LED strip lights are gaining popularity for their many uses in and around the home. Now you can convert any average-looking room into a light show. From unique wall designs to lighting shadowing areas, these lights can give any interior space a design edge. But they don't just come in handy for interior design purposes. From your home's exterior, to your car, to the clothes you wear - LED strips can give a glowy effect to just about anything. Read on for some of the most stunning and clever uses of the popular lighting tool.
Create A Wall Feature
This resident used LED lights to create a beautiful wall feature that's unlike any other. The hexagons enable you to place them in a unique shape that suits whatever empty space in the home you're looking to fill.
The best part is that the lights light up at different times so that they "move" across the design. To top it off, they change colors! You can buy LED hexagons on their own or can build them from scratch using one of the many DIY instructions available online.
Give Your Home Glowy Curb Appeal
You don't have to wait for the holidays to make the exterior of your home glow. Exterior LED lights can make your home illuminate year-round without giving the neighbors the impression that your overly-enthused about Christmas.
They also give your home a much cleaner look compared to bulb string lights, so some may even feel compelled to replace their holiday decorations with LED strips. Be sure that you get the kind that is specifically made for the outdoors as they will be weatherproof.
Make Yourself Shine At Night
If you're going to an evening concert, festival, or another casual night event, glowing apparel can make your outfit pop! Plus, your friends and family will be less likely to lose you in the crowd if you have lights in your wristbands or attached to your hat.
Be sure to follow credible DIY instructions to prevent any potential hazards that may come with wrapping lights in fabric. If you want to skip the hassle, there is plenty of LED clothing you can buy online!
Shine Light On Your Fish Bowl
There are plenty of waterproof LED light strips for fish tanks, but what about fish bowls? Though illuminated fish bowls aren't as popular, there are waterproof LEDs that are perfect for getting the job done.
This fish owner purchased a glass jar with a cork top that he converted into a fishbowl. He also got a round-shaped, waterproof LED light that he fixed to the lid of the jar. The result is a beautiful feature for any desk or counter.
Make A Movie Star Vanity
Vanities are a lovely addition to any bathroom, bedroom, or dressing room, specifically for those who love doing their makeup. One thing that makes a vanity feel like it's fit for a movie star is lights around the mirror.
Rather than paying for a pricey mirror that already has lights built-in, you can use LED lights to achieve that superstar look. The strips are malleable enough to conform to the shape of your mirror. Just be sure you get a kind that isn't too bright to look at.
Brighten Up Your Bookshelf
Bookshelves can be a bulky eyesore if they aren't properly designed and placed. One thing that can make them more design-friendly is LED strip lights! Transform dark and boxy shelves into a bright and colorful focal point.
This resident used light strips of various colors to make each row a different color. If you really want to get organized, you could use a different color for each type of item so that books are one color, games another, and so on.
Make Your TV Stand Pop
There's something comforting about the soft lights at the movie theater, and now you can achieve that same effect at home. Line your TV stand with LED strip lights to create a colorful glow that doesn't reflect in your movie screen.
In addition to looking great, the lights also make it easier to see the buttons on your DVD or Blueray player, game consoles, cable box, etc. Gamers also love the look as it gives a classy look to their videogame caves.
Emphasize Your Tray Ceiling
Any architect or interior designer will tell you that tray ceilings make a huge impact on the look of a room. You can add LED light strips to the design feature to draw even more attention to it.
Not only will this spice up your rooms, but it will also cast a soft glow that enhances the mood of the space. Whether you're listening to music in your bedroom or enjoying a candlelit dinner in the dining room, LED lights can make quite the impact.
Illuminate Each Step Of A Staircase
The owner of this home took an image from above to show off their incredible staircase. They painted each step a varying shades of the rainbow so that the color of one step fades into the next.
They then placed an LED light strip beneath each step so that it illuminates the next one, creating a glowy effect. The stairs weren't as ornate-looking before with their basic white wooden steps and guardrails, but now they look positively exceptional.
Illuminate Your Kitchen's Backsplash
A backsplash is one of the features in the kitchen that is purely for design sake. As such, homeowners may want to show it off with LED light strips. Fix them to the bottom of your cabinets to illuminate the counters and the walls behind them.
The lights also create a calm glow for nighttime, similar to the surface light that many microwaves and ovens offer. They also enable you to perform small tasks, like pouring a glass of water, late at night without having to shock your eyes with the overhead light.
Make The Bottom Of Your Bed Glow
One place you may not have previously considering placing LED light strips is beneath your bed. The result is a bed that glows underneath so that it looks like something that's floating on magic.
The beautiful effect may only be for looks to adults, but for children, this design could help assuage Boogie Man fears. If your little ones are afraid of what lurks beneath them as they sleep, these lights could be the thing to calm those worries.
Create A Calm Work Atmosphere
Whether you work from home or not, desks are often the place where you take care of bills, plan trips, and check off other stressful tasks. LED light strips can be a perfect way to create a calm atmosphere in productive areas of the house.
You can place the strips on the back of your desk or computer monitor or below a desktop shelf or the desk itself. Since the lights shine on the walls, they can be a hassle-free substitute for painting walls.
Make Any Space Party-Ready
Whether you're a dj or just love to host parties, LED strip lights can set the mood for any event. This resident used red and purple LEDs to make their DJ deck pop, transforming the room into a dance floor for their company.
We would suggest picking lights that suit the event you're throwing. If you're having a luau, you can use green, yellow, and teal lights to achieve that island feel. Orange and black lights would be perfect for Halloween!
Spell Words On The Wall
This homeowner proves that LED lights are perfect for spelling words on the wall. They skillfully wrote the word "dream" on the wall using only a rope of lights nailed to the wall.
As this example shows, the words look fabulous over a bed, especially since it casts just enough light to softly illuminate the room as you prepare to go to sleep. You could spell words with LED lights in every room of the house, picking words that suit the space.
Create A Themed Room
This Redditor used LED lights to complete their Star Wars themed room. She posted, "Our Death Star room - my husband made those wall panels by hand and laid them over acrylic sheets & led lights." That's quite a clever DIY project, especially since it's relatively simple to pull off.
You could use LED light strips to do any number of other themed room features that require an illumination effect. With how versatile and simple to use they are, there's no limit on what projects can benefit from the lights.
Personalize Your Car's Courtesy Lights
Most cars come with courtesy lights, but they aren't always as fashionable as you may have hoped. If you're looking to add some zing to your car's interior without breaking the budget, trying attaching some LED light strips.
Since they come in numerous colors, you can set them to your preferred look and even use a remote to change the color with your mood. It's a sure way to impress anyone who needs a ride.
Illuminate Cabinet Handles
If you want to add some class to your bathroom or kitchen, line the bottom of the counters with LED light strips to illuminate the handles below. It not only looks nice, but it also can be beneficial for those who have poor eyesight.
The lights also make it easy to dig something out of a drawer without having to turn on bright lights overhead. They create a clean and polished look while giving off just enough light to make the room glow.
Brighten Up The Space Above Your Cabinets
We've already suggested placing LED light strips below your kitchen cabinets to illuminate the backsplash and counters, but another option is to put them above. This technique casts a softer glow throughout the room and hides the lights more thoroughly.
You can also top the cabinets with plants, words, and other decorative items that the LEDs would light up. You can pick a colored LED light strip to cast a subtle hue on everything in the room.
Outline Unique Architectural Features
This homeowner has a sleek, modern space exemplified by a wall and ceiling feature. To highlight this unique design, they placed LED light strips behind the wall pop out so that the light cascades off the feature.
As with tray ceilings, any architectural design that makes the room feel less like a box is worthy of attention. Lights help to ensure that guests won't miss any features that made you fall for the place you call home.
Line Your Hallway Baseboards
Have you ever needed something in the middle of the night, but you can't bring yourself to turning on the lights. As a result, you end up walking blindly down the hall, using your hands as a guide.
LED light strips can get rid of that problem if you line them along the hallway baseboards. No longer will you need to guess where to turn or feel cautiously for the step at the top of the staircase.
