How to install upper and lower cabinet lighting without an electrician.
Years ago when I was finishing up our kitchen renovation at our last house, this lighting addition was the last project to complete the transformation.Â
There are a few ways to add your own lighting above and below your kitchen cabinets, and I'm sharing two of the easiest options here.Â
This DIY project adds so much warmth and interest to a kitchen, but it also functions well because it creates great task lighting at night:
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The first time I tackled this project, I used the outlets from our hanging microwave and behind the refrigerator to add plug in cabinet lighting.Â
The lights and rope lights I shared years ago have a warmer glow, but it's a lot harder to find those specific incandescent strips now. Also, they do burn out eventually and are bulkier.Â
I much prefer the LED light strips now, and that's what I've used for the past few years. That tutorial is still helpful no matter which option you choose!
I used a similar process of using existing outlets for the cabinet lighting in our basement kitchenette:
We have an outlet behind the fridge that I was able to access.Â
I cut a hole into the side of the cabinet and then ran the cord for the lighting through that:
Incredibly easy! This Govee strip lighting is what I used for the lights under these cabinets. We can turn it on at the switch or from an app on our phones.
The LED lights in this tutorial will last (nearly) forever, are cool to the touch, have a much less intrusive design and are easier to maneuver.Â
I'll go into to more detail on the pros and cons of this LED lighting later in the post.Â
