The best way to light a display cabinet is to light the shelves themselves, with a clip-on light on each glass shelf or a slim shelf light on each wooden one, then add a small spotlight or a back panel if the cabinet needs more.
Display cabinet lighting should show off what is inside, not the fittings. This guide covers glass display cabinets, kitchen dressers and home bars, with the Sensio lights that suit each, and how to switch and power them. Everything here runs on the Sensio 24V system, so each light plugs into a driver with no wiring inside the cabinet. Shop the full range of display cabinet lighting.
Start with the shelves
Lighting each shelf gives the most even result, because every shelf of glassware or ornaments gets its own light.
Glass shelves. Glow attaches to the back of a 4mm to 8mm glass shelf with a push-fit, and the light flows through the glass and out into the room. It comes in 450mm, 560mm and 1020mm lengths, in natural white (4000K) or cool white (5000K), and can be cut every 25mm. Glow Pro does the same job with adjustable white, from 2850K warm to 6000K cool, and can be cut every 50mm. Both are dimmable with the right receiver or a smart driver.
Wooden or solid shelves. Genoa clips onto the back of an 18mm shelf and lights up and down at the same time, so one light covers the shelf above and the one below. It has two pre-installed strips behind a diffuser, so there are no visible dots. Vertex is a slim shelf light with the strip already fitted. It sits on the back of the shelf board, so there is no need to cut the shelf short, and the cable exits from the back for no exposed wires. It can be cut to length.
Genoa shelf light in natural white.
Add light from the top or the back
A tall cabinet with few shelves, or one with solid shelves, may need light from above or behind as well.
From the top. Zeta is a small 68mm stainless steel spotlight that fits in the top of the cabinet and lights downwards. A removable collar lets you surface mount or recess it, and the light is diffused with no visible dots. It comes as a single light or a 3 light kit, in natural white.
From the back. Expanse is a slim LED back panel, 680mm x 460mm and 9mm deep, that fits inside a wall unit and lights the whole cabinet from behind. It is fully diffused, gives 1300 lumens in natural white (4000K) and fixes with magnetic brackets. Its pre-connected lead plugs straight into the driver. Expanse Pro is the adjustable white version, from 2700K to 6000K. Both are made for glass fronted cabinets.
Expanse LED back panel.
Ideas for glass display cabinets
For a glass cabinet with glass shelves, fit Glow or Glow Pro to every shelf. If you are not sure which white you want, Glow Pro lets you change it later. Add Zeta in the top if the bottom shelf looks dim.
If the cabinet has a solid back, Expanse lights the whole cabinet from behind with an even glow. Read our colour temperature guide for help choosing between warm, natural and cool white.
Ideas for kitchen dressers
A dresser usually has open wooden shelves above a base. Genoa on each 18mm shelf lights plates and jars from above and below. Vertex gives a clean single line under each shelf. If the base has drawers, Verso is a drawer light with an infrared sensor on the front edge, so it turns on as the drawer opens and off as it closes.
For open shelving beyond the dresser, see our shelf lighting ideas.
Verso LED drawer light.
Ideas for home bars
A home bar is often a mix of glass shelves for bottles and glasses and a cupboard below. Glow on glass shelves lights through the glass. Expanse behind the shelves lights bottles from the back. Glow Pro or Expanse Pro let you move to a warmer white in the evening.
For a lit shelf on the wall above the bar, Torino is an illuminated glass wall shelf in 600mm or 900mm, in black or silver, that carries up to 10kg. For a continuous line under a bar shelf, LED strip in an LED profile also works. See what is an LED profile.
Switching and powering it
All the lights in this guide are 24V and plug into a Sensio 24V LED driver, which hides out of sight. The 24V side is plug and play. The driver's mains connection should be made by a qualified electrician. To size it, see what size LED driver do I need.
To switch the lights as the cabinet opens, the Titan+ Wireless Door Sensor works on single or double doors and pairs with the Titan+ Driver. For more options, read which LED light sensor do you need.
Torino, Genoa, Vertex, Verso and Expanse are covered by the Sensio 7 year guarantee. For retail showcases and shop fitting, see Sensio for specification.
Frequently asked questions
How do you light a glass display cabinet?
Fit a glass shelf light such as Glow to the back of each glass shelf, so the light travels through the glass. Add a small spotlight such as Zeta in the top if you need more light at the bottom.
What thickness of glass shelf does Glow fit?
Glow and Glow Pro fit glass shelves from 4mm to 8mm thick.
Can I light wooden shelves without routing a channel?
Yes. Genoa clips onto the back of an 18mm shelf, and Vertex sits on the back of the shelf board, so neither needs a routed channel or a shorter shelf.
Is there mains wiring inside the cabinet?
No. Each light plugs into a 24V driver that sits out of sight. The driver itself needs a mains connection by a qualified electrician.
Can I change the colour of the light later?
Yes, with Glow Pro or Expanse Pro. Both adjust from warm to cool white with a CCT receiver or a smart driver.
Do display cabinet lights come with a guarantee?
Torino, Genoa, Vertex, Verso and Expanse are covered by the Sensio 7 year guarantee.
