What's not to like about rope light? It's cheap, easy to install, and available in energy-efficient LED format. If you're looking for a way to light your kitchen cabinets, add some ambience to a bedroom, or make your own party decorations, it's one of the simplest tools you can use...
- 1) Back-light a headboard to make your bedroom glow. For inspiration, check out Melinda's room.
- 2) Wrap it around a balcony railing to improve the ambience outside, or use it indoors on a stair rail.
- 3) Use it for decorative party lighting. This idea for a Rope Light Pendant Lamp comes from Readymade.
- 4) Light your kitchen counters by installing it under the upper cabinets. For a good how-to, click here.
- 5) Take down your ugly bathroom vanity lights, and use rope lights instead. For a subtle look, wrap them around the bathroom mirror or cabinet, and tuck them beneath the lip, so the mirror appears to be lit from behind.
- 6) Use it to light your artwork. Todd and Nicole backlit a piece of an airplane with rope light, elevating it to wall sculpture.
- 7) Use it to light a dark corner, like a closet or alcove. For ideas on how to install rope light in your closet, read the comments from this post.
RESOURCES FOR ROPE LIGHT
• How to Install Flexible Low-Voltage Rope Lighting from DIY Network
• LEDropelightsandmore.com
• NoveltyLights.com
• LampsPlus.com
Photos: astaebell licensed under Creative Commons, Wes & Kayla Schwartz, ReadyMade, Leslie
The closet idea solved my not-enough-light-in-the-shower problem! Thanks AT!
view lifeinthefortress's profile
I love ropelight, but it's elusive for most of the year for some reason, now's a good time to get it though since retailers will stock up on it for christmas. Well, not or after christmas when it'll likely be on sale if there's any left.
I use it like suggestion 1, except I light under the bed for a cool effect, the light extends under my desk too which makes it handy for checking wires/computer connections.
view Superherowerk's profile
I'm trying to decide if rope light would be cool on my staircase or if it would make my home look like a theater. I'm leaning towards theater.
view MihoH's profile
Our kitchen/dining area is really dark, and there's no room for a standing lamp etc.
I've been thinking of running rope or fairy lights either accross the ceiling (the lighting is old school hacked - just a cord run through a pipe to the middle of the ceiling, so I could hang the lights from the pipe) or around the edges. MihoH made me think that I might be able to work the theatre look, though! If I run it around the edge of the ceiling....
view Kaviare's profile
I have a loft bed with a huge futon underneath. I strung rope lights on the bottom of my bed, and covered my futon with big comfy pillows and throws. It's now been dubbed "Shangri-La" by visitors.
view modestalmond's profile
some harware stores carry rope light year round.
my flatmate constantly turns mine off; it has never felt even remotely warm to me; are there stories of them sparking electrical fires?
view pinkorangered's profile
Alright I couldn't help myself, here's a hastily made photo of my underlit bed using ropelight. http://superherowerk.tumblr.com/post/212458283
view Superherowerk's profile
Some friends of ours wrapped it around the moulding of the French doors leading from their Florida room into the house. It's on a dimmer, and is beautiful.
view BruceS63's profile
I have a blue rope light that the lights in the middle died. I put it under the edge of my couch and put a loop in the middle to disguise the missing lights. Now my couch has a low-rider glow to it.
view BigD's profile
Lowes carries ropelight all year long. The chandelier rope light gave me an excellent idea!
view cliokitty's profile