Matching those colors can honestly drive you up the wall. I’ve had clients call me in a panic because their “warm white” strip looked like a completely different planet next to their smart bulbs. It’s usually the cheaper strips that are the worst offenders—sometimes they’re more “lemonade yellow” than anything else. I’ve found that sticking to the same brand for both bulbs and strips helps, but even then… not always perfect.
One trick I use is to let the strips be an accent and not try to match them exactly. Like, if your bulbs are set to a soft white, maybe let the strip do a blush pink or a subtle blue. Makes it look intentional instead of like a lighting mishap. Also, totally with you on cable covers—those things are lifesavers, especially in rentals where you can’t go drilling holes everywhere.
Honestly, sometimes I just embrace the mismatch and call it “eclectic mood lighting.” Works in a pinch.
That “eclectic mood lighting” vibe is honestly underrated. I’ve tried so many times to get my old house’s lighting to match up—between the ancient fixtures and new LED strips, it’s just not happening. At some point, I gave up and leaned into the whole layered look. It’s got some charm, especially with all the old woodwork. And yeah, cable covers are a game changer when you can’t mess with the walls. Sometimes you just have to work with what you’ve got and call it character.
Sometimes you just have to work with what you’ve got and call it character.
I get the charm, but honestly, I think mixing old fixtures with LEDs can look a bit chaotic if you’re not careful. Personally, I’d swap out at least a couple of the ancient fixtures for smart bulbs—keeps things cohesive without losing that layered effect. Also, smart bulbs are way easier to tweak for color temp and brightness, especially in older homes where rewiring isn’t an option. Just my two cents.
Mixing old and new can totally work, but I get what you mean about it looking a bit haphazard if you’re not intentional. I’ve found that swapping in smart bulbs for the main fixtures keeps things streamlined, but sometimes those old sconces or pendants have a vibe you just can’t replicate. Ever tried using LED strips inside cabinets or along baseboards? It’s a subtle way to add light without messing with the original fixtures too much. Curious—do you find smart bulbs bright enough for task lighting, or do you still need extra lamps?
I’ve found that swapping in smart bulbs for the main fixtures keeps things streamlined, but sometimes those old sconces or pendants have a vibe you just can’t replicate. Ever tried using LED st...
I get what you mean about the “vibe” of old fixtures—some of those vintage sconces just have a warmth you can’t fake. But honestly, I’ve never found smart bulbs to be quite enough for real task lighting. Even the brightest ones seem a bit diffused, especially if you’re trying to read or do detail work. I actually went back to using a couple of old-school desk lamps in my office after trying smart bulbs everywhere. LED strips are cool for accent, but for me, nothing beats a focused lamp when you really need to see what you’re doing.
