Smart Economical Lighting Ideas

When it comes to smart home lighting, simple ideas are often the best, both inside and outside. You don’t have to break the bank to use smart home technology and create the mood you desire in your busiest living areas.

If you haven’t made any changes for a while, you’ll need to consider what type of lighting you’re using, the main areas you want to focus on and how much you want to spend.

If you’re still using old-fashioned traditional lighting it might be time to get smart and make a switch to LED (light-emitting diodes) lighting.

Budget-friendly LEDs have a number of benefits, including:

• Energy efficiency – they use up to 85% less energy than traditional bulbs
• Longer lifespan – LED smart bulbs last longer than halogen, fluorescent or incandescent lights. LEDs have a lifespan of 50,000 to 60,000 hours. A halogen light, by contrast, has an 800 to 1200-hour lifespan
• LEDs are safer – they radiate very little heat and don’t have a filament that will eventually burn out. Hence they’re safer for the whole family because they’re cooler to the touch and much less likely to cause a fire.
• Automation – With LEDs you can control your lighting system using your smart devices for convenience, ambience, energy saving and security.

The main living space in the house is expected to be versatile and stylish, and that’s exactly what smart lighting is.

Whether you’re binge watching your favourite TV series, playing computer games, reading in your most comfortable armchair or hosting a gathering of friends, you want the best smart options to control lighting and create a mood. And it doesn’t have to cost a bundle.

Living room lighting falls into three main types:

Ambient

This is overhead or general lighting, which is the most important aspect of illuminating your main living space.

If you’ve got hanging ceiling lights it might be a case of switching from traditional bulbs to LEDs, but if you’ve got a low ceiling and you’re looking to conserve space, recessed lighting (using LEDs) could be the way to go.

You’ll be in complete control of the mood through your smartphone, tablet or home automation hub. You can not only dim your lights but change the color of lighting if you desire. If you’re aiming to create a home cinema vibe, consider smart strip lights on the floor.

While this light switch does involve installation cost it is not expensive, and once you’ve made the change you will save energy and it will add value to your home.

Accent

Accent lighting is used to highlight specific objects, both inside and outside the home. This lighting can be used to put the focus on artwork, furniture, textured walls, plants and more.

The most common types of accent lighting are wall lights, recessed lights, track lighting, light strips and floodlights.

Just as with ambient lighting, these lights can be automated and you can choose when and what areas of the room you want to highlight.

Task

This is a smaller, concentrated light which has a specific task. It can also be referred to as office lighting. If you enjoy reading or working in your favorite armchair, you’ll probably prefer a smart lamp to overhead lighting. Task lighting is ideal for those who want to work or read while others want the lights low for TV viewing.

There are a number of economical styles suited to task lighting, including swing arm lamps (on a small table or desk), arc floor lights and pendant lights. Lamps and floor lights are also easily moved to another area.

As with other forms of home lighting, these are not only stylish but can be smart-enabled so you can customise your preferences.

Various types and styles of LED lights are ideal for bedrooms.

When installing lighting for your bedroom make sure to connect it to your smart home technology system so you can choose the ambience and color temperature to suit. You can go to sleep and wake up in the comfortable atmosphere of your choice.

Neutral white light temperatures are probably best suited to bedrooms. Your color temperature can mimic natural light to help you sleep and wake more naturally.

Non-intrusive recessed lights are again well-suited to bedrooms.

Along with ambient lighting you may require a smart lamp for a work space and bedside lamps for reading, which all can be controlled through your smart home devices.

You don’t need anything intricate to light up your outdoor living space. There are a number of easy and practical ways of bring some light to the outdoors, including:

Decorative lanterns

These are an easy and economical way to add lighting to your outdoor space. You can use traditional wax candles if you wish, but it’s easy enough to replace them with LED candles which will last a lot longer, are safer and can be automated.

Gas fire pit

The warm glow of a fire is always attractive outside, so why not consider a gas fire pit? These are inexpensive – although there are more costly models – and require no electricity. Gas fire pits are also odourless so you won’t end up smelling like a campfire if you stand near it for warmth.

LED string lights

You can light up your outdoor entertaining area with some easy-to-hang LED string lights. They can be strung along a veranda or the underside of a patio umbrella and you can control the intensity and color.

Sensor lights

While you’re lighting up the outdoors, it’s worth considering home security. As a part of your smart security system, install sensor lights in your front and back yards. Smart sensors are motion sensitive and will boost your home security by lighting up potential intruders. Well-placed sensor lights, which are not expensive, will also ensure your family and guests avoid accidents outside in the dark.

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So there are any number of smart, cost-effective ways of lighting the main areas of your home. Here are some key points:

• Automate your home lighting with smart technology
• Make the switch to LEDs
• Consider dimmable recessed lighting
• Use simple ideas for outdoor lighting
• Boost home security with sensor lights

Even if you’re only looking for a change of style, many of these smart suggestions are eco-friendly and will reduce your power bills so any installation cost will eventually pay for itself.

Published in: Ideas | Author: Yanita