Haha, your LED strip method sounds exactly like my first kitchen lighting adventure. I remember crouching under cabinets, muttering curses at sticky tape that refused to cooperate. Ended up looking pretty good, though my knees weren't thrilled. Next time around, I'll probably splurge a bit on dimmable recessed lights—less DIY gymnastics involved and easier on the eyes. But honestly, budget hacks can be surprisingly satisfying... sore back and all.
Haha, totally relate to the sore knees and sticky tape battles—been there myself. Honestly though, dimmable recessed lights are a solid choice, especially in older homes like mine. They blend in nicely without overshadowing original details...worth the extra bucks for sanity's sake.
Curious, did you find recessed lights tricky to install without disturbing your plaster ceiling? I went with surface-mounted LEDs to avoid cutting into original plasterwork...but now I'm second-guessing if recessed would've looked cleaner. How'd your ceiling hold up?
I went recessed in our plaster ceiling and honestly, it was a bit of a headache. We tried our best to be careful, but still ended up with a few cracks that needed patching and repainting after. Not a disaster, just extra work I hadn't planned on. Surface-mounted LEDs might feel like a compromise, but at least you skipped the mess and stress...no second guessing needed, IMO.
Did you find recessed lights worth the extra hassle and cost overall? I went with surface-mounted LEDs purely to save money and avoid exactly what you're describing. Sure, they're not as sleek, but honestly, after a week or two, I stopped noticing them. Wondering now if recessed would've added enough value or aesthetic appeal to justify the headache...guess I'll never know, but my wallet's happier at least.
