The past couple months I’ve seen a big trend towards LED lighting, especially in kitchens and bathrooms. I’ve seen it in the homes I show, as well as in new build model homes. It started as simple under cabinet lighting, but has morphed into something completely different. As long as it’s done correctly it can really add to a room by creating balanced layers of light. Here are some examples of how it can be used:

Under Cabinet Lighting

Under cabinet lighting has been a popular form of accent lighting for some time. I myself added some in my kitchen when I had my backsplash installed 3 years ago. It can be helpful when working in the kitchen, but also adds a nice aesthetic and helps to feature a backsplash. I’ve seen it lately on both the cabinets and underneath the kitchen island often on separate light switches so that you can change up your kitchen lighting.

Overhead Cabinet Lighting

Above or overhead cabinet lighting came shortly after below cabinet accent lighting. It’s often used to add a layer of light to a room (mostly kitchens), or to accent décor that is on top of the kitchen cabinets.

Toe Kicks

Toe kick lighting is found underneath the bottom cabinets often in kitchen and bathrooms. It helps to brig a balance to light by creating a layer of light near the floor. They’re often left on at night as “nightlights” so that a clear path is visible.

Cabinet Lighting

Cabinet lighting is found inside cabinets with glass panels, in dark cabinets where it’s hard to see things, or inside hutches. It really helps when you have certain items that you would like to display, or when you need a little extra light to be able to see inside of a cabinet.

And Much More

Looking to do a house update, but don’t want to spend a lot of time or money? Consider adding a backsplash to your kitchen. Kitchen updates are the number one thing to add value and appeal to a home (with bathroom updates following close by). By adding a backsplash you add to your home décor, create an easy to clean surface in a messy area, and add value and appeal. You can see my own kitchen above before and after my backsplash was installed. The backsplash and LED under cabinet lighting are the only updates I’ve done to my kitchen so far, and yet my kitchen has a new classier, modern feel to it.

How Much Will It Cost?

The average backsplash tile will cost you $5-10 per square foot. While it’s a little more then you’re typical floor tile, you’re tiling a smaller area so it comes out to be very cost effective. As far as installation goes you can make it a weekend DIY project (Lowes and Home Depot offer classes you can look into on their websites) or you can hire a handyman/tile contractor relatively cheap. I choose to have my handyman do mine and it was under $500 for materials and labor and done in 2 days!

Material Options

When deciding what to make your backsplash out of the options are almost endless! Some of the most popular choices I’ve seen lately have been subway tiles (any color) and glass tiles with a high sheen. I’ve also started to see a trend of metallic or metal choices more often, which I personally love the look of! One thing that is not as popular as it once was is using the same granite as your counter tops. A backsplash is meant to become the focal point of the kitchen and using so much of the same material for the counters and backsplash tends to be overkill and look boring.  When choosing your backsplash material you want it to compliment your own style and taste, but you also don’t want it to hinder your ability to sell in the future. It’s usually best to stick with more neutral colors (maybe avoid avocado green). Take a look at Pinterest, http://www.diynetwork.com, and http://www.hgtv.com for backsplash ideas and inspiration.

Consider Adding LED Lighting at the Same Time

Before you have your backsplash done you might want to consider adding under cabinet LED lighting as well. It’s not easily done once you have a backsplash in place, but if it’s done before the backsplash it’s easy for the wiring to be done and covered. I personally have warm LED lights under my cabinets and love them. Not only does it come in handy during food prep, but it gives my kitchen a more finished look and highlights my backsplash.