Everyone understands the importance of good closet lighting—there’s a reason that asking if someone got dressed in the dark is a running joke, after all. Proper light fixtures will ensure that you can see all of your clothing and accessories while getting ready for anything from a typical day at work to a big night out. But closet lighting certainly doesn’t have to look boring. With a walk-in closet serving as a means for many fashionistas to show off their signature style, there’s no reason you shouldn’t feel free to glam things up a bit.
Below are some closet light fixtures that are more than just functional.
PUT LED LIGHT STRIPS ABOVE YOUR CLOSET RODS:
Closet lights have evolved beyond the single bare bulb with a pull chain in the center of your closet ceiling. Nowhere is this more evident than with the new flexible LED light strips used around sections of closet storage. Place a flexible LED light strip above your closet rod to illuminate the clothing hung from the rod. It is relatively simple to install this type of closet light along the underside of a closet shelf directly above the rod. Try it and you’ll find that it is instantly easier to find your clothes. All the shadows that make all your pants like one another will be gone. Each garment shows up bright and distinctive.
PUT LIGHTS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CLOSET FOR YOUR SHOES:
Don’t forget about the bottom of the closet! If you use this area to store your shoes, it is very important to have some light down there. After all, you wouldn’t want to accidentally show up for work with one black shoe and one brown one. Use the same LED strip lighting installed above your closet rods for the bottom of the closet. Use a single LED strip on either side of the shelves and run them from top to bottom so that all the shelves are evenly illuminated.
USE VERTICAL STRIP LIGHTS ALONG YOUR SHELVING SECTIONS AND INSIDE CABINETS:
Nothing lights up a collection of shoes, handbags, sweaters, or other folded items than LED vertical strip lighting. Any items stored on shelves can be illuminated in this way, but it is especially helpful for shoe shelves. If your closet includes shelves, try and add vertical strip lighting on the panel sides rather than under every shelf. This will give a more even light (especially if it is installed about 4-5 inches from the front of the shelf or cabinet).
CHOOSE PUCK LIGHTS TO RECESS OVER MIRRORS, CLOSET HUTCHES, OR DISPLAY SHELVES:
If your small closet includes a closet hutch or cabinet above a bank of shelves, add a couple of puck lights above the countertop. The puck lights are great for both task lighting and decorative illumination. Use them to help put on your favorite earrings or to create a focal point with a display of treasured jewelry and other items. If you have a mirror above the countertop, you will need these lights to use your mirror to its fullest.
Puck lights can be installed surface mount, but they always present a more polished, custom appearance when you recess them into the bottom of the upper shelf. To achieve this, install two shelves/cabinet bottoms with a small space between them to receive the puck light housing. Cover the gap with cabinet doors or trim out the edges of the shelves so that they appear as a single piece of wood.