.

I a lot desire the LED gentle strips now, and that is what I’ve used for the previous few years. That tutorial remains to be useful irrespective of which possibility you select!

We’ve an outlet behind the fridge that I used to be in a position to entry.

I reduce a gap into the aspect of the cupboard after which ran the twine for the lighting by that:

Extremely simple! This Govee strip lighting is what I used for the lights underneath these cupboards. We will flip it on on the swap or from an app on our telephones.

The LED lights on this tutorial will final (practically) perpetually, are cool to the contact, have a a lot much less intrusive design and are simpler to maneuver.

I am going to go into to extra element on the professionals and cons of this LED lighting later within the publish.

DIY cupboard lighting supplies

The LED lights I used the primary time I tried this venture are simpler to make use of than rope lighting as a result of they’re so tiny and include a sticky again. That is an enormous assist.

After I purchased these years in the past, they solely got here in a single “temperature” that was a bit cooler than I most popular (however nonetheless seemed nice!). Now this model provides many colours and temperature choices to choose from.

I like to recommend the 2700k lights should you desire hotter, incandescent-like lighting. The 3100k is cooler and extra impartial.

Right here they’re lit up:

If you are going to buy these, you have to this power adapter for every run — I purchased two, one for the underneath cupboard lighting and one for the uppers:

I had an outlet put in (related to a swap) earlier than we completed up the drywall within the kitchen. It is on a wall on the finish of the higher cupboards, and I had it positioned low so it is exhausting to see:

You do not need to have a devoted outlet, it simply makes the lighting much less intrusive to the general kitchen design and makes it simple to function from a swap.

This venture will also be accomplished utilizing retailers from behind home equipment.

Operating a devoted outlet up from an present one at countertop stage is a reasonably simple job for an electrician, so don’t fret should you do not have already got one!

I used plastic cord hiders to cover all of the cords on this venture — I exploit these throughout my home:

I hate cords — it is my factor. I feel they’ll damage a ravishing venture fast so I at all times have them readily available. Take a look at all the ways I hide cords!

Cupboard lighting set up

For the decrease lights I ran the twine and canopy up inside the cupboard on the left inside. For the uppers I ran the quilt down the left aspect of the cupboard, behind the trim:

You solely see it should you search for it. There is a slight bump the place the adapter and lights join however aside from that it is seamless. If somebody ever notices it you understand what I give them — a cookie. 🙂

The strips have a sticky again — so peel the paper off and simply stick it to your floor. Mine caught high quality to painted and unfinished trim.

For the decrease cupboards I simply ran the lights alongside the again of the DIY light rails I put in:

For the uppers I ran it alongside the again of the header. I drilled holes between every set of cupboards and threaded it by:

While you get to the top of the place you want the lights, reduce them. Ensure to do that the place the little scissor marks are and ensure they don’t seem to be plugged in!:

So when you’ve got a spot the place you need the lights, then a break, then you definitely need them once more, that is your answer, however solely utilizing one 16-foot size part of lighting (per the producer).

I purchased the iron as a result of I believed I would have a break within the cupboard over our fridge. I pulled the sunshine by at the back of the cupboard (the place it met up with the opposite cupboards which can be additional again) and wanted to get that gentle to the entrance of that cupboard (to connect the lights to the again of the header). To take action meant operating it alongside the edges, which you’d see.

As a substitute of making an attempt to attach the strips, I got here up with a less complicated answer.

I went forward and ran the lights alongside the edges of that cupboard, after which picked up some tiny crown molding (discovered mine at Residence Depot):

Then I put in it a bit of low so you may see the glow of the lights popping out of the highest:

Bear in mind these are LED lights so that they keep very cool to the contact.

This can be a lighting trick you should utilize with common crown molding too! It is a cool look, particularly in a basement or theater room. It provides low ambient gentle in a room that you really want principally darkish. Simply ensure that to not have your crown go all the way in which to the ceiling.

If I had related wire I might have needed to cover that operating alongside the edges anyway, so this was a better answer.

Higher and decrease cupboard lighting consequence

I simply love, LOVE heat accent lighting, particularly in a kitchen!:

This actually reveals the true look of them when they’re on. This was through the day they usually look hotter right here. They’re LOVELY! I like the low gentle at evening.

These are simple to put in on one financial institution of cupboards like we now have right here. They’d additionally work nice in a bookcase or constructed ins.

As soon as you have had underneath cupboard lights it is exhausting to go with out them!

These lights are actually nice for job lighting in a kitchen at evening, even with the entire overhead lighting on:

Professionals and cons to any such LED cupboard lighting:

This technique works greatest when you’ve got one run of cupboards you’re lighting up. You will want an outlet for every set of cupboards.
There are remote switches you can use to turn on your lights should you join them from a non-dedicated outlet.
These lighting strips are simply manipulated and will be positioned nearly wherever!
These will not be dimmable with a regular dimmer, however you may add this dimmer for LED strip lights. It is guide although, so it must be in a spot the place you may attain it. It might be excellent for underneath the cupboards — you might connect it beneath and modify the sunshine.

If in case you have any questions on this course of please let me know. These are a extremely reasonably priced and vitality environment friendly manner so as to add accent lighting to your kitchen!

Here is a picture to pin for later in case you are :