Hidden Wonders | Residential Lighting

Hidden Wonders

During a recent Twitter chat hosted by Residential Lighting, kitchen designers revealed they’re seeing growing client interest in LEDs, particularly in undercabinet applications. And the National Kitchen & Bath Assn. (NKBA) agrees, naming LED lighting as one of its top kitchen trends for 2012. These low-profile luminaires have indeed come a long way, and here are a few of the latest innovations.

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Even Illumination

The Unilume LED undercabinet system from Tech Lighting provides highly efficient and consistent illumination, thanks to tightly clustered blue pump LEDs, a 98 percent reflective mixing chamber and an Intematix ChromaLit remote phosphor lens. Unilume also dims smoothly down to 15 percent using a triac or ELV dimmer. Available in two lengths (13 and 19 inches) and two colors (white and black). www.techlighting.com

Easy to Install

Debuting at this year’s Lightfair Intl. in Las Vegas, Creative Systems Lighting’s Eco-Counter combines creative product design with the latest LED technology. Being UL-listed for damp locations and available in three lengths makes the Eco-Counter suitable for a wide range of applications, and captive screws and SpeedLink technology make it surprisingly quick to install. The Eco-Counter also features an integrated ELV dimmable 120V hard-wired system, which requires no remote transformers or drivers. www.csllighting.com

Low Profile

The Light Channel Millwork from Edge Lighting features 12V Soft Strip Premium inside a slim, paintable aluminum extrusion, which fits in wood boards as small as ¾ of an inch. A 61-degree light diffuser provides a clean line of light without LED ”dots,” while a clear lens ensures maximum light output. The linear system contains 36 warm white LEDs per foot and is sold in 2-inch increments. www.edgelighting.com

Warm Color Temperature

Using Cree LEDs allows Cal Lighting’s LED undercabinet light (Style No. UC-789/6) to give off steady, even light with a warm color temperature of 3000K. The lights are also linkable with individual switches. Available in four lengths (8, 16, 24 and 32½ inches) and two finishes (white and rust). www.calighting.com

Flexible Mounting Options

WAC Lighting’s Straight Edge undercabinet strip lighting system can be used in highly customized designs, thanks to several mounting options, including adjustable aiming mounting clips, which provide optimal task lighting and flexibility. The Straight Edge has a long life of up to 50,000 hours and is backed by the company’s five-year product warranty. Available in five lengths and two color temperatures. www.waclighting.com

Small Size

The LED Dome Light from Eurofase features a built-in driver and measures just 3 inches in diameter. These 2W lights are available individually or in packs of three. www.eurofase.com

No Shadows

The CounterMax MX-L-LPC Series from Maxim Lighting is designed with a built-in driver to create crisp, shadow-free illumination. Cree LEDs provide warm white light with a 3000K color temperature and a CRI of 85. These linkable lights are available in three sizes — 12, 18 and 24 inches — and three colors: white, bronze and aluminum. www.maximlighting.com

High Lumen Output

MaxLite will debut the second generation of its self-driven Plug-and-Play LED Lightbar at this year’s Lightfair Intl. After being re-engineered, the new Lightbar boasts triple the lumen output of its predecessors, and also features a new diffuser cover to minimize glare and deliver even light distribution. Available in 6- and 12-inch lengths. www.maxlite.com

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