How to Improve Kitchen Cabinet Lighting

Learning how to improve kitchen cabinet lighting with recessed cabinet lighting will help illuminate countertop work areas while adding to the room's overall illumination. They act as great accent lights at night while allowing enough illumination for any midnight snackers to grab some eats without turning on the overheads. The project is moderately easy for any do-it-yourself enthusiast.

Step 1 – Power Off

Make sure the breaker to the kitchen is off.

Step 2 – Find the Power Source

Locate the nearest outlet and remove the wall plate.

Step 3 – Enlarge the Hole

Find the side of the electrical box nailed to a wall stud and enlarge a hole to the size of a two-gang electrical box on the side not nailed to a stud.

Step 4 – Remove Old Box

Use a pry bar to remove the old box and disconnect the wires.

Step 5 - Mark Stud Hole

Mark through the installation hole at the back of the fixture onto the wall behind and determine if there is a stud there. If not, drill a ½-inch hole. If you do find a stud, move the fixture slightly toward the outlet keeping the stud in line with the attachment hole.

Step 6 – Feed Wire

You’ll need to feed the 12/2 wire through the ½-inch hole and down to the electrical box allowing at least an additional 24 inches of wire from the hole to the outlet.

Step 7 – Mount Fixture

After removing the fixture cover and metallic socket strip, mount the fixture to the underside of the cabinet closer to the front edge. Use the hardware provided through the pre-cut holes.

Step 8 – Install Cable Connector

Insert a cable connector in the pre-punched hole in the back of your kitchen lighting fixture and remove six inches of plastic sheathing from the cable end and feed it through the cable connector.

Step 9 – Feed Old Wires and Cable

Now, feed the old wiring and the new cable through the back of the two-gang electrical box and mount it.

Step 10 – Connect Wires

Connect the copper ground wire from both the cable and outlet. Connect the white wires to the terminal in the two-gang box marked “White-Wire Line Only.” Do likewise for the black wires only connect one end to the “Hot Terminal.”

Step 11 – Dimmer Switch

Follow the manufacturer’s direction for connecting the dimmer switch by connecting the black wires to the yellow wire on the dimmer switch.  Attach the ground and hot wires according to instructions.

Step 12 – Mount Dimmer

After pushing the wires into the box, mount the dimmer switch.

Step 13 – Socket Strip

Attach the corresponding wires from the socket strip to the wires from the cable and reinstall it to the fixture. Add the bulbs, replace the cover and mount the wall plate over the electrical box. Turn the power on and check to make sure the new kitchen cabinet lighting fixture works properly.