Starting September 1, IKEA USA will only sell LED lighting in its retail stores, following up on a sustainability commitment announced in 2012.

IKEA's move also lines up with the growing number of Americans purchasing LED lighting, according to a survey. So far this year, approximately 64 percent of U.S. consumers bought at least one LED light bulb and 51 percent purchased multiple LED bulbs. Since 2013, IKEA USA says its customers have purchased 7.6 million LED bulbs.

As consumers become more aware of LED lighting, and it becomes more accessible and affordable, the range of application usage beyond sustainability increases as well. Interior design professionals are now specifying LED in everything from kitchen cabinet under lighting to closet accent lighting and much more.

CLOSETS 5 Rules for Adding Lighting to Your Closet Remodel Project Adding LED fixtures (pucks or tape) is becoming increasingly popular among industry professionals. Its easy and affordable for customers and can accent a closet or bathroom, regardless if its traditional or contemporary.

“At IKEA, we believe that everyone should be able to afford to live a more sustainable life at home and save money on their energy bills. Also using less energy reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Changing a light bulb may seem like a small action but many small actions can lead to a big change,” commented Lars Petersson, IKEA USA President. “Note that if one million people changed one bulb each into an LED this would be equivalent to taking 6,700 cars off the road or planting 17 million trees per year. That’s significant,” Petersson added.

Look for more updates on LED lighting applications in the August 2015 digital issue of Closets magazine.