Top or Bottom? Front or Back? Where You Should Put LED Lighting in Your Kitchen Cabinets for the Most Flattering Glow

Adding lighting into your kitchen cabinetry doesn't just make your space more functional; it makes it feel more stylish, too. Providing that lovely, atmospheric warmth after dark and a little extra light to help you identify the abandoned back-of-the-cupboard goods, it's become an absolute must-have for any new kitchen, but that doesn't mean it's always done right.

In fact, perfecting your kitchen cabinet lighting can be trickier than you might expect, requiring some serious attention to detail that's all too often skimmed over or altogether abandoned. As lighting expert Vanessa Macedo from John Cullen Lighting tells us, "LED strips can transform open kitchen shelving, but their position is key to creating a considered look rather than simply adding more light. The best location depends on the desired effect, as even moving a strip a few centimetres can significantly change how the shelf and objects displayed on it are perceived." Should LED lighting go at the bottom or the top? The front or the back? How bright should they be? How many do you need? They're all valuable questions, and ones that can be the line between a perfect finish and one that just about gets the job done.

Thankfully, no one knows this better than our experts, and they were more than happy to lay out the facts for us and lead us towards a better-lit kitchen. They've shared the three essential spots to add a little light, so you can give your cabinetry the upgrade it deserves.

The Most Aesthetic Choice for LED Lighting

In kitchens, your lighting can fulfil either a practical role or an aesthetic one, and in the best designs, there's an even balance of the two. Identifying what lighting is for function and what lighting adds atmosphere is one of the easiest ways to begin to define your design. And when it comes to getting the most visually pleasing effect from your LED lighting, the answer is all in the positioning.

"For a soft, atmospheric glow, I would generally position the LED strip towards the back of the shelf, ideally concealed within a recessed channel where possible," suggests Vanessa. "This allows the light to wash gently across the wall behind, creating depth and a subtle halo effect without making the LED itself the focus. It works particularly well when highlighting decorative objects, ceramics or glassware, giving the shelving a warm, layered quality."

For Matthew Andrews, head of design at Cor Domi, which specializes in creating luxury, bespoke kitchens, atmospheric lighting is all about softness and subtlety. "If the aim is more aesthetic, you can point the lighting upwards to create a soft wash of light on the wall above the shelf," he suggests. Opting for this upward wash, as opposed to a downward-facing light source, can help create a more diffused warmth, ideal for highlighting the material of your kitchen backsplash.

This doesn't have to be done in isolation, though. Oftentimes, Matthew will combine this upward light with some accompanying downlights, too. Or, he says, "If you're clever with the design, as we have been, you can light both up and down from the same LED strip. With a truly floating shelf, where there's nothing connecting it to its surroundings, I'd point the light upwards, which again creates a lovely wash up the wall."

The exact lights you use will also make a difference: "If you choose the right LED detailing, you can also add color temperature control or a dimmer to get exactly the mood you're after."

Where to Position LED Lighting for Task Lighting

While aesthetic lighting will lend your kitchen that inviting, welcoming look, it's task lighting that will make your space function at its best.

Task lighting is all about making the cooking process easier, so finding ways to keep your prep surfaces illuminated will be key. For this, Matthew recommends directing your lights downwards, which he says "is particularly helpful when you’re prepping and cooking food or using the sink."

Installing LED strips beneath your upper cabinets is a technique that almost all designers swear by — you could use something like these Under Cabinet Strip Lights at Amazon. It brings an extra, atmospheric warmth to your room, while also acting as task lighting for the countertops beneath to aid the cooking process.

When the goal is to light your kitchen worktops, it's always best to position your lights towards the outer edge of your cabinets. By positioning the strip towards the front edge of the cabinet, Matthew says, "You get better task lighting, and it shows off your belongings. It can also make the shelf feel deeper than it is, because the light creates depth and shadow where the shelf meets the wall." If you place the strips towards the back of the cabinet, it will do a good job of lighting your backsplash, but will offer you little in the way of functional task lighting. Generally, most experts will recommend somewhere between two to three inches from the front edge of your cabinet.

Strip lighting is often a better choice than concentrated spotlights for this area, says electrical expert Marvin Adams, who frequently turns to LED strips in his kitchen designs. As he explains, "LED strips generally work better than individual spotlights here because they give you a much more even spread of light without creating lots of bright and dark patches." An even spread of light will also prevent any awkward shadows along your countertops, which can quickly detract from your design.

Where to Position LED Lighting in Drawers and Pantries

While almost all experts recommend installing lights underneath your cabinets, opinions aren't quite so united when it comes to adding lights inside your cabinetry.

Unlike under-cabinet lighting, this technique is far from essential, but there are exceptions — most notably, if you have large, deep cabinets where you constantly find yourself losing things. In these cases, adding in some LED lights can be a true game-changer.

Having worked on several luxury kitchen remodels, Shelly Yoder is very familiar with this issue. When faced with deep drawers that don't receive any light, Shelly opts for hidden, sensor LED strips. As she explains, "A motion-activated LED strip inside a pull-out pantry or a base cabinet with deep shelves means the back of the cabinet is visible when the door opens."

By using motion-activated lights, you can cut out any unnecessary energy use while still benefiting from the convenience of a fully illuminated cabinet or pantry. These Motion Sensor LED Lights at Amazon are rechargeable, magnetic, dimmable, and have three color temperatures.

The Most Common LED Lighting Mistakes

First of all, one of the most important lessons you can take from this is that not every kitchen cabinet is equally deserving of lighting. In the aforementioned circumstances, the addition of LED lights can transform your kitchen, but adding lights into every cabinet just for the sake of it can actually end up making your space look more cluttered and confused. Only include lights where it actually serves a purpose.

Shelly explains this point further, saying, "Interior lighting inside solid-door base cabinets for storing pots and pans isn't worth specifying because you open them, grab what you need, and the light makes no practical difference." Instead, focus on fewer, more intentional placements for your kitchen lighting. "The locations that justify the cost are undercabinet strips above work surfaces, interior lighting in glass-front or open display cabinets, and lighting inside pull-outs or pantries where depth makes the back of the cabinet hard to see." These additions make a difference to how your kitchen looks and operates.

Placement and positioning aside, the other element that can make or break your design is the temperature and brightness of your lighting, which is where understanding lightbulbs comes into play. The tone of your bulbs will dictate the feel of your space: "Warm white, between 2700K and 3000K, works with most cabinet finishes and reads as inviting. Cool white at 4000K and above looks clinical in a residential kitchen and creates a visible mismatch if the overhead fixtures are warm," explains Shelly.

Adjustable lighting is key to a successful kitchen lighting design. If you can, it's always best to have your cabinet lighting on a separate dimmer from the rest of your kitchen lighting, so you can control and adjust it for the time of day.

The best kitchen lighting comes down to finding a balance between form and function, blending task lighting with decorative pieces for a space that works hard and looks beautiful. And when it comes to adding a little extra design flair, there's no better place than your kitchen island lighting. Keep it simple with a pendant, or opt for a striking chandelier; this is the spot to get a little creative.

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