What Types of Under Cabinet and Pendant Lighting Do We Install?
Kitchen lighting works best in layers. Here are the pieces we add alongside LED potlights.
LED tape light in channels
A continuous strip of LEDs mounted in an aluminum channel with a frosted diffuser. It gives a smooth, dot-free line of light across the counter and backsplash.
LED puck lights
Small round lights mounted under cabinets. They’re good for glass-front cabinets or a single coffee station, though strips give more even light on long counters.
Island pendants
Two to four pendants over the island. They’re partly decorative, partly task lighting, and they go on their own dimmer.
Dining pendants and clusters
Single statement pendants or clusters of small pendants over a dining table. We centre the box over the table, not the room.
How Much Do Under Cabinet and Pendant Lights Cost in Toronto?
Under-cabinet strips run $200 to $450 per kitchen. Pendants run $150 to $300 each.
| Cost factor | Lower end | Higher end |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet length | Single short run | Multiple long runs, L or U kitchen |
| Wiring route | Easy access through cabinets | Fished through finished walls |
| Pendant location | Existing box | New box and wiring over island |
| Pendant count | One or two | Three or four |
| Timing | Bundled with potlights | Separate visit |
When Should You Add Under Cabinet or Pendant Lights?
The best time is during a kitchen potlight install, since we’re already running wires and adding dimmers. The next best time is during a cabinet or countertop replacement, when everything’s open. Plenty of clients also call in late fall, when the evenings get dark early and the counter starts to feel dim by 5pm.
Common Problems We Fix
Plug-in strips with cords on the backsplash
We replace them with hardwired strips on a dimmer.
Spotty light with visible dots
Bare LED tape without a diffuser. We add channels and diffusers for smooth light.
Pendants hung too high or too low
We adjust the chain or cord so they sit 30 to 36 inches above the counter.
Everything on one switch
We split potlights, pendants and under-cabinet lights onto separate dimmers.
Under Cabinet Strips vs. More Potlights
Adding more ceiling potlights won’t fix the shadow under your upper cabinets, because your own body and the cabinets block the light. Under-cabinet strips put light right where you work. Pendants add style and focused light on the island. Together with potlights, they give you a kitchen that works for cooking, homework and late-night snacks.
Adding kitchen potlights? Book a free consultation and ask us to include strips and pendants in the same quote.
