It’s known that LEDs are becoming more commonly used for under-cabinet lighting in kitchens, the reddish glow of the LEDs helps warm up the cool colors in his kitchen. The future is looking brighter for LEDs, the next generation of energy-efficient lighting.

LEDs still cost much more than incandescent or compact fluorescent bulbs, but its prices are dropping. Rising energy prices also have helped raise public awareness of the miserly LEDs, which are available in an increasing variety of lighting products.

This month lighting designer John Cale opened Green Light, a store that specializes in LEDs, in downtown Overland Park. In addition to building custom lighting pieces, Cale can retrofit any existing light fixture to use LEDs, starting at $30 plus parts. Green Light also sells LED bulbs. LEDs are great for accent lighting, task lighting and indirect lighting, Cale custom-built some LED fixtures for the addition, including sconces and a fabric-diffused chandelier. In the library, LED rope lighting that outlines the crown molding changes to red, green, purple and yellow in a soft, pleasant glow. LEDs fill silvery glass pendant fixtures in the bathroom. Recessed LED cans are installed in the sunroom ceiling. LED sconces accent the bedroom. Fabric-shaded LED chandeliers hang in different rooms. That’s because LEDs can last 50,000 hours or more than 20 years, about five times longer than compact fluorescent bulbs and 50 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

Because of their diminutive size and their ability to withstand temperature changes, LEDs are becoming a more popular choice for unobtrusive low-voltage landscape lighting. The Cleveland-based manufacturer Kichler makes LEDs to illuminate trees, paths and patios.

As their price has dropped, LEDs also have become more mainstream for strings of holiday lights. The C9 and C7 incandescents are brighter than their LED counterparts, but mini LED lights are brighter than mini incandescent holiday lights.