If you can get the wire run to the interior of the cabinet and don't mind losing the space to the electrical box, sure, you can put a sconce there.

It's called "wire mold" ... a flat channel to hide and protect the wire, comes with various junction boxes and angle connectors.

Easy to do.

YAY! Thanks so much, Green Designs!

I missed you, lazygardens; Thanks!

I'm so happy with these answers. I tried to find some examples online and wasn't able to, so wondered. It will be a great look if it works out despite the awful pics on this snowy day.

We did something similar to our pantry - not a light, but a light switch. Should be essentially the same basic wiring.

We needed to move a switch from the wall to the side of the cabinet for space reasons (the remaining wall there being 2x4s framing the sliding glass door):

Here is a closeup of the switch:
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And here is what it looks like inside the pantry:
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It really isn't in the way, I moved several things off the shelf so you could get a good look at the electricals. We already had wiring there which the electrician just moved from the wall to the cabinet, so it was pretty simple. As long as you can get new wiring to where you need it, it should be fine.

Oh, Boy! I'm excited to see your project unfold. Your decorating style is more layered than what I do in my home, but I just love it and enjoy all your pics. Have you chosen a color for your cabinets?

suzannesl, That is such a neat look. I saw the first photo and wondered if that small unobtrusive spot I saw was the switch. It's perfect! This will also encourage me to go through my cabinets and move out things that I don't use. I'm excited...

Yes, we did this in our last kitchen. If you Google "laughable's farmhouse kitchen reveal gardenweb" you can see pics of our mounted sconces on the cabinets. I didn't do shots of the innards, but it looked similar to the pics above. Have fun with your refresh!

Hi, amack! Yes, and I got very lucky on my very first try with the cab paint. I'll be using SW 'Softened Green' on the cabs. This was my inspiration that I found online. My kitchen at 11 x 15 would be a mere cabinet in this one. And, wonderful luck - the painters and I were looking at the SW fan deck, trying to pick wall colors to try. They told me that they had 1.5 gallons of 'Softer Tan' at home left over from another job. It was mixed in their highest quality Emerald line. They put some near the painted cabinet, and I loved it. They GAVE it to me. That paint goes for around $70 a gallon and goes on and covers like buttah.
Can you believe that I got the colors I want on the first try? I could have tried others, but if I love the first ones, I don't see a need to go further,

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Very bad shot of the flat SW 'Quart to Go' in Softened green. I wasn't planning to show this but all the detritus on the fridge is now gone! I'm going to do a glaze in the recessed areas on the cabs.

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I did this kitchen 24 years ago, and I decided I deserved a little change. What only paint has done is AMAZING. I chose Fantasy Brown quartzite to replace the laminate, sample below. I would love to have had Carrera marble, but the price and maintenance just didn't justify it. This quartzite has many marble properties, and has the softer 'flow' of pattern that marble has. It has soft green, tan, taupe, and creamy white.

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I am putting a butcher block top on the island, and it's one from a table I found on CL years ago and will clean up and re-stain, darker than it is now. The base of the island will be painted the green. I planned to re-do the table, but for $40 - I will use the top on the island and be very happy.

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And, since the new top will be heavier than the current laminate one, I am using the foot board posts from an antique bed I got a few years ago (CL, of course) as legs for the overhang! They'll be cleaned up, filled in with more wood from the bed and stained like the top. VERY inexpensive find that I hope will give me a 'lot of look'.

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And, I laid in bed last night and wondered where I could use those two sconces. I got one of them for less than $40 online - it must have been a return that was marked down, but it's perfect. I bought another at a great sale price as I knew wherever I used them I'd want two. They list for $288, but are sold online for $192 each as a rule. The shades on them are glass, and closed at the bottom - just big enough to accept the socket, which means no counter 'materials' will fly up and be hard to clean out as I cook. I started this project on Monday, and am dreaming it up as I go along. The bones are there and won't change, but what I do to them sure will.

This is another bad pic - of my slab. I know it doesn't show but there is quite a bit of green on the left side and throughout.

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Here is a link that might be useful: Hudson Valley 2001-FB Milton Wall Sconce in Flemish Brass

Oh, laughable! I had admired your kitchen pics before and noted the sconces then, but had forgotten! I'm bookmarking it now and putting a link to it below. It's just wonderful; much old than my 1937 Cape in southern Maine, and how difficult it must have been to leave it. Thanks SO much for being the brave person to try this idea.

Have you shared pics of the new house???

Here is a link that might be useful: Laughable's Farmhouse Kitchen Reveal

In my next life I'm going to do a painted color on my kitchen cabs! I love your color and material choices.

My DD/SIL inherited the maple stained cabs I replaced in my remodel. We hope to tackle her kitchen next summer. She has a little Cape and I bet we'll be drawing inspiration from your redo.

I'm always blown away by your ingenuity....and your great finds! Thanks for sharing.

Laughable sold that farmhouse??????

(Chuckling), yes, we did sell that farmhouse last summer. We bought a bigger house with a lot less land (and stress!) I loved how the kitchen turned out, but I'm excited to be where we're at now, too.

The new kitchen, well, um, errr, it's...rough! LOL

We plan to start the new kitchen in about 2 weeks. I can hardly wait. Although, now that I see all of the great ideas shared by my3dogs in this thread, I'm glad we didn't start any sooner!

I'm going to be on the lookout for an old bed for our island legs, and I'm going to take a hard look at SW softened green for our cabinets, and the tan for the walls, and, and.... please share lots of pictures along the way, my3dogs! With all that you've shared so far, I really want to see more. : )

Here is a link that might be useful: Here's our current kitchen in its ripped to the studs state

This post was edited by laughable on Fri, Jan 9, 15 at 21:36

My three,

i wanted to be sure you had seen some of the Fantasy Brown discussions. Whatever it is, it's beautiful.

Laughable,
Best wishes in your new digs. I am sure the new place will be great!

Here is a link that might be useful: Fantasy Brown

Thanks, Kitchen, I had read all of those.

The stone yard here has it labelled as quartzite. My large sample did scratch glass and it resisted everything acid and staining I put on it. My stone yard DID recommend getting a leathered finish, which I am.

On the site where my stone yard gets the slabs, it is labelled as marble. I asked my stone yard about that, and he said they only list stones as marble or granite. I'd read all the ways people have found it labelled and it IS frustrating, but like cstr said in the link you attached, "My conclusion: this particular slab of Brown Fantasy (in antiqued finish) is a very hearty and forgiving marble. I would recommend it for those who want a marble look, without wanting to baby a marble surface."

I just realized another 'bonus'. I have the solid brass knobs that I bought years ago. NOT for the original re-do but I don't recall how long it's been. Look at how they blend with the sconces. Now, to find an electrician who will put up with my stone hard plaster walls to fish wire, and install them for me.

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I know that many people don't like brass, but I always have, particularly unlacquered. I may remove the lacquer from the knobs. And brass is coming back! It never left my house, mostly vintage and unlacquered.

Here is a link that might be useful: Brass in kitchens coming back

I love brass. Your kitchen will be wonderful. My grandmother brought brass pieces with her from Russia and I never stopped using unlacquered brass, even when we built nine years ago and my builder expressed shock, saying no one had ever used it in any of his builds or restorations.

suzannesl - Genius, I am filing that idea away!

my3dogs - you started this on Monday and already you have such a cohesive plan? Love everything you've shown so far. And I'd like to add, doesn't that sconce look amazing, against the sample? I'm wondering how one could work that into an install :)

Thanks so much, oldbat2be! When I saw that I could get one of those sconces in what was probably like an 'open box sale' for so little, I had to get it. Then I searched for a sale on another, just to have them, as I liked them so much.

The butcher block table and antique bed were CL finds that I had other plans for, that just didn't come to fruition. Imagine thinking, 'I wish I could do a wood top on the island' and shopping my garage.

This project started with having some painting and repair done to trim and ceilings, and me going to Lowes last Monday PM to see what Formica laminate fx180 in their 'Calacatta Marble' would run.

Imagine my shock when the KD told me that I could get some granites for about the same price. THAT is when it all started and the local stone center is a half mile away. The painters are willing to put off a big commercial job to do this, as they are very creative and having FUN with it! They embrace my ideas and we're just doing it. They haven't seen the sconce idea yet, but I know they'll embrace it.

We know that stone gets holes cut out of it, so why not for sconces? I bet we could find some already done online.

Yes, a very quick search showed thee bathroom examples from the post linked below.

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Here is a link that might be useful: Enchanted Home - Why I love marble