A huge trend we are starting to see is the lighting of fireplace alcoves, bookshelves, home libraries, coving, staircases, under kitchen cabinets.... the list goes on. These features
within homes provide an elegant and modern touch making your home Instagram worthy when illuminated, as well as highlighting the areas and attracting visitors attention. In this blog post, we are going to explore the different type of shelf lighting you can use in these areas, as well as the colour technologies available.
First, we will look at LED strip lighting as the main option to illuminate these edges. When it comes to LED strips, there are two different options depending on the supply voltage available. The first type is those that need a transformer to be able to operate, these are all 12/24 Volt LED strips (DC). The second type is those that can be connected directly to the mains voltage, 220-240 VAC LED strips (AC) and do not need any form of a transformer to be able to work.
Let’s take a look at the not so fun aspects that need to be taken into account and are truly essential before the installation!
Choosing the type of LED strip that you are going to install can be tricky with so many options available, you must think about the measurements of the area you are lighting, this will give us an idea of what is the best option. In most decorative installations, the LED strip that is usually used is 12/24V due to its versatility, it allows us to make more precise installations and can easily be cut and connected together. The only drawback of this type of strips is that you need a transformer, however, this can be easily hidden.
The transformer will vary in size depending on the length of the strip used and the type that we connect. If the measurements of the furniture match the length of the 220 voltage strips, you can opt for this choice instead. Therefore, as we mentioned before, before choosing the type of strip, it is essential to take measurements of the shelving / furniture and area of installation, to know the advantages and disadvantages that we will face once you get going with the installation.
Now for the fun part! Choosing the colour that will set the tone for your decorative feature in your home.
As for the different colours and temperatures available, these start at warm white (2000-3000k), natural/neutral white (3000 - 4000 K) or cool white (4000 - 6500 K). Warm white is the best option to create a relaxed feel in the room, best used in living rooms or bedrooms, this will be closer to yellow in colour. Neutral white is a great option when the room is brighter, and more natural-looking like is needed, this can be applied in the living rooms, offices, staircases etc. Finally cool white is a great option where a very bright light may be needed or used to clearly see objects above or below the strip, such as kitchens and bathrooms.
For those of you that want to add a little spice of colour to your home, there is another colour option, this falls under the category of RGB or you may see it is RGBW LED strips. So what are the two differences? RGB is simply Red, Green, and Blue, but will mix these colours to also create millions of colours. Whereas RGBW contains the same technology but also allows you to use all true colour temperatures of white, so everything listed in the white colour temperatures above is included. You can manage these colours using a controller with remote control, or even if they are smart through voice control or an app. RGB is typically used in nightclub bars and shelves for its colours but can be applied inside a home to create a cinematic movie or gaming experience for a room, within shelving, and hidden edges.
So what other options are there to allow the creation of a beautiful shelving.
A totally different option that can be used for shelf lighting is LED battens or luminaires. This type of product usually has already established measurements ranging from 1 ft to 6 ft. This type of luminaire is connected directly to the electrical network because we do not need any additional accessories for them to work, and due to their slimline technology can simply be stuck to the bottom of a shelf and wired in. Brands such as Ledvance offer an incredible smart option for these, whereas Sensio offers the most exquisite selection of white options, which we always recommend as an option for the bottom side of kitchen cabinets, or shelving.
Our stand out products for creating a decorative look are the Integral LED tunable white strip light, as well as the LEDVance smart Bluetooth strip light for easy control via an app.
For more information on lighting specific areas of your home call us on 0118 950 7125.