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Proper organization of lighting is very important, especially in the kitchen. And if in the dining area you can get by with a beautiful chandelier, then general lighting is clearly not enough to illuminate the working surface.

The lighting requirements for the kitchen work area are somewhat higher than those for other functional areas of the house. This is understandable, because lighting directly affects not only the speed and quality of food preparation, but also the safety of household members. Without proper organization of additional lighting, it is impossible to create an ergonomic, comfortable and convenient interior.

• Functionality. Elements of general lighting, or sconces, which are in every kitchen, even with all their brightness, are not able to properly illuminate the work area. This happens because part of the light flux is blocked by the cabinets, and another part is blocked by the person himself, turning his back to the lights while cooking. As a result, the housewife experiences discomfort while working, constantly straining her eyesight. Additional lighting makes it possible to create correct, uniform, comfortable lighting.
• Decorative. Modern lighting allows you to create an original design. In addition to the traditional placement of lighting, there are non-standard, rather interesting techniques. By using your imagination, you can transform even the most modest kitchen. In a family with small children, additional lighting can play the role of a night light.

Features of additional lighting

• The illumination of the work area should provide bright, eye-comfortable lighting of a neutral color. This is very important, otherwise the color of the food may be distorted.
• The lighting of the work surface must be direct, directed strictly downwards, so experts recommend embedding the lights into the bottom of the cabinets. Only in this case there will be no blinding effect. If the bottom of the cabinet is made of glass, then the benefit will be double, since the lighting will be both internal and external.

• Double-sided lighting is considered optimal for the apron area, with the illuminators positioned at the top and bottom. This method is not only convenient, but also more decorative.
• Built-in lamps make the kitchen stylish, they are convenient, which is why owners often choose them. Sometimes the lights are placed in the corners; it looks unconventional and interesting. What the lighting will be like: or, determines the specific interior.

Work area lighting options

• Luminescent. Before working on the design, you should think about what type of lamps is best to choose. Fluorescent lamps are quite economical; they will provide a uniform luminous flux. Lamps can be equipped with a diffuser or sold without it. For the work area, it is better to choose an option with a diffuser; it will provide protection from splashes, grease and dirt. If you turn on fluorescent lighting instead of the main one, then an atmosphere will reign in the kitchen, ideal for a romantic dinner. It is worth considering that improper installation can lead to flickering lights or noise. Fluorescent lamps are susceptible to voltage surges, so they light up 5 seconds after being turned on.

• LED. This is a more modern solution; LEDs are considered the most economical. The service life of such lamps is much longer than others, they are not afraid of dust and high humidity, but they are also more expensive. But the owners get the opportunity to experiment with lighting design of any kind. For example, LED lighting mounted inside a glass apron looks very nice. In order to get sufficiently bright lighting, you need to correctly calculate the number and power of LED modules.

  You can organize economical and effective lighting using. It is attached to the apron using glue or staples. For the ceiling and upper borders of the kitchen unit, you can use strips that emit green, blue or red light. This technique will give the kitchen a feeling of solemnity.

• The work area located near the window should be illuminated from the corners, since only in this case the glass will not glare. The light should fall at an angle towards the stove and countertop.
• In a kitchen with low ceilings, where the height of the work area is small, it is optimal to use adjustable lamps mounted on the ceiling, sixty centimeters from the wall. With this placement, it is possible to regulate the light flux.
• For a kitchen with an island work area, lamps on brackets would be appropriate. They should be fixed to the ceiling, preferably at different levels.

• Lamp shades should be chosen extremely simple, without decorative elements. Dust and other contaminants accumulate on richly decorated products, which conceal a fifth of the emitted light.
• LED strip 120 led/m is considered optimal for creating illumination in the work area. This tape should be secured around the perimeter of the bottom of the upper cabinets or along the perimeter of the apron. The lighting will be bright, uniform, but not blinding. On sale you can find tapes in sealed material, in which case they can be wiped with a damp cloth when dirty.

Many people are mistaken in thinking that making lighting for work tables in the kitchen is a labor-intensive task and will require almost a major overhaul and large financial costs. In fact, a large assortment of lighting fixtures makes it possible to create lighting for a kitchen work area quite simply and inexpensively.

Usually, the kitchen is the main room in the house, as here:

• All household members start their day with a cup of coffee or tea.
• The hostess spends a lot of time.
• The whole family gathers during meals.
• Gatherings are arranged with friends and relatives.
• Often there is an office if there is a large family.

That is why the kitchen should not only be functional, but also comfortable and cozy. Additional lighting will not only help the housewife in cooking, but will also create a cozy atmosphere, especially in the evening, when the bright main light is already annoying, after a hard day.

What you need to know

There are some specific lighting requirements in the kitchen, especially for the cooking area.

Let's look at them in more detail:

• The light should not be too bright, as it will dazzle and irritate.
• The backlight should not create shadows from any objects.
• Lamps must match and harmonize with each other.
• It is better to choose energy-saving lamps for illumination.
• When choosing the brightness of the light bulbs, take into account the color of the walls and the entire interior.
• It is necessary to select the correct number of lamps in advance, taking into account their power.

Important! Remember that the distance of the lamps to the sink should be at least half a meter.

Lighting happens

Lighting in any room is divided into several types, it depends on the lamps themselves, their location and lighting power.

So, lighting happens:

• Natural. This is daylight entering the kitchen from a window or windows. Its brightness depends on the time of day or the light of lanterns, on the quality and characteristics of the glass or the presence of curtains. This kind of light will not be enough to illuminate the tables in the kitchen, and they need to be illuminated additionally.
• General. Usually, this is a chandelier located in the center of the ceiling; it illuminates the entire room, but for the work area such light is not enough, especially since a person standing with his back to him casts a shadow on the table. You can also use other lighting fixtures for general lighting by installing them on the ceiling.
• Local. This is spot lighting aimed at a specific place or object. This is the kind of light that is used to illuminate kitchen work surfaces. Sometimes manufacturers immediately integrate lighting into manufactured cabinets, but often they have to install it themselves.
• Decorative. Such lighting only serves to create a certain atmosphere in the room, since, usually, these are multi-colored lamps that do not provide much light. Such lighting is selected taking into account the interior and design of the room.

Interesting! In the kitchen, as in any other room, all types of lighting can be used simultaneously.

What types of lamps are there?

In fact, lamps for illuminating the kitchen work area are divided into two types according to the method of their installation, these are:

• Built-in lights. They are built into a piece of furniture and become invisible. The only negative is the installation layout and additional work, such as drilling a hole in the furniture for the lamp.
• Surface-mounted lamps. This light source is attached to the bottom of hanging kitchen cabinets. These lamps are convenient if, for example, you need to replace a light bulb. No special skills or additional work are required to install them.

Interesting! There is a type of lamps, these are clothespin lamps. They are convenient because you can direct the light in the desired direction yourself.

Selecting the backlight

Let's take a closer look at what kind of electric lighting is used in working areas of the house, and what kind of lamps are used, specifically for work tables in the kitchen:

• Linear lighting. Not everyone realizes that linear lamps can also be used to illuminate tables in the kitchen. Moreover, with the help of fluorescent lamps it is easier to save electricity, and they do not irritate the eyes, although they shine quite brightly.

Now there are models of fluorescent lamps in the form of light beams of different lengths, which allows you to illuminate the entire surface of the countertops in the kitchen. Installing such lighting does not require additional skills or costs. However, the price of such light beams is quite high and is not suitable for everyone.

• Spot lighting. Spotlights are often used for the main lighting of a room or to highlight and accent some design or interior element. They are: built-in, overhead and modular.

Light from spotlights is scattered no more than a couple of meters and if a larger lighting radius is needed, special overhead diffusers are used. They can be of various shapes and colors, which makes them easy to apply in any interior.

• Touch lighting. These are lamps with special sensors that respond to touch or movement. This is quite convenient, since your hands often get dirty when cooking. With one clap you can turn on the backlight without dirtying the lamp.

Such lamps come in a variety of shapes and sizes, which allows you to choose the ones you need. The disadvantage of such lighting is the high cost of the lamps and their installation requires special skills, so they are installed by professionals.

• Lighting with LED panels. Such panels not only provide soft light, but also serve as an interior highlight. LED panels consist of two glasses with a variety of illuminated images. This glass is highly tempered, so there is no danger of accidentally breaking it.

The arrangement of internal lamps makes the entire surface evenly illuminated. These panels are becoming very popular, but they are quite expensive and must be installed by specialists. By installing such a panel along the kitchen work area, you will get an unusual and sophisticated interior.

• Neon lights. Typically, neon lights or tubes are used for a decorative look, as they most often come in different colors. With this lighting, the kitchen will look cozy and mysterious, and if you set the color changing mode, this will create a festive atmosphere.

More often, neon lamps are used to illuminate suspended ceilings, but they also look interesting and original in kitchen cabinets. When creating a specific interior in the kitchen, it will not be a problem to choose the right color scheme.

• LED lights. LED strip is very common for lighting and not only in the kitchen. It is economical, gives good soft light and can be used for decoration, as it comes in different colors. This tape is easy to install; it sticks to any surface using an adhesive backing.

Such lighting is considered ideal for the kitchen work area, as it has a number of advantages: they are not afraid of humidity and dirt, they tolerate temperature changes well, they are easy to care for and can be wiped with an important rag.

Lighting rules

It is necessary to think through the lighting of the room even before the start of renovation work, since with the help of light and lighting you can radically change both the room itself and its interior.

It can create an atmosphere:

• Works.
• Romantics.
• Relaxation.

When thinking about the location of lamps and their connection to the network, it is worth knowing:

• Make separate power points for connecting to the electrical network.
• Place lamps and sockets no closer than 60 centimeters to the sink and stove.

When choosing lighting, you need to take into account the general light in the kitchen; when lighting, the illumination should be:

• Using halogen lamps - 30 watts per square meter.
• Using fluorescent lamps - 9 watts per square meter.
• Using incandescent lamps - 26 watts per square meter.
• Using LED lamps - 4 watts per square meter.

A few design secrets for choosing light:

• White light does not distort the color of food.
• Colored lighting is good to use when zoning a room.
• It would be good if the backlight could be adjusted according to brightness.
• If you have a wooden kitchen set, choose warm lighting, for example, yellow light.
• If your kitchen is made in modern styles, for example, high-tech, silver light will do.
• To prevent the color of food from changing, it is better to choose lamps of warm white light.

Interesting! Lighting can be not only on wall cabinets or walls; you can also make a backlit work surface, for example, using LED panels.

We do it ourselves

If our kitchen set initially does not have lighting, we can easily make it ourselves.

When choosing which lamps are suitable for us, we also need to take into account where they will be located:

• Built into furniture - spot, linear or LED lamps are suitable for this. It is only necessary to measure the distance from the cabinets to the working surface.
• Located on the wall - if there are no wall cabinets, wall sconces will do. Light beams on moving brackets are well suited for lighting.
• Directional light - directional light lamps are well suited for kitchens located in the form of an island. It would be good if their height was adjustable.

Materials needed

Let's look at an example of creating kitchen lighting with LED strip.

Below are the materials we will need:

• The strip itself or LED modules.
• Adapter, also known as a power supply for the tape.
• Connecting cord with a cross-sectional area of ​​about 0.6 mm2.
• A wire with a plug for connecting to an outlet.
• Double-sided tape for securing parts.
• Scissors for cutting LED strip.
• Electrical tape for wrapping joints.

This is all for illuminating the kitchen work area with LED strip, quite affordable.

Installation stages

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to illuminate the work area in the kitchen yourself using LED strip:

• First you need kitchen cabinets along the entire length, this is the length we will take the tape. The tape itself has marked places where it can be cut, which determines whether it will work.
• The lower part of the cabinets must be washed and degreased. Otherwise, the sticky part of the tape will not stick well and over time your backlight will fall off.
• The tape is glued with force and held for several minutes. This will help the adhesive base adhere more firmly to the surface of the cabinet.
• Install the power supply so that it is not visible, not conspicuous, but so that there is easy access to it in case of breakdown.
• We connect all the parts together - the tape to the adapter, the power supply to the cord with a plug, you can plug it into an outlet. When connecting LEDs to power, do not forget about polarity.

Important! While working, do not forget about safety precautions: you need to turn off the voltage in advance and wrap the wire connections with electrical tape.

Conclusion

Developing electric lighting in the kitchen work area is no longer a problem. Now you can easily choose the right lighting, lamps and color of light.

When creating lighting in the kitchen, do not forget that any lighting fixtures you use must match the overall interior of the room and create a harmonious atmosphere. After all, this room is not only for the whole family, but also for guests.

In the video, you can see how to install lighting for the work area in the kitchen yourself using LED strip.

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1. Lighting rules

Choosing the right lighting in the kitchen is not an easy task. With the help of light, you can visually expand the space, make it cozy and pleasant to stay. Then cooking will be a joy, the food will taste better, and gatherings with friends in the kitchen will become a tradition.

To achieve the “wow” effect, it is enough to follow the basic rules:

1. The kitchen should be light. Everything here is simple and banal - it’s nice to be in a well-lit place.
2. Don't overdo it. It is important to find a middle ground, since too bright lighting hurts the eye and is uneconomical to use.
3. Multi-level lighting. It will allow you to organically distribute light in space and create a unique kitchen style.
4. The more light sources, the less their power.
5. Yes - simple forms. For lampshades, it is better to use simple, smooth shapes without sharp corners, bends, or curls, because the kitchen is a highly polluted area, and an intricate chandelier will soon be covered with a layer of grease and will require considerable effort to wash it.
6. Big - with small. Large lamps go well with spotlights.
7. Freedom of imagination. Don't be afraid to experiment, and the end result will definitely please you!

Multi-level lighting on

The combination of large lamps with spotlights on

2. Work surface lighting

Lighting options:

1. Built-in lighting under wall cabinets.

2. Lighting in the ceiling along the work area (table top).

3. Lamps built into the cornice.

4. Lamps with automatic switching on when the door is opened, built into cabinets with glass fronts.

5. Lighting above wall cabinets.

LEDs are most often used as kitchen lighting, as they consume little electricity and are durable. The LED strip, protected by silicone, is not afraid of water, which is a significant advantage in the kitchen. Halogen and fluorescent light sources are also used.

3. Dining area lighting

Often the main light source is deliberately placed above the table. Today chandeliers with long cords have become fashionable. A single lampshade or several in a row look impressive and create a unique atmosphere of comfort and warmth.

You should not place the chandelier directly above the head of the person sitting. The number of lamps should be proportional to the size of the table.

As chandeliers for the kitchen, lampshades of simple shapes are mainly used: rectangular, cones, balls, made of glass, plastic, crystal.

Single lamp over the dining area

4. Lighting in a small kitchen

The peculiarities of Khrushchev buildings are that the lighting of which has its own nuances.

1. Large ornate chandeliers and lampshades on long bases would not be appropriate here. The dimensions of lighting fixtures should be proportional to the size of the room.
2. There is no need for a large number of light sources. In a small kitchen, a compact single chandelier in the center of the ceiling in tandem with LED lighting for the work area will look great.
3. To visually raise the ceiling, you can build LED light bulbs into it, and direct the light from them not downwards, but onto the ceiling itself. Directed in this way, it will give the ceiling the effect of floating in the air.

5. Lighting in the kitchen living room

Often the problem of a small kitchen is solved by combining it with the living room. To visually divide the space into two functional zones, you can install a dining table or bar counter at the border. Both require their own backlight. This could be a pendant lamp, a large chandelier, or spotlights.

The living room area should be lighter than the kitchen. An excellent solution would be built-in spotlights in a multi-level or single-level living room ceiling. If the kitchen and living room are separated by a difference in floor heights, you can install light sources at this difference. This technique will visually delimit the space and become the highlight of the interior.

Backlight on

Lighting built into the floor height difference

6. Types of lamps

1. LED bulbs. The main advantages of LED lamps are low energy consumption, durability, lower body temperature compared to incandescent lamps, ease of installation, small dimensions, and high mechanical strength. Also, an LED lamp is one of the most environmentally friendly light sources; its disposal does not require special conditions.

The disadvantages include the high cost (however, this is offset by a long service life and low energy consumption); if one of the elements fails, the lamp is unlikely to be repaired. In cheap LEDs, burnout sometimes occurs due to overheating, especially in closed lampshades.

1. Incandescent lamps. The main advantages of incandescent lamps include low cost, small size, lack of fear of low and high ambient temperatures, and condensation. Incandescent lamps can also be found in a variety of voltages.

The main disadvantages are low light output, relatively short service life, fragility, high heating during prolonged operation, which causes a fire hazard.

1. Halogen lamps. The main advantage of halogen lamps compared to incandescent lamps is their compactness, longer service life and efficiency.

The negative side is high sensitivity to grease and strong heating during operation. When installing such lamps, do not touch them with your hands, as fingerprints quickly burn out during operation, leaving black marks. In case of accidental contact, wipe the lamp with a clean cloth (for example, microfiber) and alcohol.

IRC-halogen lamps. A special feature of such lamps is a special coating of the bulb, which transmits visible light, but delays infrared radiation, returning it back to the spiral. Due to this, heat loss is reduced, and as a result, energy consumption is reduced and service life is increased.

1. Fluorescent lamps. The positive side of such lamps is based on high luminous efficiency, long service life (compared to incandescent lamps), diffused light and a variety of shades.

The disadvantages include chemical hazards (fluorescent lamps contain mercury), low lamp power factor, uneven spectrum, unpleasant to the eyes.

7. Cost

Now let’s try to figure out the cost of all the beauty described above. It turns out that “cheap” and “beautiful” can be combined!

As an example, let's take a small-sized kitchen of 7 square meters:

• The basis of the lighting is a five-light chandelier located above the table. Since the kitchen is small, it illuminates both the dining area and the entire room as a whole. The cost of such a chandelier ranges from $80-200.
• Next, we evaluate the illumination of the work area. Three to five recessed LED or halogen lamps will be quite enough. This is another plus of $60-150.
• If you want something unusual, then tabletop lighting in the form of an RGB LED strip will be just right. A kit consisting of a five-meter waterproof tape, a control panel and a power cable costs about $30-50.

For rational and harmonious lighting of a 7 sq.m kitchen, $170-400 is enough.

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Housewives spend quite a lot of time in the kitchen. Good lighting should be included in any design and layout of the room. With the correct distribution of light sources, cooking will only bring joy. LED lighting for the kitchen work area looks stylish and does not require large energy costs.

Benefits of tapes

LED strip has many advantages when compared with conventional light sources. You can make a lamp from it yourself or buy a ready-made diode lamp. Main advantages:

Kitchen lighting can have various complex shapes, as this material is highly flexible. The adhesive layer on the back allows you to use the devices in any convenient place. It also makes installation much easier.

Kitchen LED lighting for the work area is very comfortable for the eyes. It doesn't have annoying flicker. This solution allows you not to use the main light if the required number of diodes has been correctly calculated.

The service life of such lamps does not depend in any way on the number of switchings on, unlike conventional incandescent lamps. If the equipment was installed correctly, it can last up to 16 years. This is approximately 50 thousand hours. The device does not need time to warm up.

When designing a kitchen, you can use a variety of lighting colors. There are also tapes that work in the infrared or ultraviolet spectrum.

Backlight location

To make the right lighting in the kitchen, you need to divide it into several zones. There should be working and dining areas, as well as general light. Often people do not limit themselves only to functional lighting, but use LED strip in a wide variety of places. Position the backlight possible in the following areas:

Attaching an LED strip to a kitchen unit is not difficult. This type of lighting can be placed almost anywhere.

Product design

All products based on LEDs (strips, lamps, various types of lamps) are able to provide an optimal degree of illumination and maximum comfort. Such systems perfectly complement general lighting and can fit into any interior. To create a spectacular design for a room, it is necessary to correctly distribute the light fluxes and select the necessary lighting. Ice strips perform not only a functional role, but also an aesthetic one. LED lighting can introduce new elements into the interior design of a space.

LED-based strips are used for decorative lighting of furniture and various niches, and they can also be installed on cornices. In the kitchen they are most often used to provide high-quality illumination of the work area.

These tapes are very elastic and have an adhesive base. An LED is a semiconductor that begins to emit light when electrical current is applied. Brightness depends on the chemical composition and the specific type of element. The lighting scheme includes:

1. Power supply or generator.
2. Dimmers. These are certain connectors with which you can easily connect several individual elements.
3. Controller. It is used for multi-colored ribbons.

When installing LED lighting yourself, you must remember that you cannot connect the equipment directly to the network. This way the device can quickly overheat and burn out. You definitely need to use a stabilizer.

Types of diodes

Equipment comes in various types and types. When planning the organization of lighting, this must be taken into account. Before purchasing a device, you should find out its technical characteristics. It must be remembered that the kitchen is a room in which the temperature and humidity level are constantly changing.

To create additional lighting in a room, an SMD-3528 diode is often used. This type consists of only one crystal. The diode produces quite a bit of light. It is used only to implement design ideas.

SMD-5050 has 3 crystals in its design. Each of them has 2 outputs. Can emit light of various colors. Often blue, orange, red and other crystals are installed on the tape. From a functional point of view, they are used only as additional lighting.

The brightest diodes are SMD-5630, 5730, 2835. The propagation angle of light radiation reaches 160 degrees. Such devices provide good lighting, which can be used as the main one.

When choosing an ice strip, you need to know how many diodes there are per meter. The maximum amount provides the brightest and most uniform glow.

Also, tapes can have varying degrees of protection. They are used for installation in different conditions. Types of LED devices by degree of protection:

To organize lighting in the kitchen, it is best to choose LEDs of the second type (one-sided). It is also very important to choose the right power supply.

Illumination of the work environment in the kitchen with LEDs: photo gallery

Selecting a power supply

For stable operation of the backlight, you must purchase a power supply that has a power reserve of 25%. The technical characteristics of the tape itself should be obtained from consultants. On the product, the power is indicated taking into account one linear meter.

It must be multiplied by the footage. For example, if one meter consumes 7 W, then the power of four will be 28 W. This means you need to buy a 36 W power supply. The more compact the model, the easier it is to solder and hide the device so that it is not conspicuous. Switches for LED strips there are several types:

1. The simplest ones are push-button ones.
2. Sensory. They work by touch.
3. Infrared. You can control the backlight with a wave of your hand.
4. Dimmer. With its help you can adjust the brightness of the light. Produced in mechanical and sensory form.
5. Control block. This element is necessary if you need to create blinking or play of different colors. Used for multi-color RGB strips. Such effects are used quite rarely.

If the backlight consists of several strips, then they should be connected only in parallel. This allows you to save the allocated luminous flux power.

Making a lamp yourself

To assemble the device, you need a diode strip of the required length and, preferably, a guide profile (usually aluminum is used). If the backlight is placed in an aluminum guide structure, it will look much neater. You will also need the following items:

1. Power supply of the required power.
2. Switch.
3. Heat shrink. It is needed for a hermetically sealed connection of the elements.
4. Electrical cable.
5. Plug for wire or terminal. The choice depends on the type of connection.

The LED strip must be completely protected from moisture. This is necessary to comply with fire safety. It is best to choose a type of protection that can withstand a stream of water. The safest voltage is considered to be 12 W.

The backlight must provide the required level of illumination. According to the spectrum, it is better to choose diodes whose glow is close to daylight. It is advisable to choose a device that has 3 crystals in its design. To provide the room with bright light, you can use a strip with 60 diodes per linear meter. But most often 30 is enough, since kitchen lighting should not be too bright.

Installation of equipment

The lighting device must be assembled taking into account several rules. This way the entire system will last much longer. Basic recommendations:

The LED strip is fastened using an adhesive base. At first, the device can be attached only in some places to ensure the correct position, and then you need to firmly press the tape along its entire length.

The kitchen occupies a leading position in terms of the time residents spend in an apartment or house. It is used not only for cooking and eating food, all family members, friends and relatives gather here. They communicate on various topics, discuss plans to solve current problems over a cup of coffee or tea.

Therefore, much attention is paid to design; a backlit countertop is a work area where the process of cooking, washing dishes and other important activities takes place. The lighting of this area should not be dim or obscured by people in the kitchen, and should not blind a person while working with food and cutlery. To fulfill all the conditions for illuminating the worktop, various lighting sources and methods of installing them are used in the kitchen.

Lighting fixtures for kitchen countertops and how to install them

In most cases, all types of lighting elements are installed at the bottom of hanging cabinets, the light from them is directed onto the working surface of the countertop. Many manufacturers of kitchen furniture produce cabinets with already built-in lighting elements, others prefer not to do this, giving the buyer the opportunity to independently install those appliances that will best suit the interior.

Types of lighting devices:

• Lamps with oblong-shaped tubular fluorescent lamps are very practical to be placed under wall cabinets and can be attached to walls or furniture. They can be of different sizes and power, from 20 to 80 W, they shine very brightly, so decorative protection is placed at eye level. The light is directed only onto the surface of the tabletop.

This design does not dazzle and illuminates the work area well. The disadvantages of these lamps are the complexity of the electrical connection circuit, sensitivity to mechanical stress and voltage drops in the network, and short service life - up to 10,000 hours. It is not recommended to install fluorescent lamps in the kitchen from an environmental point of view. They contain mercury vapor, and if the glass bulb cracks or breaks, the vapor will spread into the room.

• Spotlights with LED or halogen lamps - they can be built-in or surface-mounted, rotating or with a fixed direction (spots).

They are very compactly placed under wall cabinets, cut into the bottom, and the light from them is directed directly onto the countertop. The inconvenience is that the wires and base are mounted inside the cabinet and take up some space there. It is practical to use overhead rotating spotlights; they can be mounted on the bottom of the cabinet or on the wall. Directional lighting can be changed at any time to the subject you need.

• LED lighting, overhead Rationel lamps for kitchen furniture from IKEA.

The products are ideally adapted to the kitchen conditions and countertop lighting, and are easily mounted on furniture and walls.

• LED strips - many models are produced, they differ in the number of LEDs per 1 m, power consumption, mounting method and lighting color. To illuminate the tabletop, it is easier to use self-adhesive tape, the LEDs of which emit white or yellowish warm light.

Of all the options listed, LED lighting is considered optimal. It is superior to other light sources in all respects, it has the most economical power consumption, simple installation, resistance to mechanical stress and a long service life. The great advantage of LEDs is that they practically do not heat up, while providing sufficient brightness of lighting.

Installation of LED strip for tabletop illumination

Selecting LED strip

First of all, you need to decide what brand is needed and how long the tape is needed, measure the total distance above the tabletop. The strips are produced in a standard length of 5 m, usually this is enough to illuminate a countertop in a kitchen of 9 m2. It should be taken into account that the tape can be cut in certain places in order to highlight certain areas of the table.

The tapes differ in several ways:

• the number of LEDs per 1 m, the power consumption and brightness depend on this, manufacturers make 30, 60, 120 and 240 pcs/m;
• type of LEDs - monochrome single-color elements with 1 crystal or full-color with 4 crystals;
• according to the size of the diodes - the smallest are 1.06 x 0.8 mm, the largest are 5 x 5 mm;
• according to moisture resistance there are three types, IP20 - has weak protection, IP65 - medium level and IP68 the highest level of moisture protection, it can even be placed in an aquarium;
• by supply voltage 12, 24 or 36 V.

The countertop in the kitchen is considered an object with high humidity, so it is recommended to install an IP65 grade tape. In terms of lighting brightness, SMD 5050 tapes with 5 mm diodes, 120 pcs/m shine very brightly, 60 pcs/m are simply bright, 30 pcs/m create moderate lighting. Colored diodes for illuminating the work surface are not recommended; they distort the outlines of objects, the eyes get tired quickly, and it is inconvenient to work.

This option is more suitable for ceiling decoration. For the countertop, it is enough to install an SMD 5050 tape, where there are 60 diodes per meter.

Selection of power supply

The problem is that LED strips are not powered directly from 220 V sockets; a voltage of 12, 24 or 36 V is required depending on the type of strip; 12-volt models are most often used. Manufacturers make different power supplies; you need to choose one that matches the power consumed by the tape. Otherwise, the elements of the block may burn out or not provide energy to fully illuminate the LEDs.

Power calculation

On the tape itself they write technical specifications per 1 meter. An SMD 5050 with a power of 12 W and a length of 4 m will consume 48 W. We take into account the power reserve factor of 48 x 1.25 = 60 W, which means that a 60 W power supply is required. Old transformer units are heavy and large in size; it is advisable to buy modern transformerless voltage converters, they are lighter and smaller.

Installation sequence

1. Measure the required distance of the tape and cut it from a five-meter roll; you need to cut in the places strictly indicated on the tape.

1. If lighting requires several sections for cabinets, cut them in the indicated places. Connecting wires must be copper, stranded and flexible. For contacts with a “+” sign, use a wire with red insulation, for “minus” with black or blue.
2. Connections of tape sections to each other and to the power supply are performed only by soldering at a temperature of no more than 250 °C. Soldering should be done on the indicated contacts with the “+” and “-” signs.

1. Before soldering the wires, do not forget to put insulating heat-shrinkable tubes on them, pieces of 1.5–2 cm each. After soldering, move them to the contact points, heat them with a lighter or hairdryer, they will shrink and reliably insulate the connections.

There are factory plastic connectors for connection, but it is not advisable to use them. They do not always provide reliable contact, which can lead to wire burnout.

1. Before gluing the tape to the bottom of the cabinet, thoroughly wipe the surface and degrease it with cotton wool soaked in alcohol.

1. Remove 5-10 cm of the protective film from the back of the LED strip and stick it to the bottom surface of the cabinet along the pre-marked line. Remove the rest of the protective film as you stick it, then the tape will not stick together and stick to other parts of the furniture or to your hands.

In some furniture samples, the bottom of the cabinets is recessed in relation to the walls, creating a kind of niche in which the tape, power supply, trimmer for controlling the brightness of lighting and connecting wires are perfectly placed. In cabinets with a flat bottom, a decorative aluminum profile is placed on glue or secured with self-tapping screws around the perimeter. It hides all the lighting elements of the kitchen surface, eliminates glare from rays at eye level, and only illuminates the countertop. If necessary, to harmonize with the interior, the profile can be painted to match the color of the cabinets with moisture-resistant paint from a spray can.