Cabinets can often be overlooked in terms of their decorative slant but in recent years, homeowners and decorators have began to much more adventurous with these particular pieces of furniture. Traditionally, cabinets have been used to display fancy items such as silverware, crockery or ornaments as well as personal items and family photographs.

Today, many homeowners are using rope lights as a means of adding a decorative element to their cabinets. As well as being aesthetically pleasing in their own right, rope lights also provide a definitive accent for other items that are kept in a cabinet. While professionally-installed lighting systems can run into hundreds of dollars, rope lights can be purchased at bargain prices and provide a wonderful form of ornamentation.

Using rope lights is simple. Remember that a power supply will be needed so cabinet placement is vitally important. While newer cabinets may come with low voltage lighting already installed, a lightweight power cable can be easily traced along the back of a cabinet and loose flex can be kept out of sight using fixing putty o double-sided tape.

When opening a new set of rope lights, take time to sort through the contents of the box before installing them. As well as containing the rope lights, a package should also contain some mounting clips which usually come in screw-down or suction-cup form. You may also find it necessary to buy several lengths of clear mounting track as this is ideal for mounting rope lights.

Use a drill with a suitable bit or a screwdriver to fix the mounting clips into place. If you have chosen to use clear mounting track, it will need to be screwed into position before fitting the rope lights. All fittings should be placed around the inside of the top edge of the cabinet to keep them out of view. Take care not to use long screws for fixing clear mounting track as this can penetrate through the cabinet leaving unsightly holes. Adhesive pads or double-sided tape will suffice in fixing track to a cabinet.

Unravel the rope lights until they are in a straight, untangled line. It is often necessary to reduce the length of rope lights and this can be easily accomplished by either doubling lengths over or purchasing an adjustment kit from your local hardware store. Ideally, always try to purchase rope lights in the correct length to save on problems at a later stage.

Once the rope lights are ready, they should be fed through the mounting screws and fixed into place or traced through the clear mounting track and secured into position. Make sure that electrical wiring runs down the back of the cabinet to keep it hidden from sight before plugging in to the main power source or electrical extension.

The rope lights can now be switched on and adjusted until they are in exactly the right position. Mirrors and other items of decorative furniture can also benefit from the addition of rope lights.