This LED Light Strips Trick Adds The Perfect Finishing Touch To Any Living Room

You may think LED light strips are only for crazy Christmas light displays or college dorm rooms. But when used correctly, these multifunctional lights can also add elegant mood lighting throughout your home. One especially clever way to use LED strip lights, in fact, gives you the look of expensive custom lighting for little money (and it couldn't be easier to install).

The effect is demonstrated on TikTok by user @simplysanfordco, who uses them behind her couch to highlight the furniture and add ambient light to the room. And even looking beyond the cool factor of the lighting itself, it also brilliantly takes into account the psychology of lighting — namely, the fact that because LED strip lights change color and color temperature at the click of a button, they're a great way to follow the famous designer advice for every living room to have at least three layers of lighting, with a mix of bright, dim, warm, and cool light sources. 

Achieving the perfect living room lighting can actually elevate your mood and impact your circadian rhythms. Warm lights help you relax, while cool lights help with concentration.  And this option from Govee is only $25 — not to mention, can be controlled by Alexa, Google Assistant, or a smartphone app — so let's look into how you set it up. 

Installing LED strip lights is simple because they come with adhesive backing. The hard part will be deciding where to put them. If your couch is pushed against a wall, you can place the lights on the floor behind it without worrying it will be stepped on or tripped over. If there is walking space between your couch and the wall (or if you have carpet), you may want to place the strip along the baseboard. Once you've decided where the lights should go, clean the area thoroughly to remove dust and debris which can impact the adhesive. Next, measure the area and cut the LED light to fit. Only cut if the power is disconnected and follow the manufacturers instructions, cutting along the pre-determined lines. Peel the backing off only a small strip at a time and press down for around 10 seconds before moving on. 

Strip lights are very versatile. You can cut them, connect them together, and bend them around corners. There are many uses for them in your living room. You can place them along the back of your mantel to highlight your display. You can use them in bookshelves two ways: Along the bottom of a shelf to backlight decorative objects, or along the top to illuminate books and works of art. And when placed under stairs, strip lights can be beautiful and functional at the same time!