Learn the basics of cabinet lighting for superior aesthetic appeal
Cabinet lighting is the process of lighting the interior and contents of any cabinet. Such a cabinet may exist solely for display purposes, as is the case with many antique reproductions and fine china displays, or it may exist for a functional purpose, such as those used in large residential kitchens or retail displays.
The reason for specialized cabinet lighting is that even the brightest general room lights are simply too dim to adequately illuminate the interior of a cabinet, even with a rudimentary design. In fact, the more ornate a cabinet design, the more the reveals and uprights will block exterior room lights and cast shadows on the contents inside.
The presence of shadows is further magnified by cabinets built with doors. Even with doors designed with glass windows that allow you to see the contents inside, the door trim presents significant obstructions to outside light. Therefore, internal cabinet lighting is essential to creating aesthetically superior display cases.
There are many different types of fixtures used to illuminate cabinet interiors. Ceiling lights, also known as puck lights, are used on some kitchen cabinets, mirror-backed cabinets, and curio cabinets that have multiple mirrored surfaces and glass shelves. The downward vertical axis of the light beam is reflected by these mirrors and can create a high intensity lighted interior that is acceptable for lighting small collectibles.
In kitchen cabinets with glass shelves they are a reasonable source of light, but they offer little decorative value because they focus too much light in the center of the cabinet and less on the sides. Since most kitchen cabinets have wooden shelves, a puck light on top is worthless.
For optimal cabinet lighting, the best option is linear strip lights. These accessories attach to the bottom of shelves or inside upright cabinet mullions or inside door trim.
Some linear light strips, of course, are better than others. Due to the highly custom craftsmanship of cabinet construction, it makes little sense to force a fixed-length light strip into an interior proportioned around unique and highly variable dimensions. In addition, it makes even less sense to use an accessory that stands out in a conspicuous way in the aesthetic realm of the screen. Such an intrusion is an eyesore to say the least.
A little common sense combined with a lot of advanced technical engineering leads us to the conclusion that the best cabinet lighting fixtures are custom-built, low-profile linear strips that are manufactured to fit the specific dimensions of horizontal and vertical interior surfaces. of the cabinet.
Basically, there are three different types of light sources you can choose from, including incandescent, xenon, and LED. All three offer specific advantages and disadvantages for the respective applications.
Incandescent lamps have been around since the early 20th century and still have that Golden Age vibe to them. The slightly golden tint to their light makes them much warmer than natural sunlight.
The drawbacks of incandescent lamps, however, are the same as those faced by Thomas Edison. They are notorious power hogs. They don’t last long so he has to keep buying replacements. They also tend to get very hot, so you can’t just leave them on indefinitely, especially in a closed cabinet of any kind.
Now, with certain linear cabinet lighting fixtures, dimming controls can compensate for both of these drawbacks. Dimmers reduce both the power consumption of the lamps and the heat they produce.
Xenon is basically a high-end form of incandescent lamp that is known for its longer lifespan. Plus, it produces just as much heat as standard incandescent bulbs. Once again, we return to the problem of heat that we talked about before; and we again rely on dimmers to regulate voltage levels and forward heat.
LED lamps are the most promising luminaires science has created to date, and their impact is now being felt in all levels of commercial and residential lighting.
LEDs solve the problems of replacement costs with an amazingly long lifespan. They also use 80 to 90 percent less energy than their incandescent-based counterparts. Even better, they produce minimal heat and can be left on all day and night without risk of overheating the contents or accessories.
While incandescent and xenon lamps have a fixed color temperature, LEDs are available in varying degrees of warmth or coolness. Warm-tone LEDs offer the same color as xenon, plus there are halogen-like cooler selections or even cooler options for crisper, whiter tones.
The only drawback of LED garland lamps is that the initial cost of LED lamps is significantly higher than that of xenon or incandescent lamps. Ultimately, however, they will offset their cost through reductions in energy use and the heat load on air conditioning.
There is no hard and fast optimum luminance level for cabinet lighting for all displays. However, the general rule of thumb you should follow is based on the reflectivity of your content. The less reflective interior surfaces and content are, the higher the lighting levels you will be able to use.
If you have a closed cabinet, never use xenon above 5 watts and be sure to use your dimmer controls to dim your cabinet lighting. Alternatively, use low voltage LEDs instead.
Some manufacturers make horizontally mounted lights and vertically mounted lights so that the cabinet styles of all custom cabinets can be adequately lit. Strip lighting fixtures are very low profile and easy to conceal, making them a dream come true for the interior designer and collector who wants the people in the room to see the light but not the fixture.