Rope lighting can be used for special occasions or everyday.
A tray ceiling may be a focal point on its own, but you can add specialty fixtures like rope lighting to make your tray ceiling pop. Rope lighting doesn't provide much ambient light unless the room is otherwise dark, but the rope lights create depth by contrasting the height between the soffit and the tray. Inexpensive and available in a rainbow of colors, rope lights can be a permanent part of your decor or a temporary holiday decoration that transform the look of the room in minutes.
Instructions
1. Decide where on your ceiling you want the rope light. The corner where the vertical side of the soffit meets the angled part of the tray is best, because you can place the brackets so they are hidden by the rope.
2. Measure the four sides of the ceiling to make sure you have enough lights. End the rope at the corners if possible, because you cannot bend a into a 90-degree angle -- the rope can bend only in a smooth curve that won't hug corners. Rope lights can be attached end-to-end, if necessary.
3. Mount the rope light brackets to the vertical part of the soffit at the desired height. These brackets are peel-and-stick, but you can tack them with finishing nails if the rope is to be a permanent decoration. Install the end brackets for each side close to the corner, to prevent sagging.
4. Click the rope light into the round clip on the first bracket. Ask a helper to hold the end of the rope in place while you pull it taut to the next bracket. Tie a rubber band around the rope right where the clip will grab -- this will help the rope stay securely fitted and help you maintain a straighter line. Clip the rubber-banded rope into the bracket the same way you did the first. You may need to adjust the rubber band to get the placement exactly right, but this extra step helps the finished project look neat and professional.
5. Continue around the room, tying a rubber band around the rope where it clips into each bracket.
6. Tape or staple (use only insulated electricians' staples) the power cord down the inside corner of the soffit and diagonally across the bottom of the soffit toward the corner of the room. Allow the cord to hang, or cover it with a cord hider.
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