7 Tips for Decorating Your Home with Neon Lights

It is not necessary to have a bar or a store in the city to install a luminous sign. In recent years, the trend of decorating the house with neon lights has been gaining popularity and the options are multiplying.
7 Tips for Decorating Your Home with Neon Lights

Written by Jonatan Menguez

Last update: 11 February, 2023

You may have seen neon lights in the homes of acquaintances or on social network publications. In fact, they’re great for highlighting certain areas of the room or placing signage in the hallways. But these are just some of the reasons to decorate your home with neon lights.

However, to enjoy their striking aesthetics without going overboard, it’s a good idea to know some tips on how to use them in your decor. We’ll tell you all of the best ones here.

What are neon lights?

Neon is an inert gas present in the Earth’s atmosphere. It was discovered at the end of the 19th century by two British chemists.

During the 1920s, it became fashionable for illuminating signs and advertisements, especially in the populous streets of downtown New York.

The striking effectiveness of this type of lighting is produced by the noble gas inside the tubes. However, neon lights can actually be composed of helium, argon, xenon, and other gases. Each provides a different color of light.

By the 1950s and 1960s, restaurants and cafés began to put them up more frequently. Since that time, neon lights have been closely associated with these types of establishments, as well as bars and late-night bars.

So, decorating trends that include neon lighting inside homes are becoming more and more common.

Calle con comercios con luces de neón.
Neon lights started in stores and in the streets of big cities.

Reasons to decorate your home with neon lights

Bringing the eccentricity of these lights to strategic places in the home provides a pop and modern component within the space. With this type of lighting, it’s possible to increase the attention of a specific sector since they catch the eyes easily due to their strong brightness.

There are many reasons and advantages offered by decorating your home with neon lights:

  • Versatility. Manufacturers offer all kinds of designs. Some are even customized, with shapes, letters, symbols, and messages chosen by the customer.
  • You can use them in different rooms. The variety of formats offers the possibility of adapting neon decorations to different spaces in the home. This can range from children’s pictures for children to hallway signs.
  • Personality. Neon lights bring a unique component to the space. They are striking and original, so they must be well combined in order not to fall into excess.
  • They can be vintage or futuristic. Depending on the type of sign and the place where it is placed, it is possible to adapt neon lights to both vintage and futuristic decorations.
  • They don’t use as much energy. Compared to other common household lights, the power consumption of neon lighting is low, so it’s possible to leave them on longer.

We think you may also like to read this article: Open Concept: The Decorative Style You’ll Want to Know About

The best tips to decorate your home with neon lights

Getting a neon lighting installation according to the style of the home is possible by following these recommendations. The choice varies according to the color of the walls, the room, and personal taste.

1. Customized signs

It isn’t necessary that all signs have the legendary bar or welcome in their inscriptions. Since neon lights have become fashionable on the walls of the home, many manufacturers offer customization services. In this way, it’s possible to place words or phrases that are of personal taste and that look good with the rest of your decor.

An arrow can be installed to mark the way to the bathroom. Also, a sign with the word exit can be placed above the back door. Designs with quotes, symbols, and even song lyrics are very common.

2. Don’t overdo it

Interior designs with cream, beige or white tones can also include neon lights. However, in these cases, it’s important not to go overboard with colors.

There are not only green, blue, or purple options. There are also white and pastel ones, which combine better in discreet environments.

3. Decorate your home with neon lights in the children’s room

One of the most chosen areas to install this lighting is in the children’s room. Designs in the shape of animals, children’s characters, or clouds and rainbows are an inspiration to the imagination of the little ones. With a neon light, in addition to beautifying the walls, they will no longer have to worry about the dark!

4. Neon in bedrooms

If the decision is to place neon lights in your bedroom, it’s best to also resort to subtlety. Many people choose motifs with inspirational phrases.

If dark paint is predominant, use white tones to make them stand out. On the other hand, it’s possible to use purple or dark blue alternatives to generate intimate atmospheres, without the need for a lamp.

5. Alternative spaces for neon lights

One idea, to not quickly tire of the attention that these lights demand, is to only place them in other areas of your home. Thus, corridors, offices, bathrooms, and kitchens can be used with signage designs or inspirational phrases.

There are also smaller variants that can be placed on shelves or desks. These can work to highlight other decorative objects.

Palabra con luces de neón para decorar.
Words with neon lights can also serve as nightlights.

6. Frames and mirrors

Neon lights are very useful for framing a particular space or object that you want to accentuate. For example, you can do this for pictures or prints on the wall.

They’re also very popular for bordering the outline of mirrors. In fact, the white tones highlight the glass and add character and originality.

7. Add some variety to your wall decor

The most common objects that decorate the walls are paintings, posters, and photographs. Furthermore, installing a neon sign offers an alternative to these elements.

Neon lighting can replace several objects at once, due to its strong presence and brightness. They are also suitable for brick or patterned walls.

Like this article? You may also like to read: Cozy Decoration: What Is It and How Can I Implement It?

Take into account the space to decorate your home with neon lights

Although there are smaller sign options, it’s necessary to have a large space so that the neon light doesn’t invade the entire environment. Thus, this prevents the lights from overshadowing the other decorative elements that adorn the room. Finally, it’s not advisable to combine neon lighting with other strong lights.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.



This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.