34 genius hacks for LED strip lights

Apr 02,2021

Creative ideas for LED lighting strips

Hera_Architonic LEDs (light-emitting diodes) have revolutionised the way we can illuminate our homes. Cost-effective tiny LED light bulbs are attached to tape, metal stripes or enclosed in plastic casing, which can be easily attached to almost anything to create stunning results. While it's a bit more complicated than simply sticking the lights into place, you can buy kits that have everything you need. Check out these bright ideas to use LED strip lights in ways you've never thought of before...

Outline focal points

Brandt Design Use LED strip lights to highlight more expensive features. A dropped ceiling marked out with a glowing edge of colour intensifies this contemporary crystal chandelier. The glass droplets will reflect the additional light and adds even more glamour to this modern kitchen.

Stick behind seating

Finnmarksauna.com If you are lucky enough to own a sauna in your home, LED strip lights will add just enough ambience to highlight seating and hotspots without compromising the atmospheric sizzling and serene space. These LEDIFY SaunaLED lights are sauna safe; designed to withstand harsh conditions.

Declutter the home office

 

Amazon Downlighting a desk with LED strip lights will add a practical finish to your home office. Mounted under cupboards or shelving they will create energy-saving task lighting while keeping your desk space clear from a conventional table lamp. Another idea is to use them around a notice board to highlight your schedule for the day.

Spice up the bedroom

Ikeahackers.net LED strip lights can make DIY projects look ultra-striking. This funky headboard has been crafted with 4 IKEA VIKA AMON tabletops. LED lights are connected behind the tables so are completely hidden from view. When backlit, the high gloss red surface truly shines.

Illuminate the garden shed

 

readersheds.co.uk / Cuprinol This summerhouse was made from scaffold boards by shed enthusiast, Scott Stickland and was a finalist in the Cuprinol Shed of the Year 2019. Clever walls with integrated LED strip lighting open out to double the space. Inserted between the joints, the horizontal strip lights look clean and modern while providing much-needed garden lighting.

Accentuate the stairs

 

AO.com Get a look that's sleek, modern and practical for night-time wandering by adding LED strips along the length of tread down a modern staircase. The hallway is a great place to have fun so why not make a statement by choosing a different colour such as this teal blue or even go for colour-changing LED strip lights? 

Enhance a kitchen recess

 

 

leibal.com Combine form and function by installing LED strip lights into the recess areas of kitchens. When teamed with other kitchen lighting solutions, they act as purposeful and practical task lights for cooking and cleaning while also creating a charming atmosphere. 

Make outdoor steps visible

Birddog Welcome guests up the garden path with inviting LED strips set under the stone treads of front doorsteps. The structured and luminous glow will light the way to the door and make your entrance look super stylish, creating instant kerb appeal. 

Try Philips Hue light strips for colour

 

Philips Hue Colour therapy is proven to have a real effect on how our brains work and our natural biorhythms, and Phillips has developed their Hue light strips so you can customise your living space. Wind down for bed with soothing orange or perk up in the morning with a flash of blue. The versatile strips mean there are no rules when it comes to decorating!

Brighten dark corners

 

IKEA LED strip lights can be easily cut to size or connected to fit perfectly under pieces of furniture, so it looks as though your accent lighting has been expensively custom-made. You don't need to keep bending down to switch them on, either, as many come with handy remote controls. Placing LED light strips under cabinets and dressers will maximise the feeling of space. IKEA has developed its own system called LEDBERG, which comes in easy to use kits. 

Light up dark draws

 

IKEA Make dark closets, cupboards and drawers easier to search through by applying a reel of LED strip lighting to the inside. You can avoid the hassle of turning the LED emitters on and off by choosing motion-activated designs so that the light is only turned on when you need it.

Illuminate alcoves

 

Hera_Architonic Use LED strip lights in your décor to really amp up the feel of your living room. It’s an attractive and original way of highlighting interesting architectural features. We love how this rounded alcove is brought to life but you could also try this trick on a key piece of furniture like a sofa or sideboard. 

See clearly with a vanity mirror

 

Amazon Make a play on glamorous Hollywood-style light bulb mirrors for a fraction of the price with an LED vanity mirror kit. Simply attach to the mirror frame with double-sided tape to recreate daylight and make sure you always look your best.

Make bunk beds fun

IKEA Children and teenagers love to design their own spaces, and this colourful LED-lit space is sure to appeal. Combine a band of pink LED strip lighting, secured under a high-rise bed, with other lighting solutions such as a twinkling disco ball for an original and fun-filled vibe friends will be envious of. 

Intensify artwork

 

IKEA Adding LED strips to the back of artwork as backlighting will make it even more striking. LED bulbs don’t emit harmful rays or excessive heat so are safe to attach to paintings. Or why not create DIY Plexiglass light-up photo frames to showcase treasured snaps of loved ones?

Shine on a desk area

 

Gera / Architonic Attach strip lights to the underside of shelving in an open-plan living room to zone off a section of the space. Here, a home office area has been highlighted beautifully, with the gentle downlighting not only looking stylish but providing functional task lighting that won’t interfere with the rest of the room when you need to work.

Cast light from the bath

 

Ultra LED Turn your bathroom into a spa-style sanctuary with LED strip lights. As well as underlighting a bathroom mirror or cabinet, add a relaxing glow to your bathtub by applying a length of waterproof LED tape just under the panel. Surrounded by a soft glow and warm bubbles, you won't want to leave.

Light up the flower beds

 

Amazon / Moonrays Make flowerbeds look curvaceous and luminous by framing lawn edges with waterproof LED strips or rope lighting. Then, pop extra spotlights within the foliage for a winning show-garden look. LED lights also look delightful wrapped around tree trunks.

Deck out the decking

ecolocityled.com Illuminated garden decking will make the patio area ambient and inviting at dusk. Look for specialised landscape versions that are easy to install and have a waterproof plug-and-play design to change the colour with the mood you want to create. A soft warm yellow glow will make the space feel intimate and relaxed or go for neon purples and pinks to evoke a pool party atmosphere. 

Upgrade your tech

IKEA Adding LED strips to the back of screens such as your television not only looks cool but also helps to relieve eye strain by offsetting the screen brightness. Known as 'bias lighting', you may find that using LEDs around computer screens and TVs mean you have a greater intensity of colour and black contrast, which will improve picture quality.

Enliven the ceiling

 

Shutterstock / FED2 LED ceiling lights can create a subtle lighting twist in any room. Decorative cornices, pictures rails or ceiling coving will house the LED strip lighting and offer a streamlined downlight. The colour choice will make a difference to the room style; soft white or yellow can look warming and ornate, or opt for navy blue or green for a more contemporary and bold feature. 

Add ambience in the kitchen

 

Shutterstock / VVVproduct LED strip lights attached under kitchen cabinets is probably the most common and practical position for these useful little light circuits as they create an extra layer of illumination, especially in small or dark kitchens. The light will highlight feature splashbacks and can be installed at a fraction of the price of standard fitted versions.

Highlight kitchen design

 

Shutterstock / Paul Vinten While LED strip lights attached to kitchen cabinets and plinths are a fairly common sight but why not up the luxury by adding additional LED bulb strips into the curve of J-pull drawers and cupboards? This looks especially effective combined with gloss surfaces because the reflective finish bounces the light and creates a sleek and contemporary shine. 

Bring about a banister glow

 

My Mindful Home Installing an LED strip light to the underside of a stair banister can create a floating effect that’s impressive but simple to achieve. My Mindful Home created this handy DIY light feature by integrating the cables into the wall so they’re not visible. The blogger also attached a Philips Smart Home Lighting Motion Sensor, so the lights automatically turned on or off when someone entered or left the house – clever!

Switch on a reading light

 

Instagram / @the.hectic.eclectic Attach strip lights to a bed’s headboard to provide an ambient reading light that’s softer than bedside table lamps. Your partner will thank you if they want to go to sleep while you read plus they’ll gently highlight and make a feature of the headboard, too.

Energise a plain scheme

 

AO.com LED lights make fun features in rooms that perhaps lack character or work well in rental properties that can't be altered too much. This colourful blue strip attached to the bottom of a modular bookcase adds modern mood lighting to this small living room space. Best of all, it can then be removed without a trace. 

Impress with a rosy glow

 

Colombo and Serboli Architecture (CaSA) LED strip lighting can achieve striking results in small spaces. Attached to the shelving recess, a simple band of LED strip lighting enhances the blush tones of this iridescent pink tiled powder room. We’re sure that once the door is closed, you’ll be transported into a soothing space that’s colourful, relaxing and atmospheric. 

Showcase display cabinets

 

Second Nature Turn everyday cabinets into softly lit displays by adding strips of LED lights to the top or bottom. Install glazed doors to keep your favourite pieces fully protected and dust-free.

Highlight kitchen features

Second Nature LED strip lights used as down lighting on kitchen kickboards and plinths create a stylish ambience once the main light goes off. If you've recently laid an on-trend statement floor then they’re an economical must-have addition to show off your new look. 

Make wardrobes glamorous

Kindred Bedrooms Add some sparkle to fitted furniture by framing bedroom closets with LED lighting. The warm glow gives the space some glamour and creates gentle inviting elegance. 

Let the shower shine

 

Caesarstone Lighting a shower cubical with LED strip lights will add a hotel-style finish to your bathroom. LEDs are generally splash proof but stay on the safe side and opt for waterproof LED strip lighting instead – then use them to highlight tiled alcove shelving or create a futuristic look by framing the edge of the shower screen or shower tray.

Electrify with funky features

 

Festive Lights / YouTube The adaptable nature of LED lighting makes it an effective material to get creative with. This awesome green cactus light has been fashioned by fastening a neon LED rope light to a black metal grid using a template and plastic cable ties. Branches of faux leaves finish the wall art with a tropical vibe. Make one for yourself with this video tutorial from LEDMY Lights.

Floodlight a wine cellar

 

d Instagram / @derekbarrettdesign Give a bespoke piece of storage the stage presence it deserves. This stylish wine store would otherwise look dark and nondescript built under the stairs but LED light strips inside the door frame definitely add some wow-factor. 

Light up shelving

IKEA LED strip lights added to shelves above or beneath is probably the easiest hack to do and can be used to highlight family photos, accessories and books with an ambient glow. The LEDs generally operate on a low wattage so make a soothing nightlight when used on shelving in children's bedrooms, too.  This article is from lovePROPERTY