FT NEWS

LED strips are a brilliant addition to the modern design toolbox. They can be used to layer your lighting, to highlight a feature, show off a display, change the mood and much more. But so often they are used in super-contemporary spaces, or as part of a slick, glossy design… but if that’s not your style, keep reading as these ideas are all about how to make gentle use of this clever lighting technology.

Cast a glow
Just one of the details that gives this clean-lined, modern kitchen such a welcoming feel is the soft glow beneath the worktop seating area.

White LED lighting comes in various tones, from cool to warm illumination. Rather than give a futuristic lift to sharp edges, as can be the case with brighter LEDs in contemporary kitchens, this gentle warm white glow just adds depth and atmosphere.

Uplift an attic
Rooms in the eaves of a house will often have an interesting architectural shape. Rather than trying to minimise the effect of the slopes in this space, the designer has instead highlighted them. On the lower part of the ceiling, beams have been kept natural, while paintwork is pale, for a traditional look.

Less traditional is the illuminated apex, which echoes the lines of the beams below and highlights the shape of the roof.

If you want your rustic or period room to feel more old than contemporary, do as these homeowners have and stick to just one LED strip feature. In this room, it’s tempting to light up every beam but, as this shows, it’s not necessary.

Create an architectural feature
In rooms with few details in their bare bones, consider adding some afresh.

Here, the designer has continued the oak flooring part of the way up the wall, then brought the wall above the boards out and painted it, adding a very warm, yellowish LED to the gap this creates. The effect changes the feel of the room and plays with its proportions. Unless you have a teeny tiny room, adding a panel to a wall can be an interesting way to gain architectural interest without aping period features. Especially useful for loft conversions, extensions or new builds where these would not be authentic.

Illuminate a display
For careful curators, it’s important to have the best backdrop for collections.

Shelving painted the same colour as your walls is a good way to go, since there will be nothing to distract the eye from the objects you want to show off. Here, two trios of box shelving either side of the chimney breast make for an elegant and unusual twist on the low, built-in cabinet topped with alcove shelves so many of us will be familiar with.

But what really turns this into a standout feature is the simple addition of LED strips at the top back of each box. It’s a tip that will really lift all sorts of shelves and cabinets, and is a simple job for an electrician.

A similar tactic has been taken with these bedroom shelves, albeit strips in a slightly different position.