[Greenbuilding] undercabinet fluorescent fixtures

[Alan Abrams]

best solution for kitchen lighting is continuous T-5's under wall cabinets
and or shelves at 16"-20" inches above the counter...and...a light colored,
matte finished counter surface.  The counters make a significant difference
in visual comfort.  Best kitchen I've cooked in had continuous fluorescent
under cabinet lighting and white corian counters.  The corian was slightly
transluscent, like fine marble, and actually functioned as a source of
illumination.  I never turned on the overhead lights, except to sweep the
floor.

By contrast my kitchen has continuous T-5's and soapstone counters, which
seem to suck light out of space.  Not that 7 years have passed since the
corian days...incipient cataracts having nothing to do with it...


*Alan Abrams**
Abrams Design Build LLC*
*A sustainable approach to beautiful space*

6411 Orchard Avenue Suite 102
Takoma Park, MD 20912
office  301-270-NET- ZERO (301-270-6380)
fax      301-270-1466
cell     202-437-8583
alan at abramsdesignbuild.com
www.abramsdesignbuild.com



On Wed, Aug 17, 2011 at 10:13 AM, Clarke Olsen <colsen at fairpoint.net> wrote:

> I make kitchen cabinets with the first shelf open: dishes and glasses are
> not ugly, and they are much handier without doors.
> With a lip on the front that stiffens the shelf and hides the light, I've
> used T-5's lately, though T-4's would be skinnier.
> Check the wattage to hold the light down to a level that works.
>
> Clarke Olsen
> 373 route 203
> Spencertown, NY 12165
> USA
> 518-392-4640
> colsen at fairpoint.net
>
>
>
>
> On Aug 17, 2011, at 9:52 AM, Anne Judge wrote:
>
> >
> > On Aug 16, 2011, at 11:55 PM, JOHN SALMEN wrote:
> >
> >> Modern
> >> residential kitchens were essentially designed by some rich brat in the
> 30's
> >> so her staff would be more efficient??
> >
> > My observation is that it's more like someone combined the pantries
> (storage and butler) and the kitchen (large working room with stove & work
> table etc.) into one room for more modest smaller houses.  You'll find
> modern-looking upper & lower cabinets in late 19th-C upper class butler's
> pantries.  Their upper cabinets did just what most of mine do, store dishes.
>  Don't knock it, I don't know where else I would want to keep them.
> >
> > The problem looks to me that that changed what was mostly a staging area
> into a functional work surface.  I think it worked pretty well, after
> raising the upper cabinet a bit & deepening the lower one, but it was a
> compromise.  I certainly would never give up my upper cabinets to make it
> marginally more ergonomic.
> >
> > Do you still find that modern LED undercounter lights are still not a
> really useful working light?  I actually don't have under-cabinet lights and
> every so often look at them.
> >
> > Anne
> >
> >
> >
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