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Kitchen cabinet kickboard lighting offers more opportunities than you might expect to incorporate your kitchen lighting ideas. Kickplate lighting can elevate the appearance of your kitchen while providing nice, indirect lighting. Read on to learn more about kitchen plinth lights and how to incorporate them into your space.
What Are Kitchen Kickboard Lights?
Lights in kickboards, sometimes called plinth lighting, are lights that line kitchen baseboards and recessed areas under cabinets. The term “kickplate” comes from the idea that you might accidentally kick the area under the cabinets when standing there.
There are many ways that kickboard lights can benefit the space, including:
- AMBIENT LIGHT – Kitchen kickboard lights can bring the lighting from the ceiling to the floor, helping ensure there are no shadows.
- ACCENT LIGHTING – When you have the kickboard lights turned on by themselves, they can provide a beautiful indirect glow. Many like to use them as nightlights to help navigate the house in the middle of the night. They can also be used to highlight areas of interest such as decorative flooring.
- MOOD LIGHTING – YOU can choose from various colour temperatures with LED kickboard lights, allowing you to set the tone and mood of the space.
Different Types of Kitchen Plinth Lighting
Kickboards kitchen lighting comes in a variety of different styles and types. This makes it easy to incorporate them into kitchens of any type. The different kinds of under kickboard lighting include:
- STRIP LIGHTS – Strip lights are flexible, versatile and can be lined up easily at the bottom of cabinets.
- PUCK LIGHTS – Compact, small and round, these lights are good for providing localized, focused lighting.
- LINEAR LIGHTS – These are thin, long lights that are easy to install against the kickboard.
- ROPE LIGHTS – Similar to strip lights, rope lights come in a flexible tube that can be positioned easily along the kickboard.
- RECESSED LIGHTS – Kickboard spotlights recessed into the kickplates can give off light without their fixtures being visible. This makes them a good option for those who love modern minimalism.
- MOTION SENSOR LIGHTS – Save energy and money by having kickboard lights for kitchen areas turn on and off depending on the occupancy in the room.
How Kickplate Lights Add Mood Lighting to a Kitchen
Kitchen kickboard LED lights are among the most popular kitchen lighting trends today. Part of their popularity is owed to their ability to add atmosphere and mood to the room.
INDIRECT LIGHTING – Due to the nature of LED cabinet lights, they provide a nice, indirect source of light. These lights also tend to shine down and slightly out, which can prevent glare when looking down at them. This can reduce harshness while also making the space more inviting.
- SOFT LIGHTING – The gentle, soft glow that kickplate lights emit beautifully diffuses through the kitchen, generating a cosy mood.
- VISUAL DEPTH – Including kickplate lights can add depth and visual intrigue to the space. This works by adding an additional layer of lighting to make the space more dynamic.
- WARM COLOUR TEMPERATURES – With warm colour temperatures available, these lights can give kitchens a cosy and inviting feel using familiar illumination that is easy on the eyes.
- DIMMABLE LIGHTS – If you choose lights that can dim, you can adjust the brightness of the light exactly where you like it to create ambience.
- HIGHLIGHTING DETAILS – Using kitchen plinth lights, you can draw attention to certain architectural features and generate some stylish accent lighting this way.
Can You Put Kickboard Lights on a Movement Sensor?
Modern kitchen lighting is attractive for more than just its appearance. Kickboard lights can also be controlled in various ways, such as smart methods and motion sensors.
By adding motion sensors to your kitchen, you will set it up so that the lights only turn on when someone is near them. The lights will stay on for as long as someone is in the area, and when they leave, the lights will automatically turn off once more.
Some benefits of motion sensor lights include:
- ENERGY SAVING PLINTH LIGHTS – By only turning on when they are needed, they will naturally consume less energy. Not only is this better for the environment, but this can also reduce your electricity bill each month.
- CONVENIENCE – You can turn lights on in the kitchen without having to touch a thing if you have motion sensor lights.
- VISIBILITY AND SAFETY – If you come into the kitchen late at night for a glass of water or a snack, motion sensor lights will turn on automatically and help you see the area better.
- LONGER LASTING BULBS – With lights that only turn on when needed, you can expect the bulbs themselves to last significantly longer.
Choosing the Best Colour Temperature for Your Kickboard Spotlights
Colour temperature, otherwise known as the coolness or warmth of a light, is an important thing to consider when purchasing plinth lights. Measured in degrees Kelvin, colour temperature exists on a scale of 1,000 to 10,000, with higher numbers indicating cooler lights and lower numbers indicating warm lights.
They can dictate the mood of the room, and so choosing the right one for various settings is crucial. When it comes to domestic settings, warm lights are generally preferred. That said, some people prefer to have a bright and cheerful kitchen instead.
Warm light is generally recommended for plinth lights. This is especially true if you want to use them to create a cosy and warm atmosphere. For this effect, it is recommended that you choose between 2700k to 3500k lights.
How To Space Kitchen Kickboard Spotlights
All kitchens are sized differently, so the spacing between the kickplates lights may vary from house to house. Even so, there are some general guidelines you can follow to determine how yours should be spaced.
- FIGURE OUT THE INTENSITY OF ILLUMINATION – Think about how bright you prefer the area to be. If you want to use them mostly for ambience, you won’t need as much light and can space them out further.
- DETERMINE THE KICKBOARD LENGTH – Measure the length of the kickboards so you can understand the total area you need to cover.
- PLAN OUT THE SPACING – For subtle ambience, decorative lighting or mood lighting, lights can be spaced 45 to 60 centimeters apart from one another. If you want something more functional, 30 to 45 centimeters between them would be ideal.
- KEEP IT SYMMETRICAL – However you choose to space them, be sure that you are using an even number of lights and are creating a sense of balance and symmetry with their placement.
How To Use Kickboard Lights as Part of Your Kitchen Lighting Scheme
Kickboard lights can be used as one of the three layers of lighting in your kitchen. Generally, this means the mood lighting of the room. By installing lights under the island and cabinets, you can create a soft glow and ensure every area of the room is well lit.
You can also use them as task lighting. Get creative and install them in cabinets instead of under them to make it easier to see the contents inside.
If you have a darker kitchen in general, you can use kickplate lights in combination with a glossy floor to help light bounce and spread more easily.
If you just want to set a calming mood or provide indirect lighting for the purpose of a nightlight, plinth lights are an easy way to accomplish this.
Ideas for Kitchen Kickplate Lights
The LDC880 1 Watt LED Plinth Lights Build Your Kit comes with everything you need to install your plinth lights, including a connecting cable and LED driver. These lights are ideal for plinth lighting due to their small size and customisable placement. They come in your choice of polished chrome, silver, rose gold, white, gold or black to suit the decor in any kitchen. Each light shines 122 lumens of 3000k warm white light.
Enjoy a soft, warm glow in your kitchen with the LSL009 Round 1 Watt Acrylic Recessed LED Kickplate Light. This round light features an acrylic sandblasted front face plate that diffuses the 70 lumens of light, softening it and spreading it out. Overall, the light measures 46 millimeters in diameter, making it easy to install in any kickplate area.
Modernise your kitchen with the inclusion of the LSL008A Square 1 Watt Recessed LED Wall Light. The sleek, square wall light measures only 46 millimeters by 46 millimeters, so it works great as plinth lights. The light outputs 70 lumens of 3000k warm white light with a polished aluminium front that diffuses the light to the rear and sides of the fixture. Fittings are included for both concrete and drywall installations.
Warm up the feel of your kitchen with the LSL002 Round 1 Watt Recessed LED Wall Light. This wall light features a keyhole opening in the front through which the 70 lumens of 3200k warm white light shines. The light is projected downward onto the floor, giving it a uniquely decorative property. The light measures 48 millimeters in diameter and is finished in a sleek brushed aluminium.
Add decorative appeal to your kitchen with the Halo Square 1 Watt Recessed LED Wall Light as kickplate lights. The square fixture has openings on the side that allow the light to wash the walls on either side of it with a butterfly wing effect. A total of 70 lumens of 3200k warm white light is generated from the LED bulb, which is nestled inside of the 48-millimeter by 48-millimeter aluminium fixture.
