Your room, sorted for Christmas: £19 Ikea star curtains, 48 lights, 20,000 hours — will you buy?

Short days arrive, moods dip, windows darken. A gentle glow across the glass can shift a whole evening for families.

Across living rooms and balconies, one seasonal staple is returning to British homes: starry curtains of light that turn a plain pane into a soft, cosy feature. Ikea’s STRÅLA LED star curtain — priced at £19 — is the budget-friendly version catching attention right now.

What’s behind the £19 buzz

The STRÅLA curtain uses 48 star-shaped LEDs arranged to fall like a cascade. It gives a tidy, curtain-style spread rather than a snaking string. That makes windows, patio doors and blank walls look considered, not cluttered. The diodes glow in warm white at 2700K, so the tone is mellow and amber-leaning rather than blue. It reads as candlelight, not headlight.

Forty-eight warm-white stars, arranged as a curtain, for £19 — a tidy way to make one wall or window feel festive.

The unit is built for indoor and outdoor use, which suits flats as well as houses. Balconies can gain a dose of glow without heavy fixtures. Inside, a neutral tone works with wood, metallic ornaments and greenery. You get a seasonal look that also feels suitable in January, when many keep subtle lights for comfort.

Key specs at a glance

• Price: £19 (STRÅLA LED star curtain by Ikea)
• Light count: 48 star-shaped LEDs
• Colour temperature: warm white, approximately 2700K
• Use: indoors and outdoors
• Approximate LED life: around 20,000 hours
• Main materials: durable plastics designed to wipe clean with a dry cloth

How it looks in real homes

Windows become the natural stage. The curtain layout covers a rectangular area without gaps, so the effect reads as one feature rather than separate points. Hang it on a wall behind the tree to double the sparkle, or frame the telly area to make movie nights feel special. Outside, it softens a hard balcony edge in rented flats where drilling is off-limits.

The 2700K tone flatters skin and fabrics, which helps with family photos. It also avoids the harshness that can irritate at night. Brightness is gentle enough for bedtime wind-down if you use it in a child’s room as a background glow.

Warm-white LEDs at around 2700K give a candlelit feel that flatters rooms and helps evenings unwind.

Set-up without faff

People dread the pre-December tangle. A curtain set reduces that, because the drops sit where they should. Use adhesive hooks along the top line, spaced evenly across the frame. For renters, removable strips keep paintwork safe. If you’re placing it outside, choose weather-rated hooks and secure the bottom of each drop with a discreet tie to tame wind.

Five-minute checklist before you hang

• Measure the span of the window or wall and compare with the curtain width.
• Plan the cable route to a socket so you avoid trip hazards.
• Clean the surface before fixing any adhesive hooks.
• Test the lights on the floor to confirm all segments glow.
• If using outdoors, keep connections off the ground and under cover.

Durability and energy sense

Ikea quotes an LED life of about 20,000 hours. That covers multiple seasons when used a few hours each evening. LEDs sip power, which matters this winter with bills still tight for many. The curtain form also spreads light efficiently, so you do not need extra sets to fill a window.

What might it cost to run?

As an illustration only: if a compact curtain like this draws around 3W, running it for six hours a night across 60 nights uses 1.08kWh. At a typical unit price of 28p/kWh, that’s about 30p for the season. Your cost will vary with your tariff and exact wattage, but the scale remains pocket-sized compared with older incandescent sets.

Where it fits and how to style it

In a kitchen diner, mount it along a patio door and add eucalyptus offcuts at the top rail for a fresh scent. In small bedrooms, centre it behind the headboard to create a calm focal point that doubles as low-level light. For hallways, a short section near a mirror brings welcome glow to a cold entrance without blinding visitors.

Pair it with natural textures. Woven baskets, linen curtains and timber frames love warm LEDs. Sleek, modern spaces benefit too: the star shape breaks up hard lines without heavy ornaments. Keep colours simple around it — greens, deep reds, copper — so the stars hold the eye.

Safety and storage tips for families

• Keep cables tidy with clips, especially where toddlers could tug.
• Avoid pinching wires in window frames; route through the hinge side instead.
• Use an RCD-protected socket outdoors and elevate plugs away from puddles.
• After the season, coil each drop separately and secure with a paper twist to prevent knots.

Why people are choosing it this year

Many want a quick lift without spending big. A £19 set changes the feel of a room for visiting grandparents, after-school playdates and cosy evenings in. It also suits those who leave subtle lighting up into February, when early sunsets linger. Because the stars are neutral rather than novelty shapes, they read as winter decoration, not only Christmas.

A single purchase under £20 that brightens rooms, cuts faff, and stays relevant after the tree comes down.

If you’re weighing alternatives

Consider the area you need to cover. A single curtain suits windows up to a standard width; wider doors may need two sets placed edge to edge. If you prefer coloured effects or animated patterns, smart strands may appeal, though costs rise and set-up takes longer. Traditional strings remain useful for trees and bannisters, but they rarely fill a flat window as evenly as a curtain format.

A quick planning exercise

Measure a typical living-room window at 120cm width. One curtain can span the top with drops falling every few centimetres to give an even field of stars. Add a second set for French doors at 180cm. Keep the tone cohesive by staying with warm white across both areas, then let baubles and soft furnishings introduce colour.

Extra context for savvy shoppers

The quoted 20,000-hour figure points to several winters of use even with nightly routines. That makes the initial outlay look pragmatic when compared with buying fresh bargain sets each year that break early. Plastic bodies resist knocks and wipe clean, which helps in households with pets or curious hands. If you want your display to travel outdoors for a party, the indoor–outdoor flexibility reduces the need for separate kits.

For a polished finish, place a simple mechanical timer between the plug and socket. Set it to turn on at dusk and off before bed. You gain consistent ambience and avoid the late-night dash to unplug. Add a door wreath and a small cluster of candles on a tray to pull the whole scene together. The result is calm, grown-up and, crucially, easy to achieve on a weekday evening.