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Shelf lighting is a unique way to soften necessary lighting, create an interesting feature in a room or closet, and enrich the interior design. Whether you have closet shelving to illuminate and organize or want an interesting display shelf with lights, LED shelf lighting has a variety of applications that are aesthetic and pleasing to the eye.
This is an easy-to-install solution to make all your home spaces glow. If you're thinking about how to light a wood floating shelf or looking for bookcase shelf lighting ideas, here are five LED shelf lighting ideas you can get inspired
See all our shelf lighting LED channels here.
One of the easiest, but most effective, shelf-lighting ideas is customized designs for under-shelf lighting. You can enhance the look of clothing shelves, grow light shelves, or bookshelves by putting LED strip lights underneath. The most common and effective ways of using under-shelf lighting are front and back installation. The choice between these two depends on your personal taste and the overall style of your home.
Front under-shelf LED lighting
Front recessed shelf lighting is used to give more light and brightness to the shelves. It is mostly used in rooms with a lighter color and modern designs. For front under-shelf lighting, it is recommended to use cooler LED lighting tones. For example, natural white LED strip lights from the White Lily strip series are a perfect lighting option.
Popular applications for front under-shelf lighting include wine racks or liquor cabinet displays, bathroom shelving, and along a grow light shelf.
Tip: Front under-shelf lighting is extra beneficial if you have a small apartment or room where you want to have a more spacious appearance. Front shelf lights can also benefit plants that require extra or constant light.
Back under-shelf LED Lighting
Highlighting the back of a lighted liquor shelf with a specific color or giving accent lighting to bookcases shelves is often used to give furniture or shelving more depth and a personal style by illuminating the deeper shadows. If darker tones are dominant in your home, a glass shelf with lights will dramatize and illuminate the objects displayed on the shelf to create contrast.
LED strip lights are very convenient in this case. They can be easily installed and customized according to the application. We recommend LED strips from Cosmos Series, as these LED lights have a dimming function so that the lighting can be easily manipulated.
Popular applications of under-shelf LED lighting include book shelf lights, bar shelf lighting, vase and artifact displays, or a regular floating wall-mounted shelf with LED lights.
Watch these videos to learn more about front and backlit shelving.
If you have linear floor-to-ceiling shelves or bookcases, then vertical shelf lighting can be a great option to enhance and brighten a room without an obvious lighting display.
Generally, lighting floor-to-ceiling furniture can be challenging due to the dimensions, especially if the shelves are moveable or divided into smaller spaces or compartments. Vertical shelf lighting offers a convenient solution, as LED tape lights can be custom cut to desired sizes and are flexible to fit in custom shelving.
Some lighting options can be installed on the shelf dividers so that they are facing the room. LED Light lines are very convenient for this specific style. However, if you want the lighting to be more subtle, LED strip lights are ideal for applying on the inner vertical sides of shelving. The flexibility of LED strip lights will give you an opportunity to style bookcases and shelves according to your taste.
Check out this vertical shelf lighting design on Pinterest.
Corner shelf lighting can accent single-display items, such as plants, art, or decorations. For example, corner lighting can highlight and draw attention to a decorative vase or special souvenir on a shelf or stand in the corner of the room. By using a 45-degree corner mount LED channel, you can easily turn this idea into reality.
Note that corner lighting can also be useful for bedrooms, living rooms, and bathrooms that need more lighting that is not directly overhead.
Accent or display lighting is among our favorite shelf-lighting ideas. This energy-efficient option works well to highlight specific parts of shelving that may be full of different items.
Most importantly, shelf accent lighting provides ample space for creativity. You can light up one part of the shelf while leaving the other side in the dark. Floating shelves with accent lights can illuminate a dark area of the room to set a mood or add more dimension to a space. Accent lights are great in entryways, hallways, and dining rooms to set a focus point and create interest when one enters a room.
Shelf edge lights are recessed into the front edge of the shelving. These shelf lights are purely decorative and are used to reinforce the linear lines of your shelves by accentuating them with a line of light. A good solution for this is the narrow Slash8 profile with a low-power ambient strip like our Decor Series white LED strips.
This technique of using LED lights embedded in the edge of the shelf can also be applied to larger surfaces such as bar counters or kitchen countertops for a stunning visual effect.
See all our shelf lighting LED channels here.
Q: Do you have a custom bookshelf lights store in Los Angeles?
A: We can manufacture custom bookshelf lighting solutions and deliver all over the USA.
Q: Will shelf lighting be able to illuminate the whole room?
A: No, LED shelf lights are supplementary lighting and will not be sufficient to provide primary illumination for a room. Nevertheless, brightening the shadows does give a room a brighter and more airy feel.
Q: Do I have to use and LED channel to mount my shelf lights?
A: While it is not a requirement to use an aluminum channel to mount your LED shelf lights, it is highly recommended because the channel protects the LED strip and acts as a heatsink for the LEDs.
Q: Can I dim my LED shelf lights?
A: Yes, dimming your shelf lights is not only possible but in fact recommended to achieve the best effect. Try our Casambi wireless dimmers.
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