DIY Higher and Decrease Cupboard Lighting Tutorial | Thrifty Decor Chick

The best way to set up higher and decrease cupboard lighting with out an electrician.

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

This DIY mission provides a lot heat and curiosity to a kitchen, however it additionally capabilities nicely as a result of it creates nice job lighting at night time:

The lights and twine lights I shared years in the past have a hotter glow, however it’s quite a bit tougher to seek out these particular incandescent strips now. Additionally, they do burn out ultimately and are bulkier. 

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

We’ve got an outlet behind the fridge that I used to be capable of entry. 

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

I will go into to extra element on the professionals and cons of this LED lighting later within the put up. 

DIY cupboard lighting supplies

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 regarded nice!). Now this model provides many colours and temperature choices to select from. 

Right here they’re lit up: 

I had an outlet put in (linked to a change) 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 change. 

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

Cupboard lighting set up 

For the decrease lights I ran the wire 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 if you happen to 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 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 tremendous to painted and unfinished trim. 

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

Once you get to the tip of the place you want the lights, lower them. Be sure that to do that the place the little scissor marks are and ensure they aren’t plugged in!:

So when you’ve got a spot the place you need the lights, then a break, then you definately 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 might have a break within the cupboard over our fridge. I pulled the sunshine by behind the cupboard (the place it met up with the opposite cupboards which are additional again) and wanted to get that mild to the entrance of that cupboard (to connect the lights to the again of the header). To take action meant operating it alongside the perimeters, 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 perimeters of that cupboard, after which picked up some tiny crown molding (discovered mine at Dwelling Depot): 

Then I put in it just a little low so you’ll be able to see the glow of the lights popping out of the highest:

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

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

If I had linked wire I might have needed to cover that operating alongside the perimeters anyway, so this was a neater 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 throughout the day they usually look hotter right here. They’re LOVELY! I like the low mild at night time. 

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

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

These lights are actually nice for job lighting in a kitchen at night time, even with all the overhead lighting on: 

Professionals and cons to one of these LED cupboard lighting: 

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

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