You're Never Too Old For Fairy Lights

Oh, the humble fairy light: a sharehouse staple and classic feature of any self-respecting holiday display. There's something a little magical about that glow. Beads of light strung up from the roof are reminders of everything from childhood parties to summer music festivals to lazy evenings sipping wine with pals. The good times!

But when you're not gearing up for the holidays or prepping for a party, it's hard to know exactly how to make fairy lights work. Can you add ambience without getting too oddball? Or a touch of glamour without veering towards Christmas time?

Given the various styles, configurations and makes of modern-day string lights, it's 100 per cent possible to create a (mostly) grown-up look that you can live with all year round.

Here are some of our favourite tips and tricks for contemporary fairy-light styling:

• When you're entertaining, hang fairy lights directly above the table to create the effect of candlelight minus the wax and fire.
• Drape lights around mirrors to create an ambient glow that fills the room. Smaller lights work best if you're going for a relaxed mood, while bigger globes will add more glam.
• A few coils of string lights in a classic glass vase makes for an interesting lamp alternative if you're after some soft mood lighting.
• Hang rows of lights overhead to create the effect of a night sky. This also adds the illusion of height to your ceilings!
• If you have kids who like to sleep with a night light on, incorporate simple fairy lights as a fun and friendly-looking alternative.
• Weave lights through your indoor plants to accentuate greenery. You'll bring some outdoorsy vibes to your living space. (Lightweight LED lights are best for this as they won't damage your plants.)
• If you're hanging lights in a smaller room, use them to illuminate the corners. It'll make the space feel larger!
• Fairy lights on the wall above a bed make the perfect alternative to a bedside lamp. This is especially helpful if your overhead light is super bright and bedside lamps aren't doing the trick.
• Use string lights to frame a central doorway for a minimalist addition to an unadorned wall.
• String (outdoor-safe) lights around the railings of your deck to make outside spaces feel festive, even in the middle of winter.
• Drape rows of lights vertically, wall to floor, for a modern touch in a contemporary home.

Photo shows: Emporium LED Pearl Lights in ivory, and Bouclair Naturalistic Living Glass Bottle Vase in clear. For similar items, see in-store or online.