Illuminating Design: How to light your joinery

Image of interior designed custom joinery with incorporated lighting.

Joinery is the unsung hero of interior design—the cabinets, nooks, and shelves that provide storage, style, and structure to your home. Joinery lighting, often overlooked, can turn this functional storage into a stunning design feature. Thoughtfully integrated lighting will showcase your own unique style, enhancing both aesthetics and functionality. Read on to find out how to light your joinery.

Interior designed custom joinery with lighting in an apartment in Manly

Why Lighting Matters in Joinery Design

Joinery lighting is the winning combination of functionality and flair, as practical as it is beautiful. It highlights craftsmanship, improves usability, and adds layers of depth by:

1. Accentuating Your Collected Treasures

From heirlooms to travel trinkets and sculptural beauties, proper lighting draws attention to the details that tell your story. Consider a backlit bookcase glowing softly in the evening or spotlights that bring your collected treasures into sharp focus – highlighting a gallery of cherished photos or children’s art, unique pieces you have collected or sentimental objects. Highlighting the pieces you love and making your home uniquely yours.

Custom designed media wall incorporating display shelves, integrated lighting and fire place in a full home renovation in Turramurra Sydney

2. Setting the Mood

Lighting isn’t just practical—it’s an atmosphere builder. Soft, ambient lighting in your living room shelves creates a cosy evening vibe, while bright task lighting in your study boosts productivity. A warm LED light placed under the kitchen benchtop to highlight the island facade is a great way of adding subtle mood lighting to the area. Adjustable lighting solutions let you tailor your home’s mood to every occasion.

Custom designed kitchen in Turramurra Sydney featuring integrated joinery lighting

3. Enhancing Everyday Functionality

Thoughtfully placed joinery lighting streamlines everyday tasks allowing you to effortlessly find spices in your kitchen cabinet or pull together an outfit from a brilliantly illuminated wardrobe. Under-cabinet lighting in kitchens and LED strips in wardrobes are just a couple of ways joinery lighting makes daily life smoother and more enjoyable. A well lit space is something you don’t notice until it isn’t!

4. Being Stylish and Sustainable

Energy-efficient lighting, like LEDs, blends seamlessly with modern sustainability goals. Long-lasting and cost-effective, they reduce your energy consumption while adding a chic touch. Stylish and eco-conscious? Yes, please!

Recessed entry way shelving with integrated lighting

Drinks cabinet customed designed by an interior designer and featuring integrated lighting

Types of Light Fixtures for Joinery Lighting:

Selecting the right light fixtures for joinery lighting is critical to achieving a functional and aesthetically pleasing result.

LED strip lights are popular for their versatility, energy efficiency, and ability to fit into tight spaces. They work well for illuminating shelving, backlighting panels, or adding under-cabinet lighting in kitchens. These flexible lights can be adhered along the edges or under shelves but ideally they will be planned from the outset and recessed into the joinery itself – creating a soft glow that highlights objects without overwhelming the space.

Puck lights are small, circular fixtures that can be mounted on the underside of shelves or within compartments to provide a focused beam, making them ideal for spotlighting specific areas such as decorative items or task zones.

Wireless, rechargeable lighting options are ideal for ready-made furniture, as they eliminate the need for extensive rewiring and can be installed quickly.

Recessed lights, often integrated directly into joinery, create a clean, streamlined appearance while offering strong illumination for deeper cabinets or wardrobes – consider making these motion-activated or reed-switch lights that illuminate only when needed, adding both convenience and a touch of luxury. These should be incorporated into your joinery designs from the outset.

Track lighting provides flexibility for open shelving or display areas, allowing you to adjust the direction of light to suit different items.

Sensor lights bring a touch of luxury and convenience, automatically lighting up when a cabinet or drawer is opened.

Custom designed pantry and drinks zone in an apartment in Manly

Additional Features to Consider:

Dimmable fixtures will allow you to adjust the mood and light level as required.

Colour temperature must also be considered when selecting your light fixtures. Use warm white light (2700-3000K) for a cosy, inviting feel in living areas, while cooler light (4000-5000K) works well in kitchens or utility spaces where clarity is key.

Hiding the Wiring for cabinetry lighting is essential to maintain a clean and polished look. The best approach is to run wires through concealed channels within the joinery or behind panels. For new installations, consider pre-drilling holes or routing grooves into the cabinetry to tuck away cables. Adhesive cable management clips can be used for retrofitting existing furniture to keep wires neatly organised and out of sight. For a seamless finish, integrate wiring into the cabinetry’s structure, using crown mouldings, baseboards, or backsplashes to hide cables effectively. Always ensure the wiring is planned alongside the lighting design to avoid visible clutter and achieve a professional result.

Retro fitting joinery lighting is best done using fixtures with adhesive backing or integrated mounting systems to blend effortlessly with the furniture design.

Custom Designed Joinery is the ultimate way to create form and functionality, with lighting incorporated exactly as it is needed.

If you would like some help to light up your life, one perfectly placed fixture at a time, then please reach out to us here – we’d love to show you how to light your joinery!