Software
Houzz Logo Print
hzdeleted_31906565

Strip or puck lighting?

8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago

Electrician's doing the rough-in today and seems to think strips would be more seamless. We had chosen pucks as I like the shadowy effect. is there a reason to choose one or the other?

Also, what kind of lighting did you put in your glass cabinets, if you have any? (Our shelves will be wood, not glass, so one puck on top won't cut it... concerned a strip will be visible at the sides).

Comments (5)

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Not puck. Will leave little circles of light on your counter. l I didn't even think people did puck undercabinet lights any more. What kind of lighting is it? LED?

    I opted not to put lights inside my glass cabinets. Everyone I know who put them in said they never turned them on after the initial excitement, and it was an expense that was not very useful. I've never missed them.

    Make sure your undercabinet lights are on dimmers. This is not an expensive "upgrade", as the dimmer switch is reasonably priced and available everywhere.

    Final tip - make sure to install the strips toward the front of your upper cabinets, just behind the light rail, not at the rear. Installing them at the rear will light mostly the backsplash. Also the strips will be visible when sitting in the kitchen if they are installed toward the rear. Installing toward the front means the light is shed on the center of your counters, where it needs to be for task lighting. Don't let the electrician say he can't do it cause the wires will show. If he takes an extra 15 minutes, the wires won't show (mine don't), but electricians frequently resist this.

    User thanked friedajune
  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Yes, they were LED pucks. I rather like the lights circles :( But it sounds like it's a bit old? Yes definitely will have them dimmable, and to the front, thanks! I wasn't sure if strips are dimmable, but seems like at least some are...

  • 2 years ago

    We are having the same dilemma. I wonder what you ended up choosing? I think your post is from 2018…6 years on I’m curious.
    I’m adding to the conversation because I too like the little “spotlight” effect from the puck lights. I find it quite elegant. Especially inside a glass cabinet. But everyone seems to opt for strip lights (even our contractor). I don’t know. The look is fine, if a little glowy. To me strip lights feel a bit commercial. Like an upgrade from neon. Puck lights cast a structured glow, and I find the effect a bit more tasteful.

  • last year

    What did you end up doing?

  • last year

    Puck lights! And they're perfect! We have them along the bulkhead so adding them inside the glass cabinets made sense. We did do strips inside the pantry and coffee station (see pics for reference). The strip lights are on a motion sensor so they turn on when the doors open. Very handy. A suggestion if you like muted/warm lighting: ask your electrician to order the strips at 2300-2700K....they might cost a bit more, but anything stronger will look way too stark. Its a personal choice, but I won't install anything over 2700K. I find that's the downside with LED. It hasn't quite captured the same colour/warmth as incandescent lighting. The technology hasn't nailed the nuances yet...But that's for another forum...