9 Ways to Spruce Up Tired Kitchen Cabinets

There's a missing element in most American kitchens, and it's not a $7,500 range or a 4-acre refrigerator. No, it's simply good lighting. The hidden fixtures of undercabinet task lighting, which are fairly easy to retrofit beneath upper wall cabinets, bathe the countertop in bright white light—a boon for everything from dicing veggies to reading recipes. Connect the fixtures to a dimmer switch, and you also have the key to dramatic accent lighting or a night light for midnight snackers. If you're a bit tentative about working with electricity, don't worry. This installation is simple and shock-free, as long as you cut the juice at the breaker box first.

For full step-by-step instructions, shopping list, and tools list, see How to Install Undercabinet Lighting.