LED neon strip lights are transforming modern interiors in the UK and worldwide by offering a flexible, energy-efficient, and highly customisable lighting solution. They help enhance a space’s aesthetics and ambience without adding a high energy cost, which is why more and more people are starting to use them to brighten up their spaces.
How are LED neon strip lights different from regular LED strip lights?
While both offer an energy-efficient lighting solution and have rope-like structures, LED neon strip lights and regular (or traditional) LED strip lights do have their distinct differences. For one, their appearances: LED neon lights mimic traditional glass neon lights, offering a bright, smooth and continuous glow, while regular LED strip lights have visible small LED chips (or nodes) mounted on a flexible strip.
LED neon strips are typically more flexible and brighter than regular LED strips, making them ideal for outdoor signage and displays. Regular LED strips, on the other hand, have varying brightness depending on the type and number of LEDs used. They are often used for ambient or accent lighting, mostly in indoor spaces.
However, which one to use would ultimately depend on the specific design and requirements of your lighting project. That’s why this guide provides a curated list of stylish, practical, and creative LED neon strip light ideas.
Why Choose LED Neon Strip Lights for Home Decor?
Before we dive into the decor ideas using LED neon strip lights, it’s good to mention why they are becoming the top choice for decor lighting for many homeowners:
✅ Energy efficient and eco-friendly: Consumes (and wastes) less energy when compared to traditional lighting. They also help reduce costs and carbon footprint on a home or commercial space.
✅ Flexible: Like regular LED strip lights, they can be bent, cut, and twisted to fit your desired design. They also come in various colours and lengths.
✅ Durable and Long-lasting: Cost-effective lighting that lasts up to 30,000 hours (some even reaching 50,000 hours) with minimal maintenance.
✅ Safe for Indoor Use: Unlike their traditional counterpart, LED neon strip lights stay cool to the touch, making them a safe indoor lighting option. Perfect for bedrooms, kids’ rooms, and tight spaces.
Top Ideas for Using Neon Strip Lights at Home
Living Room Glow-Ups
Make the heart of your home shine with these LED neon lighting ideas.
- TV Backlighting: Add LED neon strips to the back of your television or entertainment unit to create cinematic vibes. Adding backlighting (also called bias lighting) also helps reduce eye strain when watching TV.
- Accent Walls: Use LED neon strip lights to frame artwork or create geometric patterns to make a bold statement.
- Ceiling Cove Lighting: Install your neon lights along the ceiling coves to create a soft, indirect glow that adds sophistication to your living room.
Pro Tip: You can use any coloured LED neon strips, but if you’re aiming for a cosy and inviting atmosphere, use warm white neon lights.
Bedroom Mood Lighting
Your bedroom is your retreat. Make it look like one. Here are some neon bedroom lighting ideas to transform it from ordinary to stunning:
- Headboard Highlights: You can outline your bed or headboard with neon strips to add a touch of luxury.
- Under-Bed Lighting: Stick some neon lights under the bed to create a “floating bed” effect (and hopefully keep the monsters away!) These also help make night-time navigation easier.
- Custom Neon Signs: This might resonate more with teens, but what better way to add personality to your bedroom than installing custom LED neon designs, a quote, or a name on your walls? (Okay, even adults will love this idea.)
Kitchen & Dining Illumination
When you think of “neon strip lights”, you think of neon signs. But did you know LED neon signs are incredibly practical in kitchens? Not just because of aesthetics, but because of their function.
- Under-Cabinet Lighting: Brighten your countertops and sink area for easier and safer food preparation, cooking, and cleaning.
- Breakfast Bars & Islands: Outline the edges of your bars and kitchen islands to define them better and to create a high-end look.
- Backsplash Glow: Swap traditional boring tiles for backlit ones that you can adjust depending on your mood.
Bathroom Spa Vibes
Your bathroom is your personal space—your sanctuary. With subtle lighting, you can turn it into a serene haven. Here are some lighting ideas using LED neon strips.
- Mirror Backlighting: Improves task lighting for grooming while adding a spa-like touch to the bathroom.
- Shelf Lighting: LED neon strip lights can illuminate and highlight the succulents and skincare products on your shelves and built-in niches.
- Bathtub Mood Lighting: To promote relaxing baths and soaking times, you can wrap neon strip lights around the base or frame of the tub.
Always use water-resistant fixtures that are at least IP65 rated when installing lights in the bathroom.
Home Office Boost
Your workspace doesn’t have to be dull and soulless–add some creativity that can help improve productivity.
- Desk Underglow: Helps define the workspace while combining a modern and futuristic touch to the whole room.
- Shelving Highlights: Create an organised and inspiring environment by highlighting the contents of your storage spaces: books, collections, certificates, decors, etc.
- Online Meeting Backgrounds: You no longer need to live with a dark, ugly background for your Zoom meetings. Add a touch of class by incorporating neon signs or soft colour wash to your room during meetings.
Kid’s Room & Play Spaces
Add some neon lights to create safe, fun, and colourful spaces for the little ones.
- Playful Shapes: Customise neon strips to form stars, clouds, animals, or dinosaur shapes the kids will love.
- Colour-Changing Fun: Use remote or app-controlled RGB strips to create interactive lighting and a playful atmosphere.
Parental Bonus: Install the neon strip lights out of children’s reach and use diffusers to soften the brightness of the lights. Also, get dimmable neon strips to double as nightlights for your kids’ rooms.
Seasonal & Party Decor
Transform your home for any event using bright neon strip lights!
- Holiday Accents: Line windows, doors, staircases, and hallways using appropriate coloured neon lights for Halloween, Christmas, and birthday parties.
- Photo Corners: There is no need to rent a photobooth when you can easily make one at home. Simply set up a glowing backdrop for a DIY photobooth.
- Temporary Installations: You can whip out the lights only when the occasion calls for it. Easily install and remove them once done. Ideal for renters or temporary setups.
Outdoor Lighting
Transform your ordinary outdoor spaces into spectacular locations at night using bright LED neon strip lights.
- Decking & Patios: Outline seating areas or tables to create a comfortable ambience. For general lighting, line up overhead beams with neon strips.
- Garden Pathways: Light up paths and borders safely and with style.
- Weatherproof Strips: Only use outdoor-rated strips (IP65+) to light up your garden and other outdoor areas.
Choosing The Right LED Neon Strip Lights
With the ideas we’ve listed alone, finding the right LED neon strips can feel overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be complicated as long as you know what matters most for the space and purpose for which you use the neon strips.
Let’s look at the key factors you need to consider when selecting your LED neon strip lights:
Brightness (Lumens)
There is no one-size-fits-all brightness when it comes to LED neon strips (or any lighting, for that matter). Depending on the strip’s use, you’ll need different brightness levels to achieve proper lighting. A soft, ambient glow is enough for mood, accent, or bias lighting. Ideal lumens would be 100 to 300 per metre.
Task lighting, on the other hand, requires a higher lumen output for better visibility. For adequate lighting, you’ll want around 400 to 1000 lumens per metre. Outdoor use may also require brighter strips.
Colour Temperature
The colour of the LED neon strip lights you’ll get will also affect the mood of the space. Warm white light is cosy and inviting, natural/cool white light is more energetic and joyful, and RGB lights are more vibrant and fun.
IP Rating
The IP (Ingress Protection) tells you the level of protection against dust and liquid your LED neon strip lights have. This should also tell you where to put your neon strips.
- IP20: For general indoor use, except for bathroom and kitchen
- IP44 to IP65: Water-resistant and suitable for bathroom and kitchen
- IP67 to IP68: Waterproof and can completely withstand the outdoors
Smart Home Compatibility
If you’re looking for convenience or if you want to level up your energy-saving capabilities, consider getting a smart LED neon strip light or one that’s compatible with smart LED controllers.
With smart home integration, you can control your lights using your smartphone or voice control using Alexa or Google Home/Assistant.
You can enjoy features like timers, schedules, scene setting, and motion sensors.
Conclusion: Get Creative With LED Neon Strips
What makes LED neon strip lights special is their adaptability. Whether you’re aiming for a bold design statement or a subtle glow, LED neon strip lights can completely transform your space. From cosy bedrooms to vibrant home offices and garden retreats, the possibilities are as limitless as your imagination when it comes to home decoration with neon lights.
LED neon strip lights are practical and beautiful. They are easy to install, compatible with smart homes, and energy-efficient. When installing, properly plan where you’ll mount them and carefully consider the key factors to look out for when selecting one.
LED neon strips are powerful, flexible design tools. When used right, they can completely redefine living spaces.
