TIPS 7 Unique and Creative Lighting Solutions

What are your thoughts on overhead lighting?

Are you team table lamp?

Or team overhead lighting?

(Or if you live in Texas, overhead lighting with a ceiling fan).

As for me and my house? We are not really about anything that shines light from above. In my house, overhead lights cast weird shadows and make my skin (and my rooms) look completely uncute.

But you know what I am about?

Lights that solve problems.

And in amazing news?

Every year I discover more. Like yesterday—I solved a problem with lighting in the living room. See that fiddle leaf fig in the corner? It’s all lit up now without any plugs.

See how I solved it (along with all my other lighting solutions) here.

A close-up photo of a small, round black device with a protruding metallic nozzle on top, resting on a glass surface with a gold-colored edge. The background shows a blurred black and white patterned surface.A small rectangular remote control with weather-related symbols on a wooden surface. Buttons include 50%, 100%, a sun, a thermometer, a clock with 1H, a clock with 2H, and ON/OFF. The remote is primarily white with a grey button area.

An overhead view of a cylindrical black object, possibly a camera lens or a speaker, with a small metallic component in the center that has a mesh or grid pattern. The background is blurred and appears to be a patterned surface in shades of gray and white.

// this mini spotlight //

1. This mini spotlight

Isn’t this the most brilliant solution?

It’s a mini spotlight that operates off a remote (or you can just turn it on with the click of a button) and 3 AA batteries.

There’s a timer so you can set it for a certain time period.

The spotlight is adjustable.

A cozy living room corner with a large fiddle leaf fig tree in a woven basket pot placed on dark hardwood flooring. The corner features a white armchair with blue and white patterned upholstery, blue patterned curtains, and a framed map on the wall.

A tall indoor plant with large green leaves is placed next to a window with patterned blue and white curtains. The plant is in a woven basket, and soft sunlight illuminates parts of the leaves. A framed picture hangs on the white wall behind the plant.

I took it and added it to the base of the fiddle leaf fig.

And this is what it looks like when the sun goes down.

Isn’t going to be perfect for fall?

It’s like instant drama and cozy.

You can see the mini spotlight here.

A six-pack of 60w equivalent led light bulbs with adjustable color temperature settings sits on a white table, with a blurred background featuring a vase of pink tulips and elegantly furnished room.

// set of lightbulbs //

2. These lightbulbs that change hue

These lightbulbs are kind of next level. They come in a set of six and each lightbulb has five different settings.

You can see the lightbulbs here.

I was a little skeptical at first.

I’d heard about these lightbulbs before, but I wanted to see for myself how they worked.

And then?

So I ordered them and shared them with all of you and the emails I got about the lightbulbs were amazing. Here’s just one that I got from a sweet reader named Lisa:

“I got my bulbs today and immediately open the box to try them in a lamp. 

I love love, love them!!!! 

Yes, I wish I would’ve known about them long ago! 
I don’t like the harsh cold look of the “cool” LED bulbs.
My husband doesn’t like the soft white because it’s not bright enough. 
So we can find a happy medium for us both with this one bulb. 
Plus, we can use it all over the house and not have so many different bulbs to store. 
Definite game changer!!!
Thanks so much for letting us know about it! “

So how do the lightbulbs work?

I am so glad you asked.

A close-up of a person's hand holding a white led light bulb with a blurred background.

// set of lightbulbs //

Here’s a close-up of the switch on the lightbulb.

There are five different settings.

And all you have to do to change the light in the room is switch it from one setting to another.

A cozy corner in a room featuring a vintage white sideboard adorned with a pair of elegant white table lamps and a bouquet of white flowers, accompanied by a geometric gold-framed mirror on a dark blue wall, complemented by framed botanical art and a peek of striped upholstered chairs.

Here’s the buffet in the dining room.

There are two table lamps on the buffet that I turn on every morning when I wake up the house.

This is what the space looks like with the lamps off.

Let me show you the exact space with the exact angle so you can see the difference in the lighting.

(total aside: when you are in the room the lighting difference is even more pronounced—sometimes it’s hard to capture the difference in a photograph.)

An elegantly designed room featuring navy blue walls, a vintage white distressed sideboard with matching table lamps, a decorative mirror above, and chic striped and tufted seating accents.

Here’s the “Bright White” setting.

An elegant interior setting showcasing a vintage white sideboard accented with chic table lamps, a decorative mirror, and artwork against a deep blue wall.

Here’s the “Soft White” setting.

A chic and cozy corner featuring a distressed white console table adorned with twin table lamps, complementing the dark navy walls and the vintage-style mirror above it, while a striped armchair and a white chair with a blue cushion add to the room's sophisticated nautical charm.

Here’s the “Cool White” setting.

An elegant interior setup featuring a vintage white distressed sideboard with matching lamps, a decorative mirror, and wall-mounted artwork, all complemented by dark blue walls and subtle nautical accents.

Here’s the “Daylight” setting.

An elegant coastal-themed entryway featuring a distressed white console table flanked by two white lamps, topped with a gold-framed mirror, against a navy blue wall, accompanied by a striped armchair and decorative marine-inspired artwork.

Here’s the “Cool Daylight” setting.

Can you even believe it?

What a lightbulb.

You can see it here.

lighting hacks back porch

// set of lightbulbs //

3. Dusk-to-dawn lightbulbs

I have mentioned these so many times before, but I’m going to keep sharing because they have changed my life. We have two lights on either side of the front door.

They are amazing and illuminate the front porch and make it so warm and welcoming at night.

The challenge?

I’d forget to turn them on at night and I’d come home to a dark porch or I’d forget to turn them off in the morning and they’d stay on all day and waste electricity. I tried a couple of solutions—motion lights, or lights with dusk-to-dawn settings, but none of them worked that well.

Until.

Until I found these dusk-to-dawn lightbulbs. They are one of my favorite finds EVER and the perfect lighting hack. You just screw them into the lights, turn the lights on and they automatically come on when it gets dark in the evening and turn off in the morning when it gets light. I’ve had this set for over a year and a half and they’ve never let me down yet. One quick tip—I like the warm white lightbulb instead of daylight. It’s just a prettier light.

You can see the dusk-to-dawn lightbulbs here.

On the back porch, we have an overhead light.

Since they worked so well on the front porch, I ordered them for the back porch, too.

This light has chandelier bulbs, so I ordered dusk-to-dawn lightbulbs in chandelier bulbs.

Again, I would totally recommend getting soft white instead of daylight. The light is so much prettier.

You can see the chandelier dusk-to-dawn lightbulbs here.

A box of TOOWELL motion sensor ceiling lights sitting on a wooden table. The box displays two round ceiling lights and mentions it is a 2 pack. Text on the box reads "TOOWELL Motion Sensor Ceiling Light." The background shows part of a room setting.

Two women are standing in a doorway, laughing and smiling. One has long blonde hair and is wearing a white shirt and green checkered shorts. The other has long hair, wearing a black shirt, blue shorts, and a cap worn backward. The background appears to be a small room.

// battery operated motion sensor light //

4. How To Light a Closet Without Wiring

I did a little wireless light research for the closet under the stairs and found this.

The solution to end all solutions.

This set of motion sensor ceiling lights.

You can see the light here.

A round, white, and blue LED ceiling light fixture with a sleek, modern design is placed on a wooden surface. The light has a motion sensor and a small rectangular label on its edge.

// battery operated motion sensor light //

A white circular device on a wooden table with its cover removed, showing four installed Rayovac High Energy batteries and one additional battery outside the device. The device has slots to hold the batteries in place.

A hand holding a blue-tipped pen-like object over a circular white and blue device on a wooden floor. The device has a glossy, semi-transparent top surface with a small vent and switch. To the right is a blue mat with white cloud-like shapes.

// battery operated motion sensor light //

Yep.

That’s it.

All you need are batteries and to peel the covering off the light fixture. Hang up the light and it’s ready to go.

Now when you open the door, the light comes on automatically and you can see exactly where everything is in the closet.

It’s seriously the BEST solution ever.

5. Lamp timers

One of my favorite lighting hacks?

Putting lamps on timers is one of the easiest ways to create a warm and welcoming space whenever you enter a room in the morning.

These are the timers that we use.

A couple of quick tips for timers like these. You want to see how many prongs your outlets accommodate. We live in an older home, so some of our outlets have two prongs and some of the outlets have three prongs.

The timers are so easy to use. All you do to set the timer is adjust the dial for when you want them to turn on.

Here are the three-prong timers we use.

Here are the two-prong timers we use.

6. These battery-operated candles

This set of real wax faux flickering candles.

They are the prettiest lighting hack. They have a swirled pattern with real wax (that looks and feels so real) and the flame flickers and looks so real.

The candles come in different colors, but the living room is blue and white so I ordered them in white. I love that the white is a true pretty white (I’ve ordered others that were a little creamier and I like the bright white for the holidays).

They are battery-operated and have a remote and you can set a timer with them and you can also adjust the flame to have it flicker more or less.

Me?

I like my candles with extra flicker.

Each candle operates on 2 AAA batteries. You can use the remote or simply switch them off and on at the end of the candle.

And in amazing news?

The candles fit perfectly in standard candlesticks.

Sigh.

LET’S GO.

You can see the candles here.

A brass table lamp with a white pleated lampshade sits on a wooden table covered with a blue and white polka dot placemat. In the background, there's a colorful floral painting and blue geometric patterned curtains.

// battery-operated lamp // polka dot desk blotter //

7. This rechargeable table lamp

It’s the BEST problem solver.

The challenge with this desk is that if you want to add a lamp to the top, there are cords everywhere that have to wrap around the desk to plug in to the outlet in the back. And then when you want to sit at the desk you have to remember that there are cords there.

Yikes.

I’ve tried several lamps and just gave up.

No hope.

No lighting.

A white pleated lampshade sits atop a brass lamp base against a backdrop of a blurred blue and white patterned curtain. The scene includes hints of a floral arrangement in the top left corner, giving the room a cozy and elegant ambiance.

A brass lamp stand is positioned on a wooden surface. In the background, a blue placemat with white polka dots is visible.

// battery-operated lamp // polka dot desk blotter // artichoke candle holder //

And then? I found this battery-operated lamp.

It comes with the shade and you charge it and then it comes on with the push of a button.

I use a portable charger to charge it once a week.

That’s it.

The light is pretty bright for a lamp of this size and the finish looks so high-end and it’s on sale right now for 40% off.

You can see the lamp here.

That’s it.

Seven easy clever lighting solutions designed to make your life easier.

Have you tried any of these before?

I’m sure you have because you are brilliant….

…just like your lights and your light bulbs.

disclosure: affiliate links are used in this post.

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Posted On: August 14, 2024

Written By: KariAnne Wood

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