Most home builders will tell you that lighting in your home is chosen primarily based on functionality. But… what if you took that essential element, lighting, and turned it into something stunning and delightful to look at?

It may be easier, (and less expensive), thank you think!

We’re making it easy for you to add a little something extra to your home with these 7 unique and gorgeous rope lighting ideas. Check them out.

1. Backlighting in Your Bedroom

In a recent survey, 19.3% of those asked said the master bedroom was the room they value most in their home. It’s the place you sleep, keep your personal items, or hide from the kids, so why not make it even more cozy and appealing?

One fun way to add a little comfy or even romantic ambiance to your bedroom is to use rope lighting to backlight your bedroom headboard.

Just grab some wall hooks and stick them along the wall behind your bed, or even against the side of the bed frame that faces the wall.

Next, slide your rope light into the hooks, plug them in, and voila! You’ve given your bedframe or headboard a cozy little glow.

2. Light an Outdoor Pathway

Sometimes adding charm via lighting to your patio or yard can get costly. Instead of hiring an electrician or purchasing expensive light fixtures, just grab some rope light.

Wrap the lighting around outdoor stair rails, nail it down along a sidewalk or pathway, even place it around the gables of your storage shed.

Wherever you choose to put the rope lighting, placing it along an outdoor pathway can be an inexpensive and effective way of lighting your yard.

3. Make Your Deck Sparkle

While we are on the topic of the great outdoors, rope lighting is an excellent alternative for lighting your deck, rock wall edges, fences, or areas around a pool as well.

Instead of worrying about replacing expensive outdoor bulbs, fearing the fire hazard of tiki torches, or concerning yourself with finding waterproof chords, just use rope lights.

You can easily line your fence or deck with this charming lighting by attaching them along steps or beneath the lip of your handrails.

Rope lighting is great at creating a wide area of light whereas some deck lighting options (like torches or bulbs) may not create enough visibility to be worth the effort of installing them.

4. Draw Attention to Your Artwork

One of our favorite, classy, ways of using rope light in the home is to use it to draw attention to the art hanging on your walls.

You can easily make the art in your home look like it’s hung in the Met by sticking some rope light up behind it!

Again, buy some self-sticking wall hooks and place them strategically behind your framed photos, painted self-portraits (another cool decorating idea), or art. Then, measure out the right amount of rope lighting and hang it behind the frames.

This will create a soft glow behind the art. We love this idea as you can create drama and draw visitor’s eyes to corners of your home where a piece of art or tender family photo are hanging.

It’s also MUCH less expensive to use rope lighting than to rework your electrical outlets to light behind a piece of art, or have ugly extension chords hanging down.

5. Light Up Your Kitchen Counters

If you’re like most, you’ve probably been frustrated at some time or another by the lack of sufficient lighting in your kitchen.

Ever tried to make a midnight snack without waking everyone in the house by turning on the lights, only to give up in annoyance simply because you couldn’t see what you were working with on the countertop?

Well, say hello to late-night calories again-woo! You can add ambiance and functionality to your kitchen by installing some rope lighting underneath your cabinets.

Rope lighting under your cabinets casts a warm glow on the countertops below.

If you have those cute glass-door cabinets, you can also add rope lighting inside along the top or underside of each shelf to highlight the items inside.

Buying and measuring out your own rope lighting for simple additions to your home like these can save you big bucks in the long run and look just as professionally done as hiring someone.

You can get a remodeled kitchen-feel in a day by attaching a line of rope lighting to the underside of your upper cabinets yourself.

6. Modernize Your Bathroom

Since it’s not 1963 anymore, perhaps it’s time to replace that old bulb-lined bathroom mirror. One easy way to do this is to opt for a more subtle lighting feature like that of rope lighting.

You can easily attach it along the perimeter of your mirrors. You can also keep in the spirit of artsy backlighting by attaching rope light to the back of your bathroom mirror or along the underside to create a radiant look.

Other rope light ideas like these can be fun for children’s bathrooms or mirrors as well. Simply attach a strand of rope lighting to your daughter’s standing mirror in her bedroom to make her feel like she is glowing when she looks into it.

7. Lighten Hallways or Dark Footpaths

This particular rope lighting idea is particularly functionality-friendly. If you have elderly loved ones that need a little more light at night to see where the stairs are, lay some rope lighting along the edges of each stair to prevent tripping.

You can add rope lighting along indoor hallways as well to indicate where doorways or corners are for little ones who may be waking up scared in the night and trying to feel their way to mom and dad’s room.

More Rope Lighting Ideas

Rope lighting ideas are endless and fun. You can get really creative and make your own rope light pendants for a party. Try using them along the gables of your roof for a pretty glow or Christmas light alternative.

For more beautiful and functional home decorating ideas, check out our post on adding a classic 1950s style to your sitting room.