I totally get where you're coming from with the battery thing. Had a similar experience at my folks' place—dad insisted on hardwiring some fancy under-cabinet lighting. Looked great...until we spent an entire weekend chasing down a mystery short behind the backsplash tile. After that fiasco, I put battery-powered LEDs in my own kitchen. Sure, swapping batteries isn't glamorous, but it beats spending hours playing detective with wires hidden behind drywall any day.
Haha, your dad sounds exactly like mine—always convinced he can DIY anything electrical until we're all knee-deep in drywall dust and regret. I went the hardwired route in my last kitchen reno, thinking it'd be sleek and hassle-free. Spoiler alert: it wasn't. Ended up with flickering lights that made dinner prep feel like a scene from Stranger Things.
Honestly, battery-powered LEDs are underrated. Sure, swapping batteries isn't glamorous, but neither is crawling under cabinets with a flashlight trying to figure out why half your kitchen suddenly went dark. Plus, if you ever decide to sell or rent the place out (speaking from experience here), tenants appreciate simplicity over fancy wiring any day.
Curious though—has anyone tried those rechargeable LED strips? Seems like they might hit the sweet spot between convenience and aesthetics without turning into another weekend-long detective story...
I haven't tried rechargeable strips yet, but honestly, after my last DIY lighting fiasco, anything that avoids messing with wiring sounds good to me. I ended up with uneven lighting and shadows everywhere—my kitchen looked like a moody art project gone wrong. Are those rechargeable strips bright enough for actual cooking tasks, though? I'd worry about them dimming halfway through dinner prep...
I totally get the hesitation about rechargeable strips. I tried them once in a small pantry area, and while they were convenient (no wiring nightmares!), they weren't exactly bright enough for detailed tasks. They started out decent, but after a couple of weeks, I noticed the brightness fading quicker between charges. Not ideal when you're chopping veggies or checking meat doneness.
Honestly, after several kitchen remodels, I've found that a mix of lighting types works best. Under-cabinet LED strips (wired, unfortunately) give consistent brightness for prep areas, and then something softer overhead to balance things out. I know wiring can be intimidating—I once spent an entire weekend troubleshooting flickering lights only to realize I'd mixed up two wires—but the payoff is worth it in the long run. Maybe consider hiring someone just for that part? Could save you from another moody art installation scenario...
Your story about the flickering lights made me laugh—totally relatable. I've been debating between wired LED strips or those puck lights for under the cabinets. My parents had puck lights installed, and they seemed pretty bright and reliable, but I'm not sure how they'd compare against strips for even coverage. Did you ever try puck lights in your remodels, or are strips definitely the way to go?
