"Definitely under-cabinet lights, but also toe-kick lighting along the base cabinets—sounds extra, but it's subtle and cozy at night."
Toe-kick lighting does look nice, but honestly, I found it more gimmicky than practical. Ended up rarely using mine... under-cabinet lights were way more useful day-to-day. Just my two cents.
Toe-kick lighting does look nice, but honestly, I found it more gimmicky than practical. Ended up rarely using mine...
I mean, toe-kick lighting does sound cozy, but how often are you really hanging out in your kitchen at night staring at your feet? 😂 I feel like I'd forget to turn them on after the first week. Under-cabinet lights though... total lifesaver when you're trying not to chop off a finger prepping dinner. Has anyone tried those dimmable pendant lights over an island instead? Seems like they'd be both practical and cozy without feeling gimmicky... thoughts?
We put in dimmable pendants over our island when we redid the kitchen, and honestly, they've been great. I didn't think I'd use the dimming feature much at first, but turns out it's perfect for late-night snacks or early mornings when you're not quite ready for full brightness yet. Toe-kick lighting always seemed kinda pointless to me—like, sure it looks fancy in pictures, but in real life? I can't imagine ever remembering to flip them on.
Funny thing though, my folks installed toe-kick lighting in their kitchen remodel a few years back. They swore they'd love it, but now whenever I visit, those lights are never on. My dad jokes they're just expensive dust collectors at this point. Under-cabinet lighting is definitely the winner if you're going for practical...but if you want something cozy with actual use, dimmable pendants are solid.
I get what you're saying about toe-kick lighting, but I wouldn't dismiss it entirely. I've seen it used effectively as subtle night lighting—especially helpful if you've got kids or older family members navigating the kitchen at night. Depends on your household needs, really.
I see your point about toe-kick lighting being handy for nighttime navigation, but honestly, I've found it a bit overrated in practice. I had a client who insisted on installing them specifically because her elderly mom stayed over frequently. After about two months, she admitted they barely got used—her mom preferred a small plug-in nightlight near the doorway instead. The toe-kick lights ended up feeling more decorative than functional.
Personally, if subtle nighttime lighting is the goal, I'd lean toward under-cabinet LED strips with adjustable brightness. You can dim them way down at night, and they're versatile enough to provide solid task lighting during meal prep. Plus, they're easier to retrofit if you change your mind later on...unlike toe-kick lights, which can be a hassle to remove or reposition once installed. Just something to consider based on what I've seen work (and not work) in real-life kitchens.
