If you have an open riser staircase, a hidden lighting effect is the best option for creating a soft floating effect. Install LED strips below each stair tread so the strips aren’t visible from the top. Such hidden stair lighting will create a shadow beneath the open riser providing an outstanding ambiance. This will also bring a dramatic effect on the wall below the stair. So, implement this technique to make a statement with your stair lighting.
Testing the LED strip is necessary to ensure the wirings are proper. After you are done with soldering and connecting the LED strips to the power supply, turn it on to check if it glows. If it doesn’t glow, check the polarity and connections. Don’t make the mistake of installing the LED strips without testing them. If you install it and then find the strip is not working, all the hard work will go in vain.
You can add LED strips to the back of the stair railings to give a hidden lighting effect. This works best if you have transparent or glass railings. They complement excellently with the LED strip lights to create a floating illusion. Besides, warm-tone LED strips will suit you best if you have wooden stair railings. The yellowish tone of these strips brings comfy and vintage lighting to your stairs. You can also play with cool-tone LED strips for steel, black, or other plain railing designs; the choice is all yours.
The color of LED strips for stair lighting mostly depends on your personal preference. Yet, if you have wooden stairs or want to bring coziness to the stair area, warm color LED strips work best. However, you can use cool bluish-tone LED strips for a more modern and minimal look. Such lighting will suit you best if you have glass or open-rise stairs. Besides, you can also go for RGB LED strips to bring color to your stairs.
Stair treads are the horizontal plane where you set your footstep. Lighting these treads is very common. But you can take this to the next level by outlining the sides/edges of the treads with LED strips. This will create a hidden glow from the corner of the stair, making your stairs appear like they are floating in gravity. You can experiment with such lighting using cool or warm white LED strips or colorful ones; both options will work great.
