Do You Know What is Under Counter Lighting?

Just in case you’re wondering, under cabinet lights are known by a whole bundle of different names. Besides the name “under cabinet lighting,” which makes a lot of sense because they’re the lights you install under your cabinets, they’re also called undermount lights, task lighting fixtures, kitchen under cabinet lights, and under cupboard lighting.

But, the name that has caused the most head-scratching here is “under counter lights.” Most everyone understands that under cabinet lighting and under counter lighting are different names for the same thing, but when you really think, it doesn’t make much sense.

Under counter lights are always installed over  the counter, but they’re not called “over counter lights.” If I didn’t know better, I might picture small accent lights below the lip of a counter. Or even better, backlighting under translucent counters, making them glow. Though now that I think about it, that might actually be cool. Why don’t we call those under counter lights?

Anyway, I’ve accepted the origin of the term under counter lights for under cabinet lighting as just one of life’s great mysteries. But, as long as the public continues to use the term, we will too.

When we say under counter lighting, here’s what we mean:

* Linear task lights with xenon, fluorescent, or LED light.

* Recessed or surface-mounted puck lights made with xenon, fluorescent, or LED light.

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* Low-profile, adhesive LED tape light

* Thin LED light bars.

Have you ever heard the term under counter lights? What did you picture them to look like?