Gold-colored LED fairy lights

The gold finish refers to a warm white LED string light, in amber tones, whose wire stays decorative even when switched off. First choose the location, then the protection rating, power supply and length that go with it, before looking at the density of the light points.

What kind of light does a gold LED string light give?

The gold finish corresponds to a warm light, leaning towards yellow and amber rather than blue. The gold wire and LEDs stay discreet when switched off and become luminous when switched on. The result is an evening, party or reading corner mood, never task lighting.

Gold LED string lights: what does the light look like when switched on?

When switched on, the string light draws a line of warm points that lights its surroundings without casting a beam downwards. On a pale wall, the light spreads and creates a soft halo; on dark wood, it brings out the material. It is used to read a page, to dine or to watch a film, but not to cook or do DIY: those uses need another light source. If you are interested in the overall mood of the room, browse all our decorative lighting and compare the effects.

When switched off, does the gold string light stay decorative?

Yes, and that is what sets the gold finish apart from a white or green wire. The sheathed cable and the small gold holders show up on a shelf, a railing or a frame, even without power. A string light pulled neatly along a skirting board or a curtain rod still reads as a decorative object, not as a forgotten cable. That is an argument on a party table, where it is switched on intermittently. Find the other finishes in our decorative string lights for the home.

Where to install a gold LED string light in the home?

In the living room, it goes on a shelf, a frame or a curtain rod to create a warm corner without drilling. In the bedroom, it runs along a headboard. On a Christmas tree or a railing, it follows the structure in a regular spiral to avoid dark patches.

In the living room and bedroom: hanging without drilling

The cable follows a line that already exists: top of the skirting board, moulding, curtain rod, frame upright. Avoid taut curves between two walls, which leave a wire hanging. On a headboard, a battery version avoids the cable running to the socket; see the rechargeable string lights without a plug. For the light colour itself, compare the warm LED string lights and keep the same shade throughout the room.

Christmas tree, railing, staircase: the places that forgive accumulation

On a tree, wind in a spiral from bottom to top, spacing the turns evenly: it is the regularity, more than the quantity, that avoids dark patches. On a railing or handrail, fix the string light every thirty to forty centimetres so it does not flap in the wind. Always include the drop to the socket in your measurement. A model intended for outdoors can be found in the IP44 string lights for a sheltered balcony.

Indoor or outdoor: which IP protection rating to choose?

For a sheltered balcony or a terrace under an awning, an IP44 rating is enough against splashes and humidity. For a hedge, an exposed railing or a tree, an IP65 is needed, intended for direct rain. An indoor string light placed outside will see its contacts oxidise within a season.

IP44: what a gold string light withstands under an awning

The first digit of the rating concerns solids, the second liquids. An IP44 therefore holds up against small dust particles and water splashes, which covers oblique rain and light jet cleaning on a covered terrace. It does not hold up against direct watering or immersion. This is the level suited to a balcony where the string light stays in place in spring and autumn. See also a pendant for a covered terrace to complete the set.

IP65: for full exposure in the garden

An IP65 resists dust and water jets, and therefore driving rain on a hedge or a railing without a roof. The weak point remains the power supply unit and the connectors: even on a waterproof model, place them under shelter if possible, dry and accessible. The models intended for these locations are grouped in the IP65 waterproof string lights.

Which power supply to choose: mains, 24V, rechargeable or solar?

On 220V mains, the string light stays on for as long as you like, provided there is a socket nearby. A 24V model runs with a transformer and a lower voltage. Rechargeable and solar versions do without a socket: handy on a balcony or a railing, with a battery life that depends on the sun and the lighting duration.

220V socket or 24V transformer: when the cable has to disappear

220V means hiding a cable to the socket: along a skirting board, behind a piece of furniture, under a thin rug. Include this distance in your plan, otherwise you will end up with a visible extension lead. The 24V transformer lowers the voltage and is placed near the socket, in a dry spot; it allows the string light to be fixed durably to a support. The 220V mains models and the 24V low-voltage string light cover these two cases.

Rechargeable and solar: hanging where there is no socket

A rechargeable string light goes on a headboard, a shelf or a party table, then returns to its cable for recharging. Battery life depends on the lighting mode and the number of light points, and therefore on the time actually used each evening. Solar works without intervention, but the lighting is concentrated at the end of the day and the short winter days reduce the reserve. Compare the solar string lights for the garden with the lighting a headboard without a cable.

What length and LED density to plan for?

Measure the actual run before choosing: circumference of the tree in a spiral, length of the curtain rod, circumference of the railing, adding the distance to the socket. The closer the LEDs, the more continuous the light appears; wide spacing gives a dotted effect, more discreet on a pale wall.

Measuring the run before hanging

Take a flexible tape measure and follow the path the string light will take, not the length of the wall. On a tree, count each spiral turn and the drop to the socket. On a curtain rod, measure the rod plus both returns. The stated length is never entirely usable: the connector, the plug and the slack needed for hanging use up part of the cable. Keep a margin of about one metre.

LED spacing: discreet light or dense halo

Closely spaced points give an almost continuous line, readable on a pale wall and in a photo. Widely spaced points produce a dotted effect, more understated, suited to a bedroom or foliage. A Christmas tree takes a high density without looking cluttered; a headboard does not. If you are hesitating between two effects, the LED string lights are easy to compare from one model to another.

How to hang and maintain a gold string light?

Hang a gold string light without pulling it taut, using adhesive hooks, clips or wire depending on the support, keeping the cable supple. Before storing it, check that the connectors are dry and wind it in a wide loop into a closed box, without a sharp fold in the same place.

Fixings that do not mark the wall

On a painted wall, an adhesive hook applied to a degreased surface holds a lightweight string light; on wood or a railing, a clip or thin wire will do. Space the fixings about thirty centimetres apart so the cable does not sag into a pocket. Never nail the cable: a pierced wire loses its waterproofing. For outdoor use, the string lights for a covered balcony require the same precautions.

Storing the string light from one season to the next

Unplug, let it dry if it has been used outside, then wind it in a wide loop around a hand or a piece of cardboard. A tight fold in the same place eventually breaks the conductor. Store the box in a dry place, away from frost. When putting it back up, if an LED stays off, check the connector and the power supply unit first: that is often where humidity has done its work. On a supple cable, a dead LED does not stop the rest from working on most models.

Which mistakes to avoid before buying a gold LED string light?

The most frequent mistakes are choosing on the stated length alone, forgetting the distance to the socket, mixing different light shades on the same tree and installing an indoor model outside. A suitable IP rating and a consistent shade change the whole effect.

Relying on length alone

A generous length is useless if the last metre does not reach the socket, or if the transformer has to stay dry in a neighbouring room. Draw the route, note the distance to the socket and the position of the power supply unit before ordering. Also think about the cable return: it has to come back down discreetly.

Mixing light shades on the same Christmas tree

Two different gold string lights can produce two distinct yellows once switched on, and the tree then looks makeshift. Keep a single reference per set, or complete with all the decorative string lights in the same tone. For the rest of the room, pair the home's decorative lighting without changing the colour temperature.

At Designix, payment is secure, delivery is tracked and returns are possible. Customer service answers questions about measuring and location before ordering. Browse decorative string lights for the home and plugging your string light into an outdoor socket to prepare your installation, then complete with completing with a light fitting in the same mood.

Frequently asked questions about gold LED string lights