A question that we were recently asked was “how do I use LED strip lighting under integrated appliances, where there is no base unit to stick the LED strip lighting onto?”
Well, LED strip lighting is really effective and installing it under integrated appliances initially seems to be a problem but you just need to think outside the box and work with what you have to work with
Using the plinth
So, what do we have under the appliance? The only item available to us is the plinth, so this is what you need to stick the strip lighting to but you can’t just stick it straight onto the plinth, as the lighting ideally needs to be pointing downwards.
To get the lighting to point downwards, one of the easiest solutions is to use something called Angle Moulding, available from most hardware stores.
The one shown above was 10mm x 10mm to give the right angle shape required. One side of angle moulding is then glued to the plinth with something like No Nails adhesive or something equally as strong and the led strip lighting is attached to the underside, as shown in the image below. Let the adhesive set overnight to be sure it sticks properly.
Dishwasher section
But what about the section under the dishwasher, where a bit of plinth has to be cut out for the door to open properly and when there are base units either side of it?
Well, the same principle as above, applies under the dishwasher area but you can stick the rest of the lighting to the underside of the base units on the rest of the kitchen run. Just use a piece of angle moulding on the cut-out section, where the dishwasher door retracts into, see image below.
When the plinth has been placed into position you can run the plinth lighting under the units, down and under the angle moulding and back up to the bottom of the units.
As this all happens right at the top of the plinth, it is never seen in most people’s kitchens. I say most people’s kitchens. Some people have big open plan kitchens and from a distance, you may be able to see the angle moulding, but you would have to be many, many meters back from the units.
Examples of plinth lighting
Are you thinking about getting some plinth lighting in your new kitchen? If so, take a look at some of the kitchens below, where our customers have used plinth lighting themselves.
I wanted to order Norton Light grey and I’m struggle with the plinths to use. I understand the cheaper ones are made from MFC same as the units but are the plinths really made from Oak when I select door material?
Hi Michael, the plinths are made with a veneer on the front, so this will have the same finish as the doors with the wood grain effect in there to match the doors. Carcass material plinths have a smooth finish and are painted in carcass colours to match the carcass, rather than the doors.
Ingenious idea for running the LED in angle profile and attaching to the plinths. I was struggling with the idea of attaching the LED strip to the base of the cabinets, but then wouldn’t be able to remove the plinths in the future without fouling the LEDs.
Also dropping the LEDs under the dishwasher seems so obvious now. Thanks