LED Lights

Are LED Lights Safe?

by admin · May 12, 2023

How LED Lights Might Be Unexpectedly Affecting Your Health

LED light bulbs are touted as the latest and greatest thing in the lighting world, and for good reason! They’re brighter, more efficient, and more colorful than lightbulbs of the past. But are they safe?

LED technology is still relatively new, so scientists and health professionals are still studying the impact LED light has on our health. So far the results are a mixed bag, with some good news and some bad news.

If you’re one of the many homeowners that filled your house with LED bulbs to save on energy bills, you might be wondering who to listen to and how concerned you should be. So, before you go through your house with a ladder and a trash can, stick around and we’ll break down what we know so far.

The Basics

Before we can get into the side effects of LED lights, we need to cover a couple of lighting basics.

Light travels in wavelengths, and the length of the light wave changes its visible color. While infrared and UV light are invisible, the wavelengths in between can be seen by the human eye.

LED lightbulbs come in light colors all along this visible spectrum, and we use Kelvins to measure their “warmth”. Warm lights give off a yellow glow that feels cozy and relaxing. On the other end of the spectrum, cool lights give off a blue light that feels crisp and energizing.

Blue Light Health Risks

You may be asking yourself, what does this have to do with my health? As it turns out, the color of the LED light changes how it affects your body. Red and Near-Infrared (NIR) light is thought to stimulate repair and regeneration in our bodies. Blue light is a little more complicated.

Blue LED light (also called cool white) mimics daylight, which makes it popular in spaces like offices where you need to stay alert, and kitchens where bright lighting is important for safety. But some scientists are raising concerns about the side effects of prolonged or intense exposure to this blue light, and have linked it to sleep disorders, migraines, eye damage, and even breast cancer.

The research is still new and ongoing, so it can be hard to find answers. We’ve put together an overview of the current health risks associated with LED light so that you can see it all in one place and decide for yourself what you want to do.

LED Lights and Sleep

If you find yourself getting tired around the same time every day, it’s by design. When it gets dark outside, our bodies start to produce melatonin, which helps us to relax and drift off to sleep. This process is part of a cycle called the “circadian rhythm”.

When our circadian rhythm gets thrown off, it can cause all sorts of health issues including diabetes and heart disease. The WHO even classified night shift work as a probable carcinogen in 2007 due to the disruption of shift workers’ circadian rhythms.

Blue LED light can have a devastating effect on our circadian rhythms too. A Harvard study found that exposure to blue light reduces melatonin production for as long as 3 hours. Without the melatonin to trigger sleep, people exposed to blue light have a harder time getting to sleep at night.

This blue light can come from any blue LED light, including your interior lights, your TV, and your cell phone or computer screen. So if you’re having a hard time getting to sleep at night, try unplugging a couple of hours before bed. Turn off your devices, and only use warm interior lights when possible.

LED Lights and Eye Damage

LED computer monitors emit blue light that can strain your eyes with extended use. (This happens with LCD monitors as well.) If you find your eyes feeling tired after a day at the office, there’s an easy solution recommended by the AAO that may help: The 20-20-20 Rule. “Every 20 minutes, shift your eyes to look at an object at least 20 feet away, for at least 20 seconds” to help prevent eye strain.

It’s also possible that blue LED lights could be causing permanent damage to your eyes. In 2019, a French study showed “show short-term phototoxic effects” in the eye with short exposure to blue LED light. Even more concerning was that they discovered long-term damage in eyes that had regular exposure to blue light.

This eye damage can increase the risk of developing macular degeneration, which is a progressive loss of vision over time. If you have a family history of macular degeneration, it might be a good idea for you to ask your doctor about limiting your exposure to blue LED light. In the meantime, you can swap out your cool LEDs for soft white, and look into buying some blue-light-filtering specialty lenses.

There was some good news too- they found that this damage seems to be limited to just blue LED light. Warmer, soft white LED lights appeared to be just as safe as other traditional light bulbs.

LED Lights and Migraines

Exposure to artificial lights is linked to higher rates of headache and migraine symptoms. We still don’t know exactly why, but researchers have a few ideas.

One theory is that flickering is to blame. If you’ve ever worked in an office with fluorescent lights, you’ve probably experienced at least one headache because of the fluctuation in the light they emit.

Scientific American conducted a study where they looked at workers in offices with flickering fluorescent lights and workers in offices with non-flickering lights. They found that office workers working under flickering lights were twice as likely to experience headaches than their counterparts.

We haven’t seen any studies like this done yet for LED lights, but there are some possible repercussions for migraine sufferers. LED lights also flicker, although it’s too fast for us to perceive it. This could mean that they are a better option for migraine sufferers. On the other hand, fluorescent bulbs dim 35% when flickering, and LED lights dim all the way to 100%. It’s possible that the bigger change in light levels when flickering could make LEDs even more likely to cause headaches. It’s important to pay attention to the types of light you’re exposed to before a migraine to find out what your triggers are.

Another theory about light and headaches is that the intensity of LED lights can be a migraine trigger. Dimmable LED lights could be a solution for migraine sufferers who find the lights in their home to be too bright.

Although research linking LED lights to migraines is still pretty hard to come by, you’ll see more information in the near future. One clinical trial is testing green LED light, as it appears to reduce migraine symptoms.

LED Lights and Cancer Research

In 2018, researchers in Spain discovered a link between exposure to outdoor blue light at night and certain types of cancers. They found that participants with a high estimated exposure to blue light outside at night had a 60% higher risk for developing breast or prostate cancer.

It’s important to note that this study only looked at the effects of high levels of exposure to outdoor blue light at night. They did not study the more typical blue light given off by indoor lights or device screens.

While this may sound alarming, it’s still too early to raise red flags just yet. This research is brand new and unproven outside of this single study. If you’re concerned, the best thing to do for now is to limit the time you spend outside under artificial lights, and to close your curtains or blinds at night if you have a blue LED streetlight nearby.

It’s Not All Bad News

LEDs have only been around since the 1960s, and blue LED lights weren’t developed until the 1990s, so there’s still a lot to learn about them! We’re learning that blue LED light may have some unexpected negative side effects, but that doesn’t mean that all LED light is bad.

LED Light Therapy is a new field that uses LED lights to treat conditions and heal wounds. LEDs lights can improve skincare, help with mood disorders, and have the potential to do more!

LED Light Therapy and Seasonal Depression

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder that affects an estimated 10 million Americans. As the days get shorter and sunlight is harder to find, many people find that their mood starts drop and seasonal depression sets in.

One of the ways doctors treat this is with LED light therapy boxes. These super-bright boxes of light have rows of LED lights that researchers believe cause a chemical change in the brain that lifts your mood when you sit in front of them for 20-30 minutes a day. For a light therapy box to be effective, it needs to be rated at 10,000 lux or higher, so be careful to avoid cheap knock-offs when shopping for them online.

If you find yourself struggling in the winter months, make sure you talk to your doctor. Light therapy boxes are only one part of an effective treatment plan for SAD, and they don’t work for everyone. You don’t have to struggle through the winter months.

LED Light Therapy and Skincare

In the 1990s U.S. Navy SEALs started developing LED light therapy technology to help heal wounds more quickly. Once it was proven effective, doctors and aestheticians started using LED lights in skincare.

Red LED lights are used to reduce the appearance of acne, wrinkle and age spots. It’s thought to reduce inflammation and stimulate collagen, which causes skin to appear more smooth.

Blue LED lights are used to treat surface and cystic acne. It’s believed to make oil glands less active, and kill bacteria beneath the skin.

So, are LED lights bad for you?

LED lights as a whole are very safe, but you do need to be careful about how you use them.

Use soft white lights where you can in your home, especially in your bedroom. It’s still okay to use blue LED lights (often called Daylight bulbs) in your home, especially in places where you need to work, like an office or kitchen. Just keep in mind that these blue lights can affect your sleep, so steer clear of them in the late evening hours.

If you’re prone to headaches or migraines, pay attention to the lighting you’ve been exposed to. If you notice a pattern, changing out your lightbulbs could be an easy fix! Consider getting blue-light-filtering glasses to help protect your eyes if you work in front of a computer screen all day. Just like taking a multivitamin every day can help keep us healthy, small precautionary measures against harmful light sources may make a big difference.

TL;DR – LED Lights and Your Health

Risks	Benefits	Mixed Bag
Sleep – Exposure to blue LED light before bed can disrupt your circadian rhythm. You should limit blue light exposure for a few hours before bed. Eyes – Blue LED light can damage your eyes. Blue light filtering glasses are recommended for people that work in front of a computer monitor all day. Cancer – The link between LED light and cancer is still being studied. Some researchers believe it increases the risk of developing certain types of cancer, but more research needs to be done.	Seasonal Depression – LED light therapy boxes can help some people that suffer from seasonal depression, although they are just one part of an effective treatment plan. Please talk with your doctor if you think you may have SAD. Skincare – LED light therapy can help speed up the healing process. Red LED lights help reduce the appearance of acne, wrinkle and age spots. Blue LED lights are used to treat surface and cystic acne.	Migraines – Flickering lights can trigger migraines for some people. LED lights flicker significantly less than fluorescent lights, so some migraine sufferers will benefit from replacing CFL bulbs with LED. LED lights are also very intense, which could also be a migraine trigger. Most LED bulbs are dimmable, so this could help to mitigate the intensity for migraine sufferers. If you suffer from migraines, you should pay attention to your light exposure to look for trigger patterns.

LED bulbs are energy efficient, bright, and widely available, but they’re still considered “new” in the lighting industry. It’s always a good idea to keep an ear to the ground for future breakthroughs and discoveries.

If you have any questions about how to use LED bulbs in your home, or how to choose the right light bulb for your space, our lighting experts are ready to answer your questions. Give us a call or drop in and see us at our showroom!

The information in this article is compiled from several sources and studies. Research into the effects of LED lights on your health is ongoing and subject to change as new information is found. If you have any concerns about your health and its relation to LED lighting, please consult a licensed medical expert.

Smart Lighting 101: 5 Top Tools to Upgrade Your Smart Home

by admin · Feb 24, 2023

Everyone talks about “smart homes,” but what does that really mean? While smart assistants are often the foundation of any smart home, they aren’t truly smart on their own. Smart lighting is another essential element of your smart home. It includes a wide range of electrical products that use software to interface with your smart hub to give you enhanced control, function, and flexibility of your lights.

We know it can be overwhelming sorting through all of the options available to you as you build your smart home. So, we put together this quick guide to some of the most popular smart lighting tools to help you get started!

Special note: Before you go out and purchase any smart light accessories, remember to check for compatibility. Each smart lighting tool is programmed to work with one or more smart home hubs or apps, like Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Apple HomePod, etc. It will be much easier to keep track of everything if you can control them all from the same place!

Smart Bulbs

Smart bulbs are a great way to get the most out of your lighting. Smart bulbs are often color-changing or range in temperature. These bulbs will work with most standard lamps and light fixtures.

Smart bulbs are typically LED bulbs and are also energy- and heat-efficient. In addition, they have a long life and are safer than fluorescent bulbs since they use a microchip instead of gas to create their glow.

Smart bulbs can range in price, averaging at $7-$15 a bulb.

Smart Plugs and Outlets

You don’t have to change all your bulbs to get the benefits of AI and voice activation. Instead, you can plug your lamps into a smart plug or swap out the entire outlet! This will allow you to use multiple light fixtures or devices in the same place.

Smart plugs simply plug into your existing outlet as an extension. Then you plug your lamps or other devices into the smart plug, and you’re ready to go!

Smart outlets take a little more work to install, but it’s definitely within DIY reach. While specific installation steps will vary slightly by your smart outlet choice– the basic installation steps are the same. Check out this YouTube tutorial to get a good idea of what you’ll need to do!

Special note: Always be sure to follow the brand-specific installation instructions that come with your device.

Smart plugs and outlets range from about $15 to $30 each.

Smart Switches

Try replacing your dumb light switches with something smarter! Smart light switches help you to click through programmed light scenes so you can switch from day to night to entertaining light scapes at the touch of a button.

Installation is as simple as swapping your current light switch for the next. Check out this YouTube video for a quick and safe installation.

Expect to pay $25 to $45 amount for your smart switch.

Smart Bulb Bases

Another way to keep your existing light bulbs but enhance smart features is to add a smart base to your light bulb. Simply unscrew the light bulb, screw the new base on, and reinsert it into the light fixture. Now your bulb’s power is controlled by the base instead of relying on the light switch!

Smart bases won’t enable features to a bulb that isn’t designed for dimming, temperature, or color changes. But it will allow you to incorporate AI, voice activation, and remote reach from anywhere with your phone.

You’ll likely pay between $15 and $30 for a smart bulb base.

Smart Lighting Kits

Skip the hassle of buying individual tech with a smart lighting kit. These kits include several bulbs and other pieces of tech to get you started for a discounted price.

These kits range anywhere from $60 to $200, depending on your selected bundle.

Need Help Creating Your Smart Home?

Proper lighting is essential to a fully functioning home– but it can be challenging to nail balanced brightness, great fixtures, and a budget! Contact the experts at Watts Current for advice on your project!

9 Ways to Upgrade Your Home with LEDs

by admin · Jan 25, 2023

With their excellent energy efficiency, affordable price tags, and numerous customized options, LED light bulbs are quickly becoming the top choice for home lighting. Available in small bulbs and flexible strips, these microchip-powered wonders fill almost every need in your home– including some you didn’t even know you had!

So get ready to upgrade your home’s functionality and style! Here are nine ways using LED bulbs in your home can improve your home’s design, costs, comfort, and safety.

1. Energy Efficient

LEDs are highly energy-efficient light sources because they create light with a microchip. With no gas or burning filament, they waste far less energy in heat production (not to mention much better customization in color, brightness, and temperature. But we’ll get to that later!)

Unlike older bulbs, LED bulb packaging uses lumens instead of watts to tell you how bright they are. Watts measured the electricity needed for incandescent bulbs to glow, but lumens directly measure the amount of light a bulb gives off. The higher the lumens, the brighter the bulb.

But it’s not just the packaging that’s changed– your utility bill will decrease when you replace incandescent bulbs with LEDs. They use far less energy than incandescent bulbs to give off the same level of light, savings you’ll actually be able to see.

2. Work with Most Light Fixtures

No matter your light fixture, there’s likely an LED bulb that’s a perfect match. LEDs come in a wide variety of standard-sized bulb sizes and shapes– so you can even use them in your candelabra chandelier!

The only thing to watch out for is ventilation. LEDs are cool bulbs compared to incandescent and other traditional options, but they’re not entirely immune to overheating. So if you’re ever in doubt, give a local lighting expert a call and they’ll help you find the correct bulb.

3. Safer than Other Bulbs

LED bulbs are one of the safest ways to light your home– they produce minimal heat and use very little energy. They’re even safer than fluorescent bulbs, a top competitor for energy-saving lighting. Compact fluorescent bulbs, or CFLs, glow by passing an electrical current through mercury gas. So CFLs are a little risky in “accident-prone homes,” like homes with pets or small children.

On the other hand, LEDs glow using a microchip. In fact, LEDs don’t even need to use the glass bulb case– they’d be just as safe and contained without it! So if you want to increase your home safety while still being energy efficient, swap out your CFLs for LEDs.

4. Best Color Rendering Index (CRI)

Did you know that the way you see color depends heavily on the type of light shining on it? Stores and online product photos use great lighting to show their products at their best potential. But if you bring those products home in poor lighting, you may be surprised to find that it doesn’t look as great as they did before. It’s not always buyer’s remorse, though– sometimes it’s just bad lighting!

LEDs are one of the best on the color rendering index (CRI), meaning they show colors more accurately. Their light will be very close to the lighting in-store or in the product images, so it’s much more likely to look the same in your home as it did in the cart.

As a bonus, high CRI lighting is a huge help in places like your bathroom or closet. Accurate lighting can help you pick the right clothes and do your best makeup. No more surprises when you see yourself in the office mirror!

5. Dimmable

Dimmable bulbs are perfect for rooms with multiple functions. Take your living room, for example– during the day, you’ll want bright light as you move about your daily activities and tasks. But in the evening, you want your living room to be a soft, cozy space where you can relax and unwind.

LEDs can come with dimmable capabilities, making them perfect solutions for bathrooms and bedrooms. They will also work with your existing dimmer switches and remotes. So simply swap out your old bulb, and you’re ready for a day-to-night lighting experience!

6. Vary in Temperature

A bulb’s light temperature refers to whether the light falls into cool (blue) or warm (red) light. Cool, blue light is in the same range as direct sunlight– it wakes you up and gets you focused. Warm light is similar to fire and candlelight and helps you to relax. Traditional bulbs were all warm light, but modern LEDs come in a wide variety of light temperatures.

How will knowing this improve your home, you ask? Our bodies work with a circadian rhythm– the natural cues to wake up with the sunrise and relax at sunset. But our modern life surrounds us with blue light well after sunset, eliminating the natural transition to red light before sleep. Choosing the right LED bulbs makes it easy to reintroduce the red light phase to your circadian rhythm.

Opt for warm light bulbs in places where you relax at the end of the day (dining room, living room, bedroom, etc.), and it’ll help signal to your brain that it’s time to go to bed– making it easier to fall asleep at bedtime. Just don’t undo your brain’s relaxation by staring at your phone screen in bed afterward!

7. Smart Integrations

What’s a smart home without smart lighting? LED bulbs are a top smart home choice because they offer a wide range of stress-free customization.

This flexibility makes them a great choice to use on their own, but they’re also great options to use with your smart home setup. Set routines for lights to turn on and off and control settings from your phone on the go!

You can even create a habit with your smart home assistant to ”warm up” the temperature of your LEDs a few hours before bed. It’s a simple change that could significantly help your family rest better– and avoid the increased risk of depression, anxiety, and weight gain connected to regular poor sleep.

Remember, not every LED bulb is “smart,” so make sure you read the packaging to get the perfect addition to your smart setup!

8. Customize Color

LED stands for “light emitting diode”– big words to describe a glow from passing electricity through a microchip. Because of the way they work, many LED bulbs can change color, temperature, and brightness with the press of a button.

Color customization may seem like a party trick with little functional use. And while they are a great novelty at parties, color-changing lights can also help you wind down at night and reduce eye strain when watching TV or sitting in front of a computer monitor.

LEDs are excellent for creating bias lighting for your TV or computer. Bias lighting casts light on the wall surrounding your screen to help decrease the intensity of the image, making it easier on your eyes. It also increases the contrast of your screen, so you’ll get a better view without upgrading your tech!

9. Strip Lighting

A lesser-known use for LED lights in the home is strip lights. If you’re looking to make your home look and feel like a bespoke model home, these are the way to go. The best part– they’re inexpensive and simple to install.

LED strip lights can be wired to a switch, but homeowners often opt for battery-powered or plug-in options for noninvasive installation. They typically come with either a remote or smart home integration capabilities. They’re also tiny, and since many come in a user-friendly peel-and-stick variety, they’ll fit just about anywhere!

We recommend trying out LED strip lights in places like:

Kitchen Cabinets: Stash these inconspicuously under cabinets to make dinner prep easier and safer, or add them inside glass-fronted cabinets to turn your dishes into art! You can also place them under the toe-kick to light those late-night snack runs.
Stairways: Make your evening bathroom trip safer by lining your stairs with light. Don’t want to see them? Try tucking them underneath the handrail!
Closets and Shelves: Want to turn your dark closet into an elegant dressing room? LED strip lighting will elevate your closet without any structural changes. Add them to the top of shelves, above your shoes, or around the top edges of your walls – they’ll go anywhere you need more light.
Bedroom Mood Lighting: String a few LEDs around your walls and change the color or brightness of your entire room without lifting a paintbrush– a very popular DIY for teenagers and social media creators
Bathroom GlowUp: Stash a few LEDs under bathroom cabinets for a toe-kick touch of luxury and soft lighting. Or use around your mirrors for true lighting during your daily skincare routine!

The Possibilities are Endless

LED bulbs and strips are small, easy to install, and can fit just about anywhere. Whether you’re swapping out all of your home’s bulbs or just adding custom lighting to your favorite spaces, LEDs can give you that luxury feel without breaking the bank. And when you factor in their energy efficiency, customization applications, health benefits, and smart home applications, it’s easy to see why LED bulbs are the swiss army knife for home lighting needs.

Proper lighting is essential to a fully functioning home– but it can be challenging to nail the balance between light levels, fixture designs, and a budget! For your next project, contact the experts at Watts Current.

How to Use Patterns and Textures in Every Room of Your Home to Personalize Your Space

by admin · Jan 20, 2023

Interior design trends seem to cycle back and forth every five to ten years. And right on cue, after a long stretch of neutral minimalism, maxalimist living has taken designers and influencers by storm!

The rise of maximalist design doesn’t mean you have to redo your entire home. But it gives you an excellent opportunity to touch up your existing space with bold patterns.

We’ll give you top ideas for incorporating patterns for any design aesthetic throughout your home! Then you can adapt these tips to your own style, budget, and space.

Kitchen

Your kitchen is the heart of the home, and so the style influences here will change how the rest of the house feels.

So if you’re ready to change up the balance of your white cabinets and walls, try a few of these tips:

Custom backsplash: An easy way to increase the function and design of your home is by installing a backsplash that matches your unique style. With endless tile options, you can create a minimalist pattern or a loud mosaic impact with bright colors.
Runner rugs: Tired of aching feet and a crumby floor? Runner rugs make your home safer, cleaner, and prettier. Line your floors with patterned rugs to add dimension and enjoyment to your dinner prep.
Display plates and dishes: The shift to a more maximalist design includes incorporating personal touches to your decor. So display your inherited china or thrifted dishes for another layer of patterns and history.
Island pendants: Create a final dimension of patterns with light! Your pendant shades can create shadows, new colors, or bright spotlights to increase the variety of your home.

Bathroom

Bathrooms are often a tricky space to decorate– you want to enjoy your space, but you usually don’t have room to embellish much. With a little creativity (and courage) you can pack a punch with some washroom-approved patterns.

Try adding some layers by updating your:

Wallpaper: Make an impact without taking up needed space with wallpaper. Add natural neutrals, bold art deco, or geometric modern to immediately glow up the area.
Tile work: Bathrooms offer so many opportunities to use tile. Redo your countertop, create a backsplash, touch up the floor, or renovate your tub and shower!
Vanity lights: The lighting around your mirror is another way to play with patterns. Whether it’s a custom shade or a unique number of lights, it’s another valuable investment that will significantly impact your bathroom.
Textiles: Incorporate your towels, washcloths, and rugs into your design to save space and add beauty. Using contrasting colors and patterns, you can use these textiles as an accent layer in your design.

Hallways

Your hallways are a tricky spot– not much light, wall space, or floor space is available to show your personality. But these small, narrow spaces are a great place to incorporate some maximalist colors and patterns.

Some space-saving, high-impact design tips include:

Sconces: Create a new rhythm for your hall by spacing out wall sconces along the way. You can add beauty and light to any hall, from DIY peel-and-stick to professionally installed hard-wired options.
Textured walls: Add interest to your walls with custom board and batten or wood strips. It’s easy to customize, install, and match to any color scheme.
Runners: Protect high-traffic walkways with a runner rug! You’ll extend the life of your wood or carpet floors and add another layer of color and exciting patterns.
Eclectic gallery: While most hallways don’t have much open wall, an eclectic gallery can fit the smallest spaces. You’ll add color, personality, and pattern with a few frames tucked between doorways!

Bedrooms

Your family bedrooms are a great place to match your unique personality. While the rest of the house may stick to one theme, this private space can be anything you want.

We recommend playing with:

Curtains: Layer curtains for a custom layout and better sleep. Blackout curtains usually have less design variety, but you can layer them with patterned sheer curtains for a daytime set.
Accent walls: Create the perfect focal point for your personal domain with wallpaper or use wood planks in a custom design.
Bedding: Use a floral, geometric, or playful bedspread to display your personality. Or, if you like to change your look often, use a white bedspread and rotate patterned throws throughout the year.
String lights: Create soft light patterns by stringing fairy lights around your room. For an added layer, swap fairy lights for color-changing LEDs!

Dining Room

Whether your dining area is a dedicated room or a nook off the kitchen, it should be defined as a separate space. Then you can leave the work of food preparation stress in the kitchen and switch to relaxation and connection as you eat.

Define the space by:

Distinct wall treatments: Change the mood by using different colors and shapes for your dining walls. Patterned wallpaper is an easy way to get a professional finish without detailed work!
A bold divider: If your dining room shares the space with your kitchen, add texture and pattern with a wall divider. From eclectic to traditional, you’re sure to find the right touch for your space.
Unique lighting: Signal a mood change with your lighting choices. Using a different style of pendant or chandelier from the kitchen will disrupt the food-making pattern.
Playing with upholstery: Use a table runner, placemats, or statement upholstered chairs for an added layer of personality.

Living Room

From hosting parties to a quiet movie night, your living room provides a comfortable space to relax and enjoy. But relaxation doesn’t mean it has to be quietly predictable.

Try some of these tips to maximize design in your shared “unwind” space:

Wallpaper the ceiling: Do a unique riff on traditional wallpaper by wallpapering the ceiling. You’ll create interest by adding pattern and color to an ordinarily neutral space.
Change neutral patterns with colored LEDs: Prefer a neutral room but want to up the anti for parties? Then try color-changing LEDs to turn your neutral wallpaper into something bright and playful.
Swap pillow covers: Even in the most neutral space, you can add pattern and dimension with new pillow covers. Corduroy, leather stripes, or soft florals will make your sofas look brand new.
Layer rugs: Layering rugs is a new standard for luxe-looking living rooms. You can keep it simple with a muted border or play up the patterns with a modern geometric display.

Home Office

More people than ever have a dedicated work space from home– but have you taken the time to craft a space that works best for you and your tastes?

Create interest in your Zoom meetings (without lagging virtual backgrounds) with some of these tips:

Accent wall for the camera: Show your personality to your coworkers and clients with a beautiful accent wall in sight of your camera. It will beat your cubical or office walls anyways!
Interesting lamp shades: Create shadow or color with a unique lamp shade. You’ll improve visibility and do better work, too!
Computer mat: Keep your workspace clean, organized, and attractive with a patterned laptop mat. You can cover your entire desk for a comprehensive update or accent your space with a keyboard-sized mat.
Reading chairs: Add flavor to your room with an accent reading chair or two. Reading chairs offer an excellent opportunity to introduce new patterns to the room without going overboard.

After years of minimalist, copy-paste interior design, it’s time to breathe new personality and individualism into our homes with some playful patterns. Go for whatever suits you best. You keep your minimalist aesthetic and introduce a few subtle patterns and textures. Or, you can go all in on a complete redesign and bring bold, beautiful patterns and colors throughout your home!

Whatever your style, there are endless ways to incorporate patterns and embrace your favorite designs.

Need Help?

6 Amazing Uses for LED Strip Lights

by admin · Apr 28, 2022

Good lighting is about so much more than just light bulbs and switches. When it’s done right, lighting can transform any space, increase the value of any real estate, and even fuel your soul and energize your body. It’s a proven fact that using the right lighting can dramatically change your physical and mental well-being. Whether you’re building a valuable asset, setting the mood or pulling a late night, choosing the right lighting makes all the difference.

It’s time to use lighting better and LED light strips are one of the easiest ways. Take full advantage of modern lighting technology to change your home for the better by using LED strip lights to illuminate your surroundings. LED strip lights (often called LED tape or ribbon light) are small, flat, flexible, circuit boards with small LED lights embedded along the surface. They are an easy choice for DIYers of any level looking to upgrade their space because they come with an adhesive backing, can be cut to any length, and their low profile means they can be hidden or tucked into very small spaces.

LED strip lights are a great place to start when that can invigorate your senses, change the atmosphere in your home, and even increase your safety. Here are six unexpected ways you can use LED strip lights to energize and brighten your life!

Customize Your Kitchen

This may sound like an unusual place to start, but LED strip lights can really make your kitchen shine. All you need to do is place the strip under your kitchen cabinets! It will make your cooking area brighter and easier to use, give your kitchen a bright and custom-made feel, and create a soft glow for mood lighting to compliment your evening wind down.

You can even line the inside of your kitchen cabinets or drawers with LED strip lights to make it easier to find exactly what you need.

Feature Your Collections

You’re displaying your prizes, pictures, and awards for a reason: you are proud of them! Why not give them the spotlight they deserve? By illuminating your shelving with LED strip lights, you’ll create the perfect glow that will make your special items pop.

LED strip lights also are the perfect medium for highlighting mirrors and artwork on your walls. Create a beautifully back-lit design by installing an LED strip around the perimeter of your mirror or art between it and the wall.

Secure Your Staircase

The right amount of light can completely transform your dark or dangerous staircase into the beautiful bright staircase of your dreams. Add an LED strip across the bottom edge of each stair or even along the bottom of your handrail to make your staircase a bright and beautiful feature in your home. Not only will this add more character to your home, but it will also make your staircase much safer by properly lighting the stairwell and stairs for your treks up and down between floors. No more tripping on shoes or backpacks in the dark!

Highlight Your Backyard

Your backyard is the place where you go to reconnect with the outdoors and to spend quality time with the people you love. Whether you like to read on your porch swing, play catch with the kids, or entertain guests around the firepit, take full advantage of your outdoor living space! Incredibly, LED strip lights can be used outdoors too! Liven up your backyard with LED strip lights by lining the patio, flower beds, or even your swimming pool. This will add an extra layer of cozy lighting for you to enjoy year-round.

Create a Relaxing Retreat

Getting the right lighting in your bedroom is arguably one of the most important things you need to do for yourself when planning your home design. At the end of a long day, you need a place where you can get the ambiance just right so that you can relax and unwind. Look for places that are easy to line with LED strips like a doorway, the perimeter of your ceiling, or your headboard or bed frame. Then you can turn off your harsh, overhead light and instead bask in a soft, ambient glow that will help you relax and recover from the day.

Travel In Style

That’s right: You can make your vehicle explode with light by adding LED strip lights to the inner and outer surfaces. Make your interiors feel custom and expensive by lining the seats, floor boards, dash, and ceiling to get a slick glow. On the outside, add LED strips to the bottom of the frame and around your tires as an added safety feature that comes with a serious wow factor.

If your ride has 2 wheels instead of 4, LED strip lights will be your best friend. Adding LED lights to your motorcycle or bicycle helps other drivers see you more easily on the road, making your night time travelling safer. For those that are more concerned about the cool-factor, line the bottom of your motorcycle with LEDs to make it look like you are floating, or you can line the entire frame of your bicycle and you’ll be the star on the bike path! Either way, you’ll have a conversation starter!

*^{Alexander Mogilevets/Shutterstock.com}*

Please read up on the laws and guidelines in your area before adding LED lights to your vehicles, as some colors or installation locations might be outlawed if they’re distracting to other drivers.

With a little bit of help from LED strip lights, you can brighten your home and yard, show off your collections, get that sweet after-market look on your vehicle, and make your spaces a little safer. These lights really can be used almost anywhere, so don’t be afraid to explore the many different ways LED strip lights can enhance your life. You never know, what you find might surprise you! And, as always, if you have any questions about your next lighting project, contact Watts Current today. We are always willing and happy to help you get started!

How LED Technology Will Forever Change the World

by admin · Dec 18, 2020

During my time in the lighting industry, I’ve received countless questions about LED lights. What are they? How are they different from traditional light sources? How do they work? Why are they more expensive? And the list goes on…

This guide will teach you the ins and outs of LED lighting and how to use this innovative technology to your benefit. We’ll cover the very basics and some more advanced concepts, so buckle up and get ready to see how LED lighting could transform your home lighting!

1. Yes- They Use Electricity

Electricity is created by the flow of electrons from a positive end of a power source (such as a battery), through a conductor (usually copper wire), through the item that is being powered (in this case a lightbulb), and then back to the negative end of the power source. This is called an electrical circuit, because the electrons ultimately end up in the same place they started.

This method of transferring power applies to household appliances, cell phones, modern cars, and LED lights. With any of these devices, functionality depends on an unbroken circuit, and usually, a switch to control it.

2. They’re Not Like Incandescent Bulbs

Our idea of light bulbs stems mainly from the traditional incandescent bulb. Let’s imagine one like this image, which is a medium base, A-style lamp. The light bulb threads into a phenolic lamp socket, more commonly referred to simply as the “light bulb socket”. As the bulb is placed inside the socket, the lamp holder connection makes contact with the leads inside the socket. Turn the power on, and an electrical current flows through that connection to the tungsten filament, heating the metal and causing it to release energy in the form of light.

This heat energy inside the pressurized globe of the bulb creates the light that shines from incandescent bulbs. Most of them require roughly 40-100 watts to produce light, but this obviously depends on the brightness of the bulb. LED’s function quite differently, so let’s take a look at how an LED will react to the same electrical current.

3. They’re Built to Create More Light

LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. The science here is a little dense… But I’ll do my best to cover the basics. A light emitting diode is made by pressing three layers of semiconductor material together. These materials vary in composition depending on the application, but often include zinc and nitrogen (as opposed to tungsten carbide in incandescent bulbs).

When an electron enters the diode, it is charged with more energy than it originally had. This is called electronic excitement. While it is still inside the diode it passes through the diode’s layers and releases this excess energy in the form of light!

4. They Come in Infinite Shapes, Sizes, and Colors

Because of the way they are made, diodes come in practically any shape and size. They can be stretched out to look like a filament inside of a traditional glass light bulb or formed into a small square. Quantity of light also varies, and many LEDs use multiple diodes to produce even more light. It’s amazing technology—even in these various shapes and sizes, most LEDs also contain a transformer, or voltage regulator, inside the bulb or fixture to regulate their energy usage.

5. They Last a Long Time

One of LED’s many benefits is their long life. They last much longer than traditional bulbs because they don’t produce nearly as much heat as their more traditional counterparts. With LED lights, you can practically say goodbye to burnt out bulbs! This explains why their upfront cost is slightly more than older bulbs—with LEDs, you won’t be purchasing new ones very often, and the money you spend on the bulb is quickly recuperated in saved energy costs.

6. That’s Right—They Save You Money

As mentioned, the process of electronic excitement uses far less energy than heating the filament in a traditional bulb. In fact, an LED light bulb uses as little as 14% of the energy burned by an incandescent bulb! This means that by changing home light bulbs to LEDs, the average American will save over $1,000 in a 5-year span. If you have other types of lights in your home, such as halogen bulbs, you can save even more than that!

7. LEDs Maximize Existing Fixtures

Another overlooked benefit of LED bulbs is their ability to effectively exceed the maximum wattage of light fixtures. Sounds crazy, but it’s something you’ve probably thought about before! When a room in your home feels dingy or underlit, it’s probably not because the fixture is old or inadequate. More than likely, the bulbs simply aren’t providing enough light for the room.

Typical light fixtures can power a 60 watt incandescent bulb, but because LED bulbs are so much more efficient, that same fixture could power a 100 watt equivalent LED bulb! This provides much more light than the fixture could normally provide, and allows the flexibility to choose from various light colors. Not only will LEDs save you on your utility bill, but they can also save you from buying new fixtures.

8. The Sky Is the Limit!

Now that you’re an expert on LED lighting, start imagining the infinite ways they could light up your home! Because they are so small, they hide easily under kitchen cabinets or alongside a staircase to light up the steps. They could add a dramatic flair to a theatre room or simply update the recessed lighting in your home, providing a more consistent brightness. My favorite LED distributor, Alloy LED, provide a wide range of products for almost any lighting project, and they might spark some ideas for your home. And as always, we’re here for any of your lighting needs! Stay lit, my friends!