While cabinets in any room in your home can serve multiple purposes, the primary one in a majority of cases is functionality. Cabinets are highly valuable for everything from storage to organization, particularly in major rooms like the kitchen and bathroom where items and clutter can easily build up.
At AWA Kitchen Cabinets, functionality and practicality are major features of all our cabinet options, from base cabinets to vanities, utility cabinets and many others. One major add-on that speaks directly to functional areas of cabinetry: Under-cabinet lighting. Let’s take a look at the basics and purposes of lighting underneath cabinets, plus detail some of the best options out there if you’re looking to add some light to these areas.
Purposes of Under-Cabinet Lighting
Lighting should be a vital consideration in any room with cabinets being installed, particularly kitchens – which we’ll use as our example room for the rest of this blog. Lighting is hugely important in several areas of the kitchen, potentially including the counters and other spaces directly below cabinets.
Generally speaking, under-cabinet lighting serves three broad purposes:
- Tasks and function: Many modern kitchens are organized in a format where overhead cabinets sit above countertop spaces, allowing for simple reach and storage while also preparing food or other items. In these cases, under-cabinet lighting can be a vital tool for being able to see well in these areas, including those that may not be exposed to much natural light due to sitting underneath cabinets. There are angled lighting formats available if you’re looking to highlight particular areas here.
- Safety: Work in the kitchen can often pose some minor risks, such as knife cuts or burns on hot surfaces, but proper lighting helps minimize these risks. Most modern under-cabinet lights will come with dimming options, allowing for whatever level of light is needed – you can even keep them on at night for a little visibility in case you or the kids happen to get up.
- Ambiance: Finally, under-cabinet lights are highly valuable for a room’s ambiance and feel. You can use these lights to help create and further a variety of moods or aesthetics.
Lighting Options and Themes
Some tips and themes to consider when selecting under-cabinet lighting:
- LED options: In most cases in 2019, you’ll want to choose LED lights that are low-voltage and energy efficient. These options use just a fraction of the energy as other lighting options, and will last longer to boot. They’re also safe to the touch and affordable.
- Colors: LED lights come in several color options, though we generally recommend neutral and natural light colors.
- Custom fitting: We’ll assist you with custom-fitting areas for your light installs.
- Wiring: There are plenty of formats that allow this kind of lighting installation to be done without involving any intrusive wires.
- Dimmer switches: As noted above, most modern lighting options will come with dimmer switches to allow you to customize light levels.
For more on under-cabinet lighting options, or to learn about any of our custom cabinetry, speak to the staff at AWA Kitchen Cabinets today.