LED strips can make a huge difference in your room or anywhere you use it. Due to its versatility, LED lights need to be used creatively.
One of the common questions home owners want to know is whether or not these lighting can be used in the room.
Can you light a room with LED strips?
Yes, LED strips and other energy-saving lights can be used to light a room as they’re 95% more efficient than a regular light bulb. Traditional light bulbs consume a lot of energy, it also causes heat in the room, resulting in wasted energy — which increases your electric bill. Use LED strips to light up any room and never worry about emitting heat.
LED strips are gaining a lot of attention in recent times. According to the US Department of Energy, LED strips are in a very high demand today. They are ranked among the most in-demand lights in today’s US market.
These lights are in high demand for the following reasons:
- When used in pathways, LED lights reduce the risk of injury.
- These lights stand out wherever they are applied, they constantly draw the attention of people.
- LED lights are excellent accent lights, they draw the attention of visitors to architectural displays within the home.
- It improves the focus of people performing tasks, and can be used as back lighting for light sensitive areas.
The multiple applications of LED strips have made them the first choice for many homeowners.
Due to the excellent performance of LED strips in the above listed applications, people have begun attempting to use LED strips to light up their rooms.
The fact that LED strips are a source of lighting means that they can be used to light up any room. However, they are not like the conventional light sources we are used to.
It is fragile, and can be easily damaged if its voltage requirements are not met, or if it overheats.
Before lighting up a room using LED strips, you need to know the arrangement pattern that will deliver the best results.
You also need to select the LED strips most suited for your space based on the activities that will be performed within the room.
The Dos and Don’ts of LED strips
With LED strips, there are certain things that you just can’t do. LEDs are meant to be treated gently at all times. Failure to do this might cause your LEDs to burn out, or malfunction.
The main response we want from people when they see our LED strip is awe. Having burnt out bulbs in the midst of your strips will reduce its Aesthetic appeal.
Dos:
If you are using LED strips in a room, you will eventually be faced with corners. Most people damage their strips when faced with corners. This is because they bend the strips at abrupt angles.
There are two ways to deal with corners when lighting up a room.
- You can bend the strips at each corner while maintaining a radius of at least 25 degrees. If done correctly, your corners will become light Hotspot, and will add to the Aesthetic appeal of your home.
- You can also use clip-on connectors at the edges of your room.
Don’ts:
Do not bend your LED lights horizontally. This rule applies to individuals who are using high powered LEDs.
High power LED strips are compacted, you can find as much as 60 LED bulbs per meter.
Bending high power LED strips at an angle of 90 degrees will damage the LEDs surrounding your edges In addition, you have to be mindful of the voltage supplied to your LED strips.
LED strips need less than 120 volts, in order to meet this demand.
How to light up a room using LED strips
Ceilings
LED strips can be used as supplements for already installed ceiling lights. For large rooms such as the living room, LED lights are best when combined with other forms of lighting.
If you want to use only LED strips in a room, it will have to be placed in multiple locations around the room. You will have to place them around the ceiling edges, and also at the center of the room.
To use LED strips as the main source of lighting in a room, you will have to change the layout of the entire room.
So how can you use LED strips to light up a room? The first thing you have to consider is the color.
The color of your LED strips has to match the general atmosphere of your room. They have to match the style of your home.
LED strip arrangement patterns in a living room
For a more homely touch, you want to keep white strip lights to a minimum with your room.
The fact that colors affect our moods means that it will be best if you use a combination of colors, rather than just one.
You can add a touch of yellow lighting to your white lights to give a more homely appeal. You can also use RGB lights, these light strips offer a wide range of colors.
There will always be a color to match your mood.
LED strips can also be used as party lights in disco halls. Music strip lights are specially designed to change in line with the sound of music.
Using music strip lights to light up a party room is guaranteed to keep the party going.
Television set
Today, all rooms in the modern home are likely to have a television set. Hence, this article will not be complete if it does not cover the TV background wall.
The background around the television set is an important part of the decoration of any room.
On an average, people spend at least 4 hours a day in front of their TV screens.
Your LED strips will not be complete if your TV area is not properly lighted. Fixing LEDs around your screen will also help protect your eyesight.
When fixing LEDs around your screen, it is important you ensure that the colors match the general style of the room.
If you are using the Philip Hue Light strips, make sure you dim the lights down.
Under the Couch
The beauty of LED strips is that you can be creative with them. They do not have to be placed in positions of high altitude within the home. You can place them at low corners, and they will still do a good job.
To create a cozy feeling in your living room, you can fix LEDs under your couch. This will make your living room a lot more comfortable.
Coffee table
Lights under the coffee table function the same way as lighting under a couch.
Depending on the distance between your couch and your coffee table, you can decide to place the strip under either or both your couch and the coffee table.
Color suggestions
LED strips differ from other light sources in multiple ways. One of which is the fact that they come in multiple colors.
To get the best out of LED strips in any room, you have to get the location and color of the strips just right.
It is important that you select the most suited color for every room you place LEDs in.
It starts with you
When selecting a suitable colour, the first thing you have to consider is you. The colours have to appeal to you first.
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Will there be lots of parties in the room or multiple study sessions? You have to select colours that suit your needs.
If you are a party person, you might want to get RGB or dream colour lighting. If you are a more reserved individual, you might want to go for warm white colours.
LED strips give you the opportunity to define your space.
Brightness
Different times of day may need different brightness levels. Raise the brightness when it is needed and lower it for a warmer hue.
This means it is best to choose LED strip lighting with adjustable brightness for the living room.
Smart strip lighting
Smart strip lighting is generally connected to WiFi, making it more convenient for use in the living room.
Quickly and easily adjust the lighting whenever and wherever you want, just by opening the app.
Music strip lighting
If you want to hold parties in the living room, music LED strip lights is for you.
The light dances along with the music, immediately creating a party atmosphere for you, your family and friends.
Installation concerns
i). High or low voltage: If the strip lighting is installed indoors in an easily reachable location, such as around the sofa, then low-voltage is best, as it uses a safe voltage and is not dangerous to the body.
ii). Water resistance: Normally, LED strip lighting installed in the living room does not need to be waterproof, but if you need to install it in the bathroom, then it is best to choose waterproof LED strip lights.
iii). Length: Strip lighting normally needs to be used with a power supply. If the strip has to be cut down to size, only the part connected to the controller can still be used.
Therefore, you should confirm the length you need before purchasing.
For example, you will definitely need different lengths for the ceiling and the TV background wall, so measure first and then choose different length strips to avoid waste.
Conclusion
LED strips can definitely be used as the main source of lighting in a room.
However, you have to carefully select the location at which the strips will be placed.
This is very important to the success of the lighting process.