If you have a built-in corner cabinet and would like to highlight its contents, consider installing an accent light. Several options are available, including low-voltage fluorescent, incandescent and surface-mounted halogen fixtures. This project takes approximately 2 hours and costs less than $35. Materials: Drill, with drill bits
Fish tape
Self-connecting in-line electrical switch
Phillips- and flat-head screwdrivers
Electrical tape
Low-voltage surface-mount light kit (which uses a transformer to convert household current to 12-volt current)
- Drill a 3/8" hole through the top of your cabinet where you plan to install the light.
- Turn off the breaker switch for any circuit you plan to use. If the cabinet is directly above a basement with an unfinished ceiling, drill a hole through the floor of the cabinet, and use fish tape to thread a power cord through it. Then tap into a power supply below. Use wire nuts to secure your connections. If you don't have access to an unfinished basement, use the most inconspicuous power supply available.
- From inside the bottom of the cabinet, drill a hole at an upward angle through the side (figure A) and into the cavity between the cabinet and the wall.
- Push fish tape through the hole into the cavity and up through the top. Place the transformer on top of the cabinet, and clip the plug from the end of the power cord. Attach the end of the cord to the fish tape, and pull it into the bottom of the cabinet.
- Strip the insulation from the power cord and the power supply, and splice them together. Wrap each bare wire with electrical tape, then wrap the entire spliced area with electrical tape.
- Separate the wires in the power cord, and attach a self-connecting electrical switch. Remove the back of the switch, and lay one wire inside the switch, following the manufacturer's instructions (figure B). Replace the back, and tighten it to complete the installation.
- Feed the wires from the light fixture through the top of the cabinet, and connect them to the transformer. Mount the fixture with screws (figure C). Insert the bulb into the fixture, and attach the lens.
Tip: You can replace your wooden shelves with glass to maximize the effect of the light. Next: Updating a Bathroom Light.
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