Are Trendy LED Light Features Worth The Investment?

LED lights have always been a fan favorite. People use LED Light strips to brighten up their homes in style, adding a soft glow underneath cabinets, behind headboards, and around mirrors. Now, there are trendy LED panels, like this Govee Glide Hexagon Light ($130, Amazon), that people are mounting on the ceiling to replace overhead fixtures and create a unique design statement. But are trendy LED light features worth the investment? In an exclusive House Digest interview, we spoke to Dara Greaney, CEO of LED Light Expert, to find out just that. He says if you like the look of LEDs and install them right, they can be a valuable asset for your home.

"Walking into a room with 10 can lights feels nicer than walking into one with a few giant boob lights or a big floor light," Greaney said. "With the low cost and ultra-thin nature of LED panels or disc lights, cool things can be done." The lights can provide an easy way to create a focal point and steer clear of intense ceiling lights that feel clinical. However, LED light features can lower your home's value if installed incorrectly.

LED lights' visual appeal and enhancement to the room are probably their biggest draw. "Creating light from a larger source or just more sources is always more pleasing as it spreads out the source of lights and reduces the harshness," Dara Greaney exclusively told House Digest. Using LED light features can be a stylish trick for good lighting in every room of your home. They can mimic sunlight, replace outdated fixtures, and give your space a contemporary feel. LED light features can also be a good investment for your property if done tastefully. "A modern take on the boob light would certainly increase the value of a home, but an ugly panel screwed to a ceiling or just one panel in a large room may hurt the value," Greaney added.

Another point to note is that if you're using LED features on the ceiling, they won't create the flushed look that recessed lighting accomplishes. "The downside is that they are still on the ceiling as opposed to in the ceiling," Greaney said. The expert prefers LED panels for high ceilings and recommends retrofitted can disc lights for a more built-in look for other ceiling styles. However, it's all about your personal taste, and since LED panels are simple to install, it could be worth testing out the look.

Installing LED light panels for your ceilings can be a simple project if you use the existing wiring and light placement of the old fixture. "Replacing a light that is already there [takes] 30 to 60 minutes," Dara Greaney exclusively told House Digest. In as little as one afternoon, you can enjoy an upgraded room; no electrician is required.

However, the process is a little more complicated if you're rewiring the light. "For new power installs, it's 30 minutes to mount each and then an hour or two to wire," Greaney explained. The wiring goes through the drywall to connect to the power source and fixture. "If the power source is near where the panels are going, or it's replacing a fixture, then it's not too hard, and the hole can be hidden by the panel," he added. However, if you're uncomfortable with rewiring lights or have never done it before, it's best to reach out to your local electrician just to be safe. Also, wiring is only needed if you want to operate the light with a standard light switch. Otherwise, there are battery-operated LEDs that don't require wiring. LED alternatives can be a great way to have a long-lasting light source that saves on energy, and it could be the lighting trick to make your home look more modern.