LED Home Lighting Shift

There is a Major Move in illumination and Artifical Room lighting

LED home lighting is about a shift in lighting culture. It spans from not-enough to just-enough. From everywhere to just-there and - with the help of mechanics or sensors - to just-in-time.

?? What is really motivating about using LED lights at home?

There is a lot to home lighting in a new and considered way. And there is a lot to how LEDs can be applied to it.

Actually, the shift that LED homelighting means for home lighting is, I am convinced, is part of a growing lighting culture that is about "Just enough and just in time."

The trend shift
The practical paradigm
Where to apply them?
Lighting patterns
Safety and Scaling Up
Related Articles, Products

The concept seems to give task lights a higher priority. But you could apply the same new concept to most other types of LED lights too.

The practical LED home lighting paradigm

NEW! Nice bright task lights where you need them >> more

NEW! These few brigth Led(non)Bulbs have heat sinks >> more

TIP! For LED home ligting. -- The 'coolness' of white LEDs could be a problem to you. So use them as indirect accent lighting to warm them up. Reflection will even out various intensities.

The practical LED home lighting paradigm is about task lights first (just in time and just enough or JIJE), natural lighting second and ambient artificial illumination third. Note, the emphasis is on practical.

LED fits both the first (JIJE task) and the third beautifully. It also compliments the second very (natural light) well.

I don't really count decorative lights in the paradigm shift yet, even thoughtI believe that there too - LED is contribution already. And in particular LED rope lights. The reason? They are being inherited from automotive (mostly limousine and RV) and boating decoration and early adoption is mostly for event decoration such as christmas lighting. But it is a fast moving field, so don't hold your breath. Soon enought LEDs will make a splash there.

bride looking goofy - surely at reception lights -lol-

Photo: J Hallman.

“I dreaded
the stairs at the reception. So white - SOoo scary.

Warm or Cool lights?

LEDs are cool bright (white is cold white not yellowish like the incandescent you so used to...) So use them indirect and get it bounce off your warmer colored surfaces to get a nicely homey effect.

The quality of LED lights is slowly rising. Still they are not right there when it comes to consistency. So be smart and use this to your advantage.

Get somewhat cheaper ones and use them as accent lights. If you want to see how they work as night lights and what to look out for click here.

Rope light is surely your friend. Make them work hard as your accent lights. Flood your entry with LED (non) bulbs.

Where to apply them

Task light: under-cupboard, vanity in bath (use them indirect)
Decorative: building outlines, icicle lights, patios, gazebos, displays
Accent lights: night lights ,step lighting, driveway lighting

Landscape lights: decks, window light, outdoor Christmas tree light, pool light, pond & fountain light, flood lights.
Therapeutic lighting: SAD, chromotherapy, dawn simulation.

Start by spending little with your first experiments in LED home lighting. Use them as night lights first. And for flood light use these (so called) LED bulbs.

Jump to the above list in a more meaningful matrix >>

Accent lighting and color

So where to use them as accent lights. A good example for decorative lighting: - coves indoors and stairs both in- and outdoors. LEDs make for excellent accenting of them both. Your creation could count on using White, Blue and Green; OR Red and Yellow colors. It is important to use one palette or the other.

If you want to have an under-cupboard task light , I would say rope lights or cable lights are the easiest to install. The fun part is that they look also great when exposed.

The color caveat: LED colors can tell you loud and clear about how long your LED home lighting will last. here's HOW...

Lighting Patterns

Most lighting patterns are only achievable with controller. If you want to use it with your concoction, that can become an entirely different ball game. Unless your package comes witha controller (and a simple manual) the task would also entail some rudimentary programming. Why? Well because controllers are dedicated little computers running a hard-written 'one-track-mind' small program. With LED rope lights you would also need to run a couple different-colored strands and let the controller 'wash' them together in a nice mix. From the length of this description - guess you would see - this latter is quite a money - and time - spending excercise.

Safety and Scaling Up

High voltage or Low voltage? You can chose between high voltage and low voltage LEDs. Invest your baby-steps in safer low voltage so you can scale up later.

Related Articles, Reources, Products:
LED lights for home

The LED house lights matrix

House lighting is an uphill battle? - Not quite

LED lights for home: have a peek into the crystal ball

My LED night lights review.

LED Rope lights are great allrounders round the home (a both decorative AND task lights.)

Led candles Led Xmas Lights

Cool Xmas tips for LED rope light for the Silly Season

LED task lights for in and under-cupboard, cabinet, vanity -- coming...

For Home and Commercial applications:
Learn more about LED bulbs, flood lights and spots.

Spots and decoration for high end homes, offices and plazas.

Learn the various color temperatures including LEDs.

Xmas yard lights have evolved!

Quik Brite LED lights are task lights where and when you need them.
Go to my product review >>

2 LED bulbs per 1 Quik Brite -- Set of 8. As seen-TV product

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