I have a small pantry that is lit by a small overhead florescent bulb. Given that it is essentially triangular with the florescent parallel to the door and the shelves along both of the other sides of the triangle, the upper shelves shade the contents of the lower shelves.
The bulb has finally burned out and before replacing it and feeling like I am now tied to it for a decade lifespan of a new bulb, now seems to be the time to replace it with something better.
As you might be able to make out in this picture, the power comes out of the ceiling right about the middle of the door.
I was thinking about using light strips for the first time and was looking for suggestions for a good option to replace the florescent fixture and have light strips around the inside frame of the door. My concerns are what kind of controller, given that I will essentially have direct power after removing the fixture. Next how I get symmetrical lighting since it would need to run down both (left and right) sides of the door frame. For my automation needs, does it make more sense to control from controller or use a controllable switch in place of the current analog switch that controls the florescent?
Finally has anyone done something and learned some lessons about things to avoid?
Or should I just replace the bulb and accept the shadows I am accustomed to?
Our pantry just had a single light bulb, and I left it that way for several years, but the first of this year I replaced it with one of these and have been really happy with how it lights things up.. It's zigbee and it can do colors, but I just turn it on and off and keep it bright white.
I did exactly what you're proposing in a closet. LED strips were mounted on the interior wall along the edge of the OG casing. I used warm white, which worked well for viewing clothing colors. I used the recessed overhead light as the power source, mounting the fan-cooled LED controller in the can. I did not replace the overhead lighting,
On one frequently used shelf I installed a piece of molding along the outer edge. The molding was about 1/4" wider than the thickness of the shelf. I positioned it so that it protruded below the bottom edge of the shelf. I installed LED strips behind that protrusion.
If I were to do it again, I'd use enclosures with diffusers for the strips beside the casing --particularly in walk-in closets or pantries. My installation was not walk-in.
Barrina (Pack of 6) LED T5 Integrated Single Fixture, 4FT, 2200lm, 4000K (Daylight Glow), 20W, Utility Shop Light, Ceiling and Under Cabinet Light, Corded Electric . Mains powered.
These are BRIGHT. I've used them to replace F40CW fluorescents in a bathroom. One replaced two F40s.
I did essentially what you are thinking with two of my closets. I converted the light switch to an outlet and plugged in a Sengled light strip. The length of the power cord allowed me to start the light strip at the bottom of the door and wrap all the way around to the other side. You MIGHT be able to do the same from a fixture overhead. Not sure there. I mounted the strip with push pins initially to see if the concept worked. It's automated with a smart contact switch in the door or a motion sensor over the top of the door. I use the motion sensor in my pantry. It works very well. No shadows! The WAF was good too!!
My solution was a Sylvania/Osram led light strip (since discontinued but lots of other choices) placed in an LED channel system with a translucent cover. The channel and cover is the most important part. No bright LEDs glaring at you. Amazon Link to channel an cover
And a door contact sensor to manage on and off when the pantry door opens and closes.
For a walk-in pantry we use a Lutron dumb motion switch to control the overhead lights for walk-in space. No Hubitat needed.
I used light strips in our closets and all of the lower cabinets in the kitchen. Mounted them vertically and it lights things up quite well. My bride was happy.
I also use these in my Pantry, the cabinet was from the previous owners. Started to pull it out and do something different. The cabinet is dark and the shelves stationary so it was hard to see stuff at the back of it. So I built some pull out drawers and added the LED strips. They are plugged into a Zigbee smart plug that comes on when the pantry door is opened. They are pretty bright and can be sectioned together for various lengths.
Glad to see all of the options, since I am diving down this rabbit hole as well. For our pantry, I am going to try to use an extra Gledopto dimmer with some Aliexpress linkable LED bars.
