I like to light up a room enough for navigation without hurting my eyes in the morning. Toe kick lighting would be perfect.

Is this a very modern gloss slab door kitchen? If not, then no, never do toe kick lighting for a traditional kitchen. and only in select circumstances with a modern design.

@live-wire-oak, it’s a transitional style. The floors are a gray-ish tile.

If you have under cabinet lighting along with good ceiling lights I see no reason for toe kick lights at all. I do however like pendants over the island

Why do you want toe kick lighting?

The gray tile and toe kick lighting both are a mistake in a traditional space.

To echo a comment above, toe kick lighting seems to fit with contemporary kitchens and not many other styles. I'm personally not a fan of toe kick lights because they appear out of place in most styles of kitchen.

I can see Joe's point about visibility in the dark, but other lighting (on dimmers) should be sufficient for that.

I’ve done toe kick lighting in bathrooms with a motion sensor as a functional element. But it’s not the high wattage bar lights that most want for their kitchens. It’s just a soft glow at night so the lit up toilet wasn’t glaring.

@live-wire-oak, I said transitional, not traditional. Our house is pretty contemporary with some modern flair.

@cpartist, my husband hates bright lighting and loves ambient light. Plus, he feels it kicks it up a notch in terms of making a kitchen look high end.

Transitional combines traditional elements with some contemporary touches. It’s not modern lite. And neither is suited to toe kick lighting in a kitchen. You need hard edged full blown modern, that looks at home in a hipster downtown bar to have toekick lighting not look like a disco ball in your grandmother’s living room.

I’d build in one of those vacuum things before I’d add lighting. Especially with a dog.

@GreenDesigns. Your comment is confusing. I mean, you were so passive I can hardly tell what your opinion is. LOL.

If the kitchen is properly lighted, there is no need for toe kick lights. The key is layering...that is, under cabinet lights, properly placed recessed lights, and also some hanging lights, (ours are semi-flush)...and put all on dimmers.

Green Designs comment reminds me of the typical response that posters get when they ask about barn doors.... ”Oh, the horror!”

No one has mentioned budget. Is your budget constrained at all, or do you pretty much have a blank check? If the latter, then get the toe kick lights. If the dog hair bothers you, then don't turn the toe kick lights on until after you've vacuumed. If you do have some budget constraints, then think whether the cost of the toe kick lights could be better spent elsewhere - like on a gorgeous counter, a higher-end appliance, or a more current flooring than gray tile.

@shannon_wi, not a blank check but we can afford the TKL. My husband is pretty much leaving all the decisions to me but this was the one thing he really wanted so I’m willing to concede this. However, if it were up to me, I’d rather not get it and spend the money elsewhere. He did say if it was going to show dog hair, dust and dirt he would rather not spend the money as it wasn’t cheap.

Also, curious as to what flooring you consider more current than gray tile? What we were looking at wasn’t literally just a gray tile. I was just trying to give a sense of color and material. I don’t want wood as I’m a messy cook so we haven’t considered any material other than tile.

I, personally, do not need lighting that highlights the fact that the floor needs cleaning. I'll get to it when I get to it; I don't need to have the odd crumbs and dust thrown into high relief.

OTOH, we do have a motion sensor that turns on the under-cabinet lights when we walk in, and that's usually the only lights we turn on (along with the stove hood as needed). It's just a nice, subdued glow throughout the kitchen and good light on the counters and sink.

A friend got a floor sticky roller for quick dog hair picks when dog hair is in a spot but she can't bear vacuuming that minute. It seems to work well. If your dog doesn't shed inordinately, perhaps a couple of passes with that every couple of days would make it tolerable for that lighting that would make it for your husband.

I like the idea of toe kick lighting in a bathroom. It provides a nice, low glow for night-time bathroom trips OR a nice quiet not-quite-in-the-dark light for a late-night soak.

However, I don't see any point in toe kick lighting in the kitchen.

Toe kick lighting tends to highlight all of the grossness that inevitably gets stuck near the toe kick. No thanks.

I have a modern high gloss white kitchen and would never ever even consider toe kick lighting. No dogs and alas, no cats currently either, so no pet hair, just the occasional crumb. But it IS a cheesy look and highlights an area that doesn't need showcasing.

Install dimmers on your cans, pendants and UC lighting and hubby will be fine in the early A.M.

Toe kick lighting works better in a bathroom than a kitchen, IMO, so that you don't have a glaring overhead light if you need to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. I think it's overkill in a kitchen.

Stick up two or three $15 battery-operated motion-activated LED strips along the toe kick in your current kitchen. You'll find out if the dog hair is a feature.

My last house had toe kick lighting anywhere there was cabinets. Kitchen, all bathrooms, laundry room, and family room built ins. I hated them. It looked like it belonged on a space ship. And highlighted any crumb on the dark floor. I don’t recommend them.

I don't like toe kick lighting. In fact, I paint the toe kicks in my kitchen black. It hides all the scuffs that toe kicks get (thus the name!), and it makes the cabinets appear to be "floating". I've had this in my last two kitchens and I love it. And yes, there IS dog hair along the toe kick in my kitchen, even with daily sweeping.

Sorry to hijack, but can anyone explain what a "messy cook" is? I've heard it used countless times in Kitchens. Does it mean you have a lot going on, spread out all over the counters and sink? Or does it mean that you spill and drip and it goes all over the place (e.g., down the fronts of the cabinets and onto the floor)?

My husband is a messy cook. No matter what he chops, pieces wind up all over the floor. I mean, the surrounding area, and halfway across the room. I find liquids on the floor, too. Somehow, he doesn’t see it. If I question him about it, he’ll tell me he’ll get it when he next cleans the floor. Grrrr. I’ve always been a “clean as I prep” cook. So, this drives me nuts.

Now, I’ve got health issues, and I’m not supposed to do any vacuuming, or use cleaning products. Thank goodness for paper towels, and water, which work wonders on the wood floor...and, the fact that I am mobile enough to bend!

Needless to say, toe kick lighting in the kitchen...No Way!

Depends on your floor color vs crumb color and how clean you keep your floor. Certain lighting can highlight floor crumbs.

@bunny, I tend to splatter a bit when I cook. It’s exacerbated by the fact the cooktop is in a peninsula (can’t wait for that to change!) and I tend to get water droplets on the floor when I wash dishes.

My husband is a messy cook (I should insert here “bless his heart” or something like that). He cooks on the weekends. We have been married for 11 years, together for nearly 20. We met when I was 18, we have two very small children. He took up cooking perhaps 2 years ago as a brain break from his very very intense job....all that to say I am thankful he cooks on the weekends......

But

He.is.a.slob. Slobby messy slob slob.

Marble etching and stains. Food on the floor. Minimal to no cleaning as he goes. Just throws stuff back in the fridge. (Are you blind? Do you have selective amnesia?)

All that to say. I am thankful he cooks. I lose years off my life in the process..................