Floating Shelf Lighting and Black Devices in a Washougal, WA Kitchen Remodel

This Washougal kitchen remodel was down to trim-out. The design had floating wood shelves with lights under them, a dark herringbone backsplash, and the homeowner wanted the outlets and switches in black so they’d blend into the tile.

Lights under a floating shelf

Shelf lighting looks simple, but there’s more to it. The lights are low voltage, so each run needs an LED driver somewhere. And you need to be able to get to that driver later without pulling the shelf off the wall.

In this kitchen:

• The wires come out under each shelf, where the lights mount on the underside and the wiring stays hidden
• One driver is inside a base cabinet, behind the doors but easy to reach
• The other driver is on a closet wall next to the kitchen, for the shelves on the far wall

You have to plan where the drivers go before the tile goes up. Our kitchen electrical page covers the rest of a kitchen remodel, from appliance circuits to GFCI rules.

Black outlets on a dark backsplash

White outlets on a black herringbone backsplash stick out. The homeowner asked us to swap five outlets and two double switches to black. It’s a small change, but now the backsplash looks like one surface.

Black outlets come in the same GFCI and tamper-resistant versions code requires at a kitchen counter, so you don’t give anything up.

Part of a bigger remodel

The finished kitchen has recessed lights, a glass pendant over the island, and a wood range hood. The shelf lights are what you notice at night. For more jobs in the area, see our electrical work in Washougal section.

Planning shelf, cabinet or toe-kick lighting in a remodel? Call 360-828-7143 or plan the driver locations with us before the tile goes up.