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Different Types of Cabinet Lighting Qualities: Lumens vs Kelvin – 2021

Cabinet lighting provides extra illumination in shadowed areas of your kitchen, cupboards, and more. They offer a contemporary and upscale aesthetic to complement the look and feel of any space. And, there are a variety of lighting styles and options from which to choose, depending on your aesthetic desires. 

Learn everything you need to know about cabinet lighting and the different types available. Find out what the difference is between lighting methods, light quality, and power systems. And, discover which lighting style is the best choice for the kitchen and bathrooms in your home.  

Your Total Guide to Different Types of Cabinet Lighting – 2021

When you walk into an immaculately designed kitchen, one of the things that make a kitchen stand out is the cabinet lighting. Usually, the cabinet lights will complement the overhead lighting. For example, if your kitchen has fluorescent tube lighting on the ceiling, your cabinet lighting might also feature stips of fluorescent illumination. 

The biggest advantage of cabinet lights is to provide illumination and reduce shadows cast by overhead lights. A well-lit area helps to reduce the risk of accidents in the kitchen, as well as adds dimension to the room. Shadowed areas are black holes for the atmosphere in the room, but adding subtle lighting transforms the aesthetic characteristic of the room.

Cabinets are the biggest shadow casters in the kitchen and bathroom since they obstruct overhead lighting from reaching your countertops. The space between the cabinets and the ceiling can also become a dead zone of light, but simple up-lighting changes this negative dynamic into a positive. 

Adding cabinet lights creates the illusion of more space above and below your cabinets. And it creates a positive atmosphere in which to spend time, whether communing with friends and family or preparing a delicious meal.  

Depending on the aesthetic you desire for the room, different types of lighting will serve the purpose best. The type of lighting you choose will determine the color temperature, lumen strength, energy consumption, and ultimately the room’s ambiance. So, what types of cabinet lighting options do you have from which to choose?

Lumens vs Kelvin: Brightness and Color Temperature of Your Lights

When it comes to lighting, the color and brightness of the light make all the difference to the aesthetic and ambiance it evokes. Before choosing a cabinet lighting system for your kitchen or bathroom it is important to understand how lumens affect brightness, and color temperature is measured on the kelvin scale. These principles are the same as with any electric light source, such as common household light bulbs.

For comparison sake – a 40-watt household light bulb emits around 450 lumens, whereas a 100-watt lightbulb emits around 1,600 lumens. The most common mistake is to assume that more lumen output equates to more white and blue color temperature, as is true of fluorescent bulbs. The differences in the color quality of different light sources are measured on the kelvin scale. 

Kelvin Scale

The Kelvin scale measures the color quality of light, between 1,000 and 10,000 kelvin (k). A light that measures 1,000k emits light with a deep yellow to an orange temperature which mimics firelight, whereas 10,000k em its an intensely bluish-white color that more directly mimics sunlight.

If you are illuminating a darker surface, such as a granite countertop, you want to veer towards a higher lumen value. The color temperature should work to complement the overhead lighting and suit your preference. If you want to learn more about custom cabinet lighting, talk to a Myers Cabinet associate for a free consultation.