Introducing Under Cabinet Lighting by Jasco
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Jasco, however all opinions expressed are my own.
Under Cabinet Lighting can brighten up the kitchen without renovating the entire space! See our upgrade here!
Under Cabinet Lighting by Jasco
We recently upgraded our kitchen cabinets with GE Premium Under Cabinet Fixtures (UCFs) from Jasco.
We've been so happy with our outdoor lighting from Jasco, that I was excited to try the new indoor products available on the market! I knew our kitchen could use a quick upgrade. We also wanted to brighten up the kitchen to be able to see our workspace easier. Lighting makes a big difference when you're cooking especially as you get older. We are both over 40 and notice it's much easier to cook in good lighting!
These lights are easy to install and will brighten up your space without a lot of expensive renovations! This was important to us since we have had several recent medical expenses for my husband and myself.
For us, it's just not the best time to embark on an expensive DIY project for the house. I love the idea of making small improvements here and there, that add so much to the overall look of a room.
Products Used:
I would say our kitchen is average on size and amount of cabinets. It has great storage, but isn't over the top or a sprawling country kitchen. If you're thinking about adding lighting to your own kitchen cabinetry, check out the products we used.
For this kitchen project, we used the GE Premium Under Cabinet Fixture in 12″, 18″, 24″, and 36″
You can find all these easily right at Home Depot!
Under Cabinet Lighting- Step by Step Install:
We started with three of the longer GE Premium Under Cabinet Lights, which are 36″ each.
It's important to measure your cabinets before you shop, so you will know which size lighting to select. Even if you assume your cabinets are a standard size, take that extra minute to go measure. You will be glad you did! Some of the original cabinetry in our house is slightly off from standard sizes, which we think is pretty common.
Since all of the bases to the cabinets in our kitchen were over 36″, we went with this set. We did get one smaller light, to fit the corner cabinet.
Next, wipe the underside of your cabinets and let dry thoroughly.
Each lighting fixture has a small hole on each end that you will use to attach to the cabinet. Since they are so small and lightweight, this part of the project was pretty simple.
My husband held up the lights and pre-marked where he wanted them under the cabinets. We wanted them closer to the front, so the light would be cast on both our work surface and also the decorative things on the back of the counter top.
Test it Out
You can test your lighting prior to attaching to the cabinetry. Ours worked great, and we were also happy with how easily they connect together.
Whether you only have one small row of cabinets, or a few larger sets, the GE Premium Under Cabinet Linkable Lights allow you to have one electricity source to power as many lights as you will need. You can link 30 fixtures while only using a single outlet, to get the perfect amount of light for any size room.
In addition to being able to plug into an outlet, the light can be wired directly to a wall switch using the optional GE-branded Direct Wire Junction Box to eliminate visible cords.
The toggle switch makes it easy to operate, allowing you to choose between high and low settings, as well as turn the light off.
Under Cabinet Lighting – Final Install
After we were certain our lights were in working order and we knew where we wanted them placed, my husband drilled a few pilot holes into the cabinets where he had marked.
You can actually hold up the light with one hand and attach with a drill or screwdriver with your other hand. He didn't actually need a second person to help.
Linking Lights Together
After they are installed, just link your lights together and string the wires to a power source.
This step is simple since you can link your lights together with the linking cables included in each GE UCF package. You don't have to worry about finding the right cables!
For us it was very helpful to have everything we needed right in the box.
If you don't have a power source nearby, you can always consider having one wired in by an electrician. We've had a few new outlets placed in the past, and honestly it didn't take long and wasn't a big expense. If you have an older kitchen without many outlets or power sources, you might consider this before placing lighting. Always use a licensed electrician for projects like new outlets and/or wiring in.
Done! Check out our before and after pictures below. I am so happy with how they turned out, and so excited that this small project had such a beautiful effect on the overall look in our kitchen.
Under Cabinet Lighting definitely doesn't have to be an un-affordable, luxury feature in your kitchen or bathroom. These were so easy to do– I am now thinking of where else in the house I can use them!
Before and After
As you can see, my kitchen has some natural light and the cabinets aren't very dark in color. However, there are a LOT of shadows in the evenings, when we turn on the overhead lights in the kitchen. I also want to mention that I did not pull out any of of my photography lights for this project because I wanted you guys to see the “actual results”.
Above is the before picture during the day. You can see how dim it is!
After! I love how the light brightens up my pottery and the counter space at the same time. Look how big of a difference it makes! Using LED lights means long life, no bulbs to replace and energy efficient.
The above picture is during the day without the lights, and below is a picture at night with the lights. I wanted to show this because sometimes my husband doesn't sleep and the kitchen is located right next to the master bedroom. If he's in the kitchen and turns on the light, the light shines bright under the bedroom door and wakes me up.
Now with these new lights, he can navigate around the kitchen at night without waking me up. No need to turn on the main kitchen light.
The lighting is soft and not overpowering. It makes a nice ambient light to help light up the kitchen when we are walking through in the evening, after the dishes are cleaned up and the main kitchen lights are off. I think it also gives the kitchen a “finished” look! Love!
Thanks for Reading! I hope this post has been helpful in helping you decide whether to add these lights to your own space. Don't forget these lights come with a Limited lifetime warranty. Check out the links above to shop, and be sure to circle back to see more DIY posts we've done right here on Consumer Queen!
