I agree that you need to build them spaced the distance that works best for you. Having had raised beds spaced close together - you know the challenges that spacing causes. We love our spacing - because we spaced them for our needs. our beds are 4'x16' - 12" high (we have 6 of them) and we spaced them 4' apart. I like to kneel on the grass to work in the beds and 4' gives me plenty of room to do that. As important - 4' spacing is enough room for our zero-turn lawn mower to cut the grass. Many gardeners don't like grass between the beds - but I love it. It is clean - pleasant to look at - and easy to maintain. I prefer grass over gravel or concrete/pavers - but that is just our preference. I do not have a problem with the grass growing up in the raised bed but I also weed-eat around them regularly. We placed the 4x4 support posts inside the bed for clean lines on the outside of the bed. We also placed a 2x6 seat board on top of the 4x4's and edge of the bed - we love that feature! I can see I need to take some photos of our raised beds during the summer that show better how they look now with grass instead of dirt & snow - but these photos should give you an idea of what we have done. They may be of help to you in deciding the best option for your needs. This post was edited by Hudson...WY on Thu, Feb 6, 14 at 2:31

Mine are only 11.5! We re-used our 80 year old cabinets (all new insides and refinished) and in 1927 when they built houses, that's what they did. The downside -- very few appliances will fit under, but that's alright with me because I want them put away off the counter. The toaster and the Breville convection oven both fit (the Breville, just barely). The upside -- the plates and dishes inside are very easy to reach. I'm 5'3". Now 11 would be way too low for most people but going lower than the standard 18 can have its benefits.

Sconces mounted on mirrors can look good, but I'm not sure that mounting a sconce on a wide wooden surface in the middle of the mirror is a good choice -- esthetically or practically -- particularly with that nice, formal cabinetry. Why don't you simply dispense with the wood and mount the sconce directly on the mirror? I have a pair of sconces mounted on a 5-1/2' wide mirror in my powder room. I also get better light distribution because the light at the rear of the sconce reflects off the mirror.

Oldtimers will say - 8-12 inches distance from the crown of the plant to the T12 tube for standards, 6 for minis. But we have new more efficient fluorescents now and moving towards LEDs. So while I agree with Jeff - some plants will need more space, some - less - you still need to provide enough and not too much light at the crown level. I am a believer in the proper tools. I cannot eyeball the light level. So - upload an APP 'Lightmeter" or similar app on your cell phone - or if you do not have an android or iPhone - ask a friend or relative do it for you. I find 250-400fc on a crown level to be a good range. Dark leaf violets will like higher number - under the tubes - and light color violets will be happy on the edges. Since you purchased the LEDs from Amazon - and they are different from mine, Jeff's and everybody else - you need to take one measurement before you mount them. Hang the fixture 20 inches above the horizontal surface - and find the sweet spot - 400 fc under the center - lets say it will be 10 inches. You will add the height of the plant and the reservoir, space that the light fixture will take - and it is your distance between the shelves. The light level diminishes away from the center - so if you put your plants higher in a back of the shelf for better presentation - it will work too. And you can always mobe your plants around to accommodate higher and lower light requirements, If you are not comfortable to do the measurements right now - you can start with 20 inches between the shelves and move them farther apart if the leaves start bleaching and hugging the pots. The low light is not damaging - so start from more - and gradually reduce the height until you see that it is too much. More light - the plants will bloom more but the bloomstalks and petioles will be short. When you are close to a sweet spot - you can play with the time.