Frameless Cabinet Lighting

5 years ago

I’m trying to decide how to accommodate lighting in my frameless cabinet kitchen.

Cabinet doors will be white shaker with white shaker panels on all cabinet ends that will extend past the box to create an inset look.

These are the ideas I’ve seen:

1. Put a piece of trim all the way around edges of base cabinets - this would extend flush with the cabinet doors which would continue with the inset look:

2. Extend the doors and side panels below the box

3. Extend the side panels and have the bottom “shaker rail” thicker so it lines up with the front rail and then add a front piece of trim. This is what my cabinet maker suggested. I don’t have a picture of this strategy.

4. Drill a hole in the bottom of the cabinet box to install lighting (recess the little circle lights) and then put a second bottom inside the cabinet to hide the lighting.

I think I would prefer option 2 since it seems the most simple - but I haven’t asked the cabinet maker if they can do this. I’m worried their suggestion of an extra piece of trim along the bottom that is always exposed would get dinged up as dishes are pulled in and out of the cabinet - it would also make it really obvious if the doors were out of alignment at all since there would be a horizontal line right in your face.

Am I overthinking this?

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Atherton Design

5 years ago

Are these custom cabinets? If so, you can have the cabinet maker just recess the bottoms 1” but maintain frameless everywhere else. The doors will cover the box with the same reveal as frameless and you’ll only see the thicker bottom rail when the cabinet door is open. I have my cabinet maker do this on all of my frameless kitchens.

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Comments (12)

megs1030
5 years ago
Or install light strips under your cabinets... literally like a piece of tape with little LED lights.
Jennifer K thanked megs1030
Jennifer K
Original Author
5 years ago
I think the light tape would show - the bottom of the cabinet is fully exposed - not even a mm to tuck the strip behind. Do you have a picture to show me what it would look like?
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K Schin
5 years ago
Following!
megs1030
5 years ago
Okay, sorry, I just looked at mine and it is a thin tape, but then has a "screen" over it to make the light look continuous. I know I'm not explaining this well. Here's a link to what I have before the screen was installed over it:

https://www.google.com/search?q=light+strip+for+cabinets&safe=active&rlz=1CAPQVW_enUS918&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjglbzMmoTsAhWpj3IEHTCwBkEQ_AUoAXoECA4QAw&biw=1318&bih=665#imgrc=yU6-_mPgG8YOlM

So to disguise that from being seen, my cabinet maker installed a light rail, similar to your picture #1. The light rail is slightly decorative, but looks like part of the cabinet box. I do not think I would extend the side panels and doors to hide it. Nor would I install a recessed light with a false bottom, you will lose cabinet storage that way, unless you're dropping your cabinet heights.
RedRyder
5 years ago
I’m assuming from your post that the cabinets have a flush bottom. Most cabinetry is built with a recess (I.e. the lower rails are longer then the inside floor of the cabinet. I looked at how our lights are installed (because you can’t see them) and realized our cabinets have the recessed floor. If yours are flush, then adding a bit of length to the bottom rail sounds like the easiest solution.
teamaltese
5 years ago
We have this issue as well. We got the thinnest lights we could find, put them towards the back of the cabinet, and just deal with seeing them.
Jennifer K
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you! I will ask them. It is not really a custom shop, but they are local and seem to be flexible on many things.
RedRyder
5 years ago
Shouldn’t be a problem. I’m sure the cabinet maker is asked this all the time.
Jeanette Mieko
6 months ago
I know this is an old thread. How did it work out? Any pics? I have the same situation. :)
Jennifer K
Original Author
6 months ago
This is how we ended up adding the light rail and attached side panels - I really like how it turned out.
Jennifer K
Original Author
6 months ago
The side panels were custom made to go all the way to the ceiling so there wokldnt be a bunch of seams - so no added trim for the sides.