Are you countertops dark and full of clutter?
Many have no lighting under their kitchen cabinets creating a dark countertop that tends to collect clutter and small appliances, creating unusable countertop space.
Lighting is such an important element, if you light up an area you are sure to use it.
Example: if you have a backyard area for entertaining but you rarely use it, try adding some inexpensive lighting around it and watch the change happen. People flock to light just like bugs. After adding light you will definitely start using your outdoor entertainment space way more often. It’s well worth a trip to your local Target, World Market or hardware store.So by adding undercabinet lights you will gain more usable countertop space. And can’t we all use more countertop space? =)
Here are some great undercabinet light options:
#1 FLUORESCENTS (most commonly used)
Use less energy and last longer than incandescent lights (normal light bulbs). They are easily purchase at your local Home Depot, Lowes or Dixieline home centers and they come in different thicknesses. I prefer and recommend the low profile which is typically 1″ to 1 1/4″ thick, they are a little more expensive but they’re not as noticeable because they can be hidden behind the bottom cabinet moulding or the recessed area underneath your faceframed cabinet. Note: When purchasing new light bulbs, I recommend that you go with natural white light or warm colored light tubes rather than a cool ones.
#2 LED Strip Lights
These are an great choice to use with an easy stick-on installation. Although LED light fixtures tend to be a bit more expensive they are worth their weight in gold.
You can also find these in a flexable strip allowing you lots of possble places in to install them.
#3 LED Low Profile
these are great for low profile and there are a few sites online where you can find them less expensive, or try your local lighting store.
#4 LED Puck lights
New LED (Light Emitting Diodes) puck lights are the latest in technology. They will last up to 50,000 hours compared to about 2000-3000 for the halogen models and also have virtually no heat. The only disadvantages to LED is that they are not very bright compared to Halogen. The use of a LED Driver is reccomended instead of a transformer.
