5 DIY Lighting Ideas to Transform Your Home for Under $500

4th Jun 2025|

• inspiration

June is here, and summer’s just around the corner. That means we’ll open up our place, enjoy more natural sunlight, and spend warmer nights relaxing, whether solo, with family, or hanging out with friends at parties, BBQs, and other fun, well-lit meetups.

We’re about to enjoy every corner of the house more than ever, so it seems like the perfect time to invest in those lighting upgrades you’ve been thinking about.

Well, not everyone would agree. Some, like teachers, may see a dip in income during this time of year. And for many families, the out-of-school season means extra expenses: summer camps, babysitters, or other activities to keep the kids busy. Not to mention how expensive family vacations can be these days.

But here’s the good news: Refreshing your home lighting to welcome the warmth in style (and with real energy!) doesn’t have to cost a lot. In fact, you can do it all for under $500—comfortably within your summer budget.

And the best part? You can do it all yourself! If you’re a DIY fan, you won’t need to spend a ton on hiring contractors or hunting down parts, even when using the most sought-after LED strip lights, fixtures, and accessories on the market.

Here’s our top 5 list of affordable, premium lighting makeovers you can handle on your own this summer, plus the products you’ll need to make it happen:

1. Instant Color for Any Room with RGB Light Bulbs

This is the easiest and most budget-friendly idea on our list. It’s so simple that we’ve all probably done it before: screwing in a lightbulb.

We’re talking about upgrading your vintage lamps with bulb sockets. Who doesn’t have an old art deco lamp passed down from a parent, or maybe a chandelier hanging in the living room? Or those classic floor lamps you find in almost every bedroom?

With today’s super customizable smart LED bulbs, you can give your old (and new) lamps a whole new look. These bulbs let you choose from thousands of colors (including classic white) and fun, dynamic lighting modes from your smartphone.

Imagine your kids having a summer sleepover with lights that change color to the beat of Benson Boone and other current artists right before an epic pillow fight. Or being able to switch from a warm white light for a calm dinner to vibrant hues for dancing afterward.

For this project, Flexfire offers you color-changing RGB smart bulbs with tunable white options on their own or all-in-one bulb kits with smart plugs so you can easily control other devices too. You can mix and match them depending on how many rooms you want to light up—and do it all for a really low price, without changing a single lamp:

2. Under-Bed Lighting: Guaranteed Fun and Sleepiness before Bedtime

It’s summer. School’s out. And since the nights are longer, most of us stay up late doing what we love. Maybe it’s snuggling up in bed with the kids for a movie night. Or playing video games until morning with your partner.

Whatever your favorite nighttime activity is, you need the right kind of light in your bedroom—something soft and dim, not too bright, and not shining straight into your eyes. Bright glare can ruin the fun and slowly pull you out of that relaxed, sleepy feeling you’re going for.

That’s why we recommend lining the inside rails of your bed with white LED strip lights that turn warmer (more yellowish or orange) as you dim them down. Ultra-warm light is proven to help your brain prepare for sleep.

This kind of lighting isn’t just cozy. It also adds a space-like, hovering effect to your bedroom. It’s a beautiful touch that belongs in every modern bedroom.

And don’t worry! Flexfire has what you need to make this high-end look easy and affordable. For just $500 or less, you can get a premium, sleep-friendly LED strip light on its own or in a complete dim-to-warm kit with everything you need for installation:

3. Always Stay Ready with a Makeup Vanity Mirror with Lights

As we mentioned earlier, summer is the season to open up your home. And that usually means welcoming guests: maybe family visiting for vacation, or friends joining you for a fun evening.

So, those relaxed days of lounging around the house in sweats without thinking much about how we look? They’re probably over. When we have visitors, we want to look our best and have a space to freshen up quickly, especially during the warm, humid months.

Luckily, one of the simplest and most budget-friendly DIY ideas is to add lighting behind your bathroom mirror. LED vanity mirrors have become a must-have, signature piece of contemporary bathroom design, combining function, style, and convenient mood setting.

Before choosing your lights, you should plan for them to provide bright, focused white light for shaving or putting on makeup, and warmer hues to help create a calm, relaxing mood for anyone who uses the bathroom.

There are tunable white LED strip lights made to handle splashes from the sink and steam from the shower. Thanks to their flexibility and easy setup, you can use them to contour the back of your square or round vanity mirror, building your own beauty-routine set of lights.

And what’s great is that you can do it for under $500 with Flexfire. We offer the perfect lighting option for the job, plus the best way to control it:

4. Geometric Glow: Customizable Pendant Lights for Kitchen Islands

Kitchen islands become extra important this time of year. They’re great for showing off eye-catching centerpieces and fruits and providing extra illumination as you unpack your groceries. They’re also the go-to spot for anyone keeping you company while you cook or hosting friends during summer get-togethers.

That’s why good lighting above your island is a must. And not just any lighting—since this spot is often the center of the kitchen (and the kitchen is the heart of the home), why not make it a real statement piece? You want something that works well and looks amazing.

With an ultra-powerful LED strip that brightens your home’s common areas and an accessory kit that lets you build your own pendant lights, you can do just that. Want to go bold with a honeycomb-inspired shape? You can cut it that way. Prefer a clean look with floating rows of light? That works too.

For under $500, you can make your own 2-meter-long custom pendant lights for your kitchen island. Here’s what Flexfire has in store for you to get started:

5. Switch Outfits in a Breeze with a Motion-Sensor Light Bar

Everyone knows this season means more sweating, even from the tiniest effort, and that summer outfits need to be loose, cool, comfy, and easy to swap out. In other words, summer is the time for instant makeovers.

Whether you’re soaked from a beach workout, some yard work, or outdoor cooking, or you’re constantly getting dressed up for big, week-long summer events like a wedding or birthday, your closet needs to keep up with you.

The ideal closet lighting should check a few simple boxes: It should show the true colors of your clothes, light up the whole storage space so you can see all your outfit options, and turn on and off easily—especially when you’re in a rush and forget to flip the switch.

A great option for lighting these important bedroom compartments is tunable white LED light bars made specially for closets. They spread soft, even light that won’t blind you while choosing your outfit, and they’re versatile and linkable, with many installation accessories to choose from.

Want to take it up a notch? Add a door sensor that turns the lights on when you open the closet and off when you leave. That way, no more forgetting the lights or fumbling with sticky hands after being outside.

For this project, Flexfire offers you both a cutting-edge LED bar and a smart door sensor for less than $500. Start planning your closet lighting renovation with these products:

Flexfire: Efficient Budgeting Meets Luxury Home Remodeling

These fun and creative projects teach us something important: You don’t have to spend much money, tighten the purse strings, or cancel your summer plans to give your home a lighting makeover.

They also prove that you can turn your summer into something truly special with a clear idea in mind, a strong wish to make your home better for your family and guests, and a little DIY spirit.

Need help bringing these projects to life? Or are you looking for more lighting ideas to give your home a luxury look for under $500? The Flexfire team is here for you: We don’t just offer the products to bring your vision to life—we guide you every step of the way.