Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

When it comes to interior design, nothing says "I'm in a cozy, safe place" like string lights. Sure, they can make you feel like a knockoff Zooey Deschanel, but didn't we all flirt with the idea of getting bangs and secretly love 500 Days of Summer before we knew what a manic pixie dream girl was? The warm glow of string lights makes you feel loved like a poorly developed female character in an indie flick written by a man, but without the misogynistic undertones. String lights are the epitome of the cozy aesthetic, and we stand by it.

For the price of a Sweetgreens salad, your life will drastically improve with lighting of the stringed variety. In terms of Millennial décor, they fall somewhere above medallion tapestries from Urban Outfitters, but below CB2 mirrors. Despite their accessible price point, their existence will never reach over-saturation. They are a universal pleasure akin to Christmas lights, but can be used year-round in a non-denominational setting.

They come in many forms—fairy, bulbed, even butterfly—and we love them all. Without string lights, so many industries would crumble. We detail them below.

Vintage-inspired metal beds require fairy lights.  

You'll be one step closer to your dream backyard.

Who didn't go through a Mariah Carey-loving phase? 

Ideal for a college student living in a dorm. 

Mason jars and string lights? You can't make this up, people. 

The tiny twinkling lights are Pinterest’s main source of income. That needs to be fact checked, but you can assume "string lights" are a top search alongside “Meghan Markle wedding dress” and “elderberry recipes.” It is unwritten law that an Instagram post of an interior space must include one, or more, of the following: snake plants, mid-century teak furniture, a vintage museum exhibition poster featuring Picasso, Matisse, or Calde, and string lights, preferably wrapped around a wrought-iron bed.

Without string lights, late summer weddings would disappear altogether. It's hard enough for your college roommate to convince you to spend a weekend upstate in a barn that smells like a barn, but string lights make them tolerable. After all, it's not like they can afford daytime fireworks.

The bokeh effect would cease to flood your feed, meaning your aspiring photographer friend would lose all their potential clients they already didn't have. They could no longer support themselves with photos of a girl in a slouchy beanie holding a jar of lights. String lights are an essential prop in this field.

String lights are a balance between sweet and sexy. They don’t have the aggressive, presumptuous glow of a red bulb (that belongs to college dorm rooms), but dim the atmosphere similar to a bar that serves fancy cocktails with Who Do I Think I Am prices. The soft lighting makes you, and your guest(s), more attractive.

Given the fact that the world is on fire, we need string lights. Like many things citizens aged 18-35 are passionate about—discounted Nest candles, listening to Fresh Air with Terry Gross, shooting aerial brunch shots—string lights provide escapism. They calm you down, and their faint glow metaphorically dims the noise of the latest political crisis. From your home to an evening nuptial, they create a safe haven in your home. The world would literally be a slightly darker place.

Justine Carreon is the market editor at ELLE.com covering fashion, Dutch ovens, and fashion again. When she isn’t approaching style through a modern, accessible lens, she’s scouring eBay for vintage Levi’s and pretending she knows how to surf. Before joining ELLE.com in 2015 she worked as a freelance writer and stylist in New York City.   

The Biggest Reveals From Stephanie Grisham's Book

Timothée Chalamet’s Backless Red Halter Won Venice

How to Watch New Episodes of the Lord of the Rings

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s Kids Walked Aisle

'The Rings of Power' Episode 2 Recap

Beyoncé Announces New Campaign With Tiffany & Co.

Rihanna Debuts Bangs Transformation Post-Baby

Everything We Know About The Crown Season 6

'The Rings of Power' Episode 1 Recap

J.Lo's Full Debrief on Georgia Wedding to Ben

What It’s Like to Lose Water in Jackson, MS

A Part of Hearst Digital Media

Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

©Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.