View Project: https://www.j-thom.com/medford-whole-home
Cabinet lighting isn’t decoration; it’s joinery you can see. Done right, it clarifies edges, surfaces, and materials, then gets out of the way.
At J.THOM Residential Design & Cabinetry, we plan lighting with the same rigor as the millwork. We decide what should be seen, how it should be seen, and how it should be controlled. That’s it. The result is a kitchen (or bath, bar, mudroom) that looks composed in photos and works at 6:30 a.m. on a Tuesday.
1) What should be seen
Start with intent, not fixtures.
Workplanes: Countertops need clean, shadow‑free illumination. Continuous under‑cabinet linear LEDs (not scattered pucks) are our default because they deliver even light along the full run.
Volume & depth: Inside glass fronts, a slim vertical channel at the hinge side washes contents without hot spots. Above-cabinet grazers can lift the ceiling if the architecture needs it; we skip them when the crown profile already does the work.
Details: Toe‑kick lighting is more than a party trick, it defines the cabinet footprint and gives you a safe night path. Consider it where the plan creates long, uninterrupted lines.
2) How it should be seen
This is where most projects drift into “good enough.” A few rules keep it refined:
Hide the source, light the surface. Use recessed or aluminum channels with diffusers to kill LED “dotting.” Terminate channels cleanly at stile lines so the light respects the joinery.
Color matters: We typically specify 2700–3000K for kitchens and baths (warm without going amber). If the palette is cool—crisp whites, stainless, blue‑gray stone—3000–3500K can keep whites from yellowing.
Color fidelity: Aim for CRI 90+ so woods read true and stone doesn’t go dull.
Output: For under‑cabinet tasks, ~250–450 lumens/ft is a practical band; inside cabinets, less is more.
Beam & spread: Linear with a wide, even spread beats point sources every time in millwork.
Consistency: Keep one CCT per contiguous area. Mixed temperatures make expensive materials look inexpensive.
View Project: https://www.j-thom.com/rittenhouse-pied-a-terre
3) How it should be controlled
Controls are where the space becomes yours.
Dimming: Pair drivers and dimmers early. TRIAC/ELV works for many residential applications; 0–10V or DALI if you’re integrating with a broader control system. If evenings matter, dim‑to‑warm brings the color down as the light dims, excellent for kitchens that turn into dining rooms.
Switching logic: One scene for task (under‑cabs + island pendants), one for entertainment (toe‑kicks + interior glass), and one all‑on for clean‑up. Keep it simple enough to use without thinking.
Hardware details: Door‑activated micro‑switches inside cabinets feel custom because they are.
Common pitfalls (and how we avoid them)
Puck‑light polka dots: We replace with continuous channels sized to the door rails.
Visible tape light: We recess it or add a subtle light rail; the face of the cabinet should never glow.
Glare lines on glossy stone: We adjust channel placement to light the surface, not reflect into your eye.
Swiss‑cheese ceilings: We’d rather let the millwork do more lighting so the ceiling can stay quiet.
Why plan lighting with the cabinetry
Lighting added after installation looks like an afterthought. Wiring paths, channel depths, ventilation for drivers, and service access are cabinet details to us, not electrical trivia. When we coordinate these early, you get a cleaner install and a longer‑lived system.
Bottom line: Light is a material. We specify it with the same care we give to walnut, paint, and hardware, so the craft reads, day or night.
