Under-cabinet & accent lighting

Under-Cabinet Lighting Installation in Raleigh & Wake County

COB LED tape under the cabinets, inside them and above them: the light, without the dots, with no trip charge for the quote.

Under-cabinet lighting is the best upgrade per dollar in a kitchen: task light on the counter with no shadow from your own head, and a soft glow for the room at night. We install American Lighting TruLux COB tape exclusively, hidden behind the cabinet lip, dimmable, in the same color as the rest of the kitchen. The same tape lights glass cabinets, shelves, coves, toe-kicks, mirrors and wine cellars.

Get my free under-cabinet lighting quote (919) 888-3500

4.9 ★ · 620+ reviews · NC License #29565 · 5-year workmanship warranty · Free in-home quotes

4.9 ★Average rating620+ reviews on Google, Yelp & Nextdoor

COBLED tape, exclusivelyAmerican Lighting TruLux COB

No dotsA continuous line of lightNothing reflected in the counter

5-yearWorkmanship warrantyParts and labor on our workmanship; defective parts per the manufacturer, labor on us

Why COB tape

The difference you see in the countertop

Old under-cabinet lights were a row of individual LEDs. Look down at a polished granite or quartz counter and you saw every one of them reflected back: a line of dots. COB (chip-on-board) tape packs the LEDs so densely under a phosphor layer that the light is one continuous line, with no dots and no hot spots.

We use American Lighting TruLux COB because it’s the best we’ve found: 90+ CRI so food and finishes look right, available in the same 3000K or 2700K as the rest of the house, and dimmable on a Lutron dimmer without flicker.

Hardwired to its own switch or Lutron dimmer, not plugged into a counter outlet.
Hidden behind the cabinet lip or in an aluminum channel with a diffuser.
Driver mounted out of sight, sized for the run.
Matched in color to your recessed lights and pendants, so the kitchen reads as one.

Under-cabinet LED lighting over a coffee bar

Beyond the kitchen

Everywhere the same tape works

Once you’ve seen a kitchen with it, you find places all over the house.

Inside glass-front cabinets

Light the shelves and what’s on them: glassware, china, a collection. Tape runs up the inside stiles so the source is never visible.

Above cabinets and coves

Tape aimed up at the ceiling for a soft, indirect glow. The kitchen-at-night light that makes a room feel bigger.

Toe-kicks and stair treads

A low night path under the cabinets or along a staircase that doesn’t wake anyone, often on a sensor.

Bars, shelves and built-ins

Shelf lighting for a home bar, bookcases and the built-ins each side of a fireplace.

Mirrors, vanities and headboards

A backlit edge behind a bathroom mirror, under a floating vanity or behind a headboard.

Wine cellars, closets and pantries

Shelf-by-shelf light in a cellar, and closets and pantries on an occupancy sensor so the light turns itself off.

Before you pick a fixture

One color for the whole house, 90+ CRI, lumens by room

We lean to 3000K when it’s available and 2700K when we’re matching lights you already have, and we keep every light in the house the same. Rooms that need more light get more lumens, not a cooler color. The Light Color Guide shows the difference on screen.

Open the Light Color Guide

How it works

From the first visit to the last dimmer

1
Free quote visit
We look at the cabinets, the counter finish and the switch locations, and talk about what you want lit: counters only, or cabinets, coves and toe-kicks too.
2
Price in writing
By the run, with the dimmer and driver included, so adding the cove or the bar is a known number.
3
Install
Tape cut to the cabinet runs, channels and diffusers fitted, driver hidden, wiring fished to the switch. Usually one day for a kitchen.
4
Dim and match
Lutron dimmer set, color checked against the rest of the kitchen, and a walkthrough with you.

We keep drywall cuts minimal but don’t patch or paint; we’ll recommend local painters who do.

Our work

Recent jobs

Tap to enlarge. See the full lighting gallery.

Glass island pendants with under-cabinet lighting in a white kitchen

Pendants, under-cabinet lighting and cove lighting layered in a kitchen

In-cabinet LED lighting behind lattice cabinet doors

LED shelf lighting running the length of a wine cellar

Lighted built-in shelves on each side of a fireplace

Lighted glass-front cabinets above a home bar

LED stair-tread lighting during a remodel

Backlit mirror with vertical sconces at a bathroom vanity

The ARC Promise

Covered by the ARC Promise.

We started ARC because nobody we met was happy with the last electrician they hired. So we set three rules and put them in writing.

Read the Promise

Free in-home quotes. No trip charge, no estimate fee, no obligation.
No commission. Our electricians are paid the same whether you spend $150 or $15,000.
Free second opinions. Got a quote from someone else? We’ll look at it, in person, for free.

Under-cabinet lighting questions

What's the best under-cabinet lighting?

COB LED tape, hardwired and dimmable. It gives a continuous line of light with no dots reflected in the counter. We use American Lighting TruLux COB exclusively.

Tape, puck lights or light bars?

Tape. Pucks make pools of light with dark gaps between them, and most bars show their LEDs in a polished counter. COB tape lights the whole run evenly and hides completely.

Does it plug in or hardwire?

We hardwire it to its own switch or Lutron dimmer, with the driver hidden. No cords on the backsplash, no counter outlet used up.

What color should under-cabinet lights be?

The same as the rest of the kitchen and the house: 3000K when it's available, 2700K if we're matching existing lights, always 90+ CRI. If the counter needs more light, we use higher-output tape, not a cooler color.

Can you light the inside of my glass cabinets?

Yes. Tape runs up the inside of the cabinet so the shelves and what's on them are lit and the source is hidden.

Can it be dimmed?

Yes, on a Lutron dimmer matched to the driver, so it fades smoothly with no flicker.

Is the quote free?

Yes. A free in-home quote with no trip charge, no estimate fee and no obligation, and a price in writing before any work starts.

Where do you work?

Across Wake County and the Triangle from our shop in Fuquay-Varina: Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Morrisville, Wake Forest, Durham, Chapel Hill, Knightdale, Clayton and Angier.

Under-cabinet lighting is one part of our lighting work. See recessed lighting, chandeliers and fixtures, landscape lighting, Lutron dimmers and smart control, and the full gallery.

All lighting services

Get a free in-home quote

Tell us what’s going on and we’ll call to set a time. Or skip the form and call now; a person answers.

No trip charge, no estimate fee, no obligation
Price in writing before work starts
Licensed electricians, not paid on commission

(919) 888-3500

ARC Electric

Address: 2406 Waco Commercial Ct, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
Email: [email protected]
Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 am–5:00 pm
Emergency hours: 24/7, 365 days a year

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