| Cabinet lighting is the process of lighting the interior and | | | | 20th century, and they still have that Golden Age |
| the contents of any cabinet. Such a cabinet can exist | | | | ambience. The slightly golden tint to their light makes |
| purely for the purposes of display, as is the case with | | | | them much warmer than natural sunlight. |
| many antique reproductions and fine china displays, or | | | | The drawbacks to incandescent lamps, however, are |
| it may exist for a functional purpose, such as those | | | | the same ones faced by Thomas Edison. They are |
| used in large residential kitchens or retail displays. | | | | notorious power hogs. They don't last for very long at |
| The reason for specialized cabinet lighting is that even | | | | all, so you have to keep buying replacements. They |
| the brightest of general room lights are simply too dim | | | | also tend to get very hot, so you cannot leave them |
| to adequately light the interior of a cabinet with even a | | | | on indefinitely, especially in a closed cabinet of any kind. |
| rudimentary design. In fact, the more ornamental the | | | | Now, with certain linear cabinet lighting devices, dimmer |
| design of a cabinet is, the more the reveals and | | | | controls can compensate for both of these |
| vertical stiles will block exterior room lights and cast | | | | drawbacks. Dimmers reduce both the power draw of |
| shadows on the contents inside. | | | | the lamps and the heat the lamps produce. |
| The presence of shadows is further magnified by | | | | Xenon is basically a high end form of incandescent |
| cabinets that are built with doors. Even with doors | | | | lamp that is renowned for its longer lamp life. Also, it |
| designed with glass pane windows that allow you to | | | | produces just as much heat as standard |
| see the contents inside, the door trims themselves | | | | incandescents. Again, we are back to that heat issue |
| present significant obstructions to external light. | | | | we talked about earlier; and we are back to relying on |
| Therefore, internal cabinet lighting is essential in order to | | | | dimmers to regulate both voltage levels and forward |
| create aesthetically superior showcases. | | | | throw heat. |
| There are many different types of fixtures used to | | | | LED Lamps are the most promising luminaires that |
| light cabinet interiors. Overhead lights, also known as | | | | science has created to date, and their impact is now |
| puck lights, are used in some kitchen cabinets, mirror | | | | being felt in all levels of commercial and residential |
| back cabinets, and curio cabinets that have several | | | | lighting. |
| mirrored surfaces and glass shelves. The vertical, | | | | LEDs solve the problems of replacement costs with |
| downward shaft of the light beam is reflected by | | | | astoundingly long lamp lives. They also use about 80 to |
| these mirrors and can create a high intensity lighted | | | | 90 percent less power than incandescent based |
| interior which is acceptable for illuminating small | | | | equivalents. Even better, they produce minimal heat |
| collectibles. | | | | and can be left on throughout the day and night |
| In kitchen cabinets with glass shelves they are a | | | | without risk of overheating contents or fixtures. |
| reasonable lighting source, but they offer little | | | | While incandescent and Xenon lamps have a fixed |
| decorative value because they concentrate too much | | | | color temperature, LEDs are available in different |
| light in the center of the cabinet and less around the | | | | degrees of warmth or coolness. Warm tone LEDs |
| sides. Since most kitchen cabinets have wood shelves, | | | | offer the same color as Xenon, plus there are cooler |
| a puck light in the top has no value at all. | | | | selections similar to Halogen or even cooler choices |
| For optimal cabinet lighting, the best choice is linear strip | | | | for whiter, crisper tones. |
| lights. These fixtures affix to either the bottoms of | | | | The only drawback to LED festoon lamps is that the |
| shelves or the interior of vertical cabinet stiles or door | | | | initial cost of LED lamps is significantly higher than |
| interior trims. | | | | Xenon or Incandescent lamps. However, they will |
| Some linear strip lights, of course, are better than | | | | ultimately compensate for their cost by reductions in |
| others. Due to the highly customized craftsmanship of | | | | power usage and heat load on air conditioning. |
| cabinet building, it makes little sense to force a fixed | | | | There is no hard and fast optimal luminance level for |
| length strip light into an interior proportioned around | | | | cabinet lighting all displays. The general rule of thumb |
| unique and highly variable dimensions. Also, it makes | | | | you should follow, however, is based on the reflectivity |
| even less sense to use a fixture that protrudes | | | | of your contents. The less reflective the interior |
| conspicuously into the aesthetic realm of the display. | | | | surfaces and contents, the higher lighting levels you |
| Such an intrusion is an eyesore to say the least. | | | | can use. |
| A little bit of common sense combined with a lot of | | | | If you have a closed cabinet, never use xenon above |
| advanced technical engineering brings us to the | | | | 5 watts, and be sure to use your dimmer controls to |
| conclusion that the best cabinet lighting fixtures are | | | | regulate the intensity of your cabinet lighting. |
| custom made, low profile linear strips that are | | | | Alternatively, use low wattage LEDs instead. |
| manufactured to fit the specific dimensions of interior | | | | Some manufacturers make both horizontally mounted |
| horizontal and vertical cabinet surfaces. | | | | lights and vertically mounted lights so cabinet styles of |
| There are essentially three different types of light | | | | all custom cabinetry can be appropriately illuminated. |
| sources you can choose from, including incandescent, | | | | Strip lighting fixtures are very low profile and are easy |
| xenon, and LED. All three offer both advantages and | | | | to conceal, making them the dream come true of the |
| disadvantages specific to respective applications. | | | | interior designer and the collector who wants the |
| Incandescent lamps have been around since the early | | | | people in the room to see the light but not the fixture. |