Looking for a unique remodeling project that will make a big impact without breaking the bank? Consider upgrading your family room, dining room, or bedroom with cove lighting. Cove lighting is a form of decorative lighting used in many restaurants, hotels, and high-end homes. However, it’s relatively inexpensive to install and it can absolutely transform any room of your home.
Many homes already have all the makings for beautiful cove lighting. If you have a partly recessed ceiling with crown molding in any room of your home, adding cove lights will be easy. You can simply affix thin lighting strips to the top of your crown molding (or any other recessed section of the ceiling) and “wash” the ceiling with light. The result is indirect, elegant lighting that creates an interesting visual effect.
There are three basic types of cove lighting to choose from:
1 – Light strips are thin wires with small lights either attached or integrated within the wire. They’re typically available in either xenon or LED. Often, light strips can be completely customized to your home in terms of the number of light sockets per foot, covering on the light bulbs (clear or frosted) and length of the strip.
2 – Rope lights are flexible plastic tubes with small lights housed inside. You can usually choose the color appearance of the light (warm white or cool white). Rope lights are by far the easiest type of ceiling cove lighting to install; you simply plug them in and attach them with mounting clips and screws.
3 – Microfluorescent fixtures are low-profile, linkable, versatile light fixtures that are also a popular choice for recessed cove lighting. You can choose the color appearance of the light with microfluorescent fixtures, and they are also very easy to install.
To create the ideal effect, the ledge or horizontal recess where the cove lighting is placed should be located about ten to fourteen inches away from the ceiling. This will effectively “wash” the ceiling with even, reflected light.
You may want to consider installing dimmable cove lighting if you think you might want to adjust the light levels in the room frequently. Most microfluorescent fixtures and LED rope lights are not dimmable; however, xenon light strips are always dimmer-friendly. With dimmer lighting controls, there are a variety of sophisticated options. You can even pre-program your cove lights to slowly light up to a desired level, then fade-to-off as you leave the room. Check out Lutron dimmers for an excellent accessory to your cove lights.
To see an installation video of DIY cove lighting using a xenon light strip, check out this video clip from the Rescue Renovation show on the DIY Network. The video shows how to add crown molding to an existing cove ceiling and attach a light strip to the top of the ledge.
About the author: Emily Widle is a blogger for Pegasus Lighting, an online retailer that sells a variety of unique lighting fixtures for homes and businesses.