Under-cabinet LEDs definitely have their perks, but honestly, after flipping a few homes, I've come to appreciate recessed lighting a lot more. I get the appeal of subtle lighting overnight—no one likes bruised shins—but recessed lights with adjustable brightness can give you similar comfort without cluttering your cabinets. Plus, they're pretty versatile when you're staging a home or just changing up your kitchen layout.
Funny you mention motion sensors and pets...I once installed them in a house I was renovating, thinking it'd be a cool selling point. Big mistake. Every time I walked past the kitchen window at night, the lights would flicker on and off like some haunted house—turns out the neighbor's outdoor cat had claimed my porch as his midnight hangout spot. Lesson learned: motion sensors are great in theory, but not always practical in real life.
Still curious though, did anyone try those toe-kick lights? They seem subtle enough to avoid pet-triggered chaos...but maybe I'm underestimating animal ingenuity here.
I've been tempted by those toe-kick lights myself, but after my experience with pets and lighting, I'm hesitant. A while back, I put in some subtle floor-level LEDs thinking they'd be perfect for late-night snack runs. Turns out my dog thought they were fascinating and spent hours pawing at them—ended up scratching the cabinets pretty badly.
"motion sensors are great in theory, but not always practical in real life."
Exactly this! Sometimes the simplest solutions (like dimmable recessed lighting) end up being the most practical...
I had a similar issue with motion sensors—thought they'd be perfect for midnight kitchen trips, but my cat kept triggering them at all hours. Ended up feeling like a disco in there. Switched to simple under-cabinet lights with a dimmer, and honestly, it's been hassle-free since. Sometimes basic really is best...especially with pets around.
Had a similar thought process when planning our kitchen lighting. Motion sensors seemed futuristic and convenient, but then I remembered our dog, who has a talent for midnight snack patrols. Didn't want to turn our kitchen into a rave every night either, haha. Ended up going with warm LED strip lights under the cabinets and a dimmable pendant over the island. Honestly, the flexibility is amazing—you can create mood lighting for dinner, brighter task lighting for cooking, or just a soft glow for late-night fridge raids. Sometimes simplicity paired with a little creativity is the sweet spot. Plus, it doesn't hurt that it looks pretty sleek too...
Your setup sounds really practical. I went through something similar with our kitchen renovation last year. We considered motion sensors too, but we have a cat who's basically nocturnal and loves midnight adventures—didn't want her triggering lights constantly.
Ended up choosing:
- Soft recessed LED ceiling lights for general brightness.
- Under-cabinet lighting similar to yours, because honestly that's a game changer for meal prep or just grabbing snacks late at night without blinding yourself.
- Added a small adjustable wall sconce near the coffee maker area for early mornings when you don't want full brightness yet (pre-coffee eyes, anyone?).
Have to admit, I was skeptical about needing multiple lighting sources at first, but now I wouldn't change it. Being able to adjust the mood or brightness depending on what you're doing really makes the kitchen more comfortable and inviting. Sometimes simpler setups actually give you more flexibility than tech-heavy ones.
