CasaSugar

Cool Idea: Stoneage Lighting

CasaSugar — Fri, 01 May 2009 05:30:01 -0700

Once you've decked out your patio or deck with an outdoor dining table and other furniture, it's time to make sure the space is well-lit. You could go the route of candles or standard light fixtures, OR you could go the route of earth-friendly LED lights . . . in your patio's stonework. Denmark-based company Stoneage Lighting ($100 and up) makes paving stones (cobblestones, flagstones, etc.) with built-in lights which are embedded with LED lights, 100 percent waterproof, "vandal-proof," "road-worthy," and energy-saving. The lights will be set directly into your driveway, walkway, or patio, so you can light up your living space from underneath. Since LEDs have a very long life and require little energy, there'll be no more changing bulbs or pricey electricity bills. And, you don't have to worry about hitting your streetlight when you're backing out the driveway - always a plus.

Casa Verde: Times Square Ball Lit by LEDs

CasaSugar — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:00:00 -0800

This year, when the Times Square Ball drops at 11:59 p.m. on New Year's Eve, it will be bigger than ever, at double the size of any other Ball in history, and nearly 12,000 pounds heavy. However, this ball, which is lit up by 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs, is also decidedly green: It only uses as much energy as two household ovens.

LEDs, or light emitting diodes, use much less power than traditional bulbs, and unlike CFLs, don't contain mercury. LEDs can last for years, and sometimes even decades. The LEDs on this year's Times Square Bulb will create 16 million colors and billions of patterns, while still achieving a 10 to 20 percent upgrade in energy efficiency, as compared to last year's ball.

In case you miss the ball drop, no worries: The new ball will reside above Times Square for public viewing from January through December of 2009.

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Cool Idea: Solar LED House Numbers

CasaSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 06:15:25 -0700

Considering how plugged in and geeked out our homes are these days, sometimes it baffles me that the simplest, often most crucial things aren't well-lit. Personally, I'm a big fan of motion-sensor lighting, so when you're walking toward your front (or back) door you won't trip and wind up falling flat on your back. But motion-sensor lighting doesn't help passersby who are trying to locate your crib. That's why I'm smitten with the Matter Inc. Solar LED House Numbers ($19.99). The solid aluminum fixture absorbs the sun's energy during the day to power two high output white LEDs for eight to 10 hours during the night, keeping your house numbers well-lit without draining the grid or your wallet. The laser-cut numbers are completely weather-resistant, too, which is a plus. Although I personally don't mind the modern, sans-serif shape of the numbers, I wish they were offered in a traditional serif to appeal to more homeowners. What do you think?

DIY: Mason Jar Garden Lights

CasaSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:00:52 -0700

Considering the prices of garden lights these days, I've been looking for a low-cost alternative. Lucky me, I found a DIY for temporary garden lights you can make from only LEDs, lithium coin cells, mason jars, and a little bit of tape. The lights will be temporary, until the battery runs out, but you can always refresh your battery supply just for about 30 cents each.
Supplies:

One ultrabright LED with a diffused lens per light
One CR2032 lithium coin cell per light
One mason jar per light
Tape, masking is fine

To learn the steps, read more.

Connect an LED directly across the terminals of the lithium coin cell, so the long lead goes to the positive (+) side of the battery.
Wrap it once with tape so the LED stays touching the battery cell.
Half-twist the LED 90 degrees from the battery cell so that it can bend that way and the two leads of the LED don't touch each other.
Tape the light to the inside of your mason jar lid.
Screw the lid on. Fini!

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DIY Inspiration: A Midsummer Night's Dream Light

CasaSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:15:48 -0700

Craftster reader FrouFrouFreak made this "Midsummer Night's Dream Light" from floral wire, electrical wire, newspaper, Mod Podge, paint, LED lights, and some craft store details like silk flowers, birds, and butterflies. I can't recall the last time I was floored by a DIY project, so this one definitely takes the cake! It's simply magical. It looks just as fabulous and fairy-tale like sparkling in the dark as it does turned off in broad daylight. I can honestly say I'd pay big money to own this (more than the Crave Worthy butterfly chandelier I recently posted), and feel inspired to take on a time-intensive DIY project of my own. Do you love it? Has it motivated you to put on your DIY hat?

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Love It or Hate It? Firefly LED Light

CasaSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:00:31 -0700

Fireflies do glow, but not as brightly as this Firefly Carcass LED Light, which designer Harry Allen created from a 3D printing of a firefly that he caught in his yard. Cool? Or kind of macabre?

Trend Alert: LED Candles

CasaSugar — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 09:51:52 -0700

Though you can by a pack of a gazillion tea lights at Ikea for like $3, votive candles come with their fair share of problems. Sure, they're cheap, but they have to be replaced constantly, creating waste, and of course there's that whole fire-hazard thing to consider.

Ever since I first stumbled upon the fabulous SunJar ($55), I've been intrigued by these LED candles showing up everywhere. The windproof lights flicker like real candles, so concealed behind glass, they create an effect similar to flame without the hassles. Some of them can even be "blown out." And because LED bulbs last forever, they're actually quite energy efficient. Check out the LED candles I've found by clicking on the photos below and let me know what you think.

Love It or Hate It? LED Balloon Lamp

CasaSugar — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 05:03:02 -0700

I'm a huge fan of energy-efficient lighting, so I was excited to see these LED balloon lamps posted on AT: SF ($30 for one, including shipping, available at designboom).

I would love to find a fanciful place for one of these in my home, but I have to wonder if the sustainability of LED lighting is seriously out of step with the disposability of the balloon that surrounds it.

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Nice and New: LED Forever Lights

CasaSugar — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:30:32 -0800

These Forever Lights ($18.95) do just that. Using LEDs, these holiday light strings have no filament to burn out and will last for about 200,000 hours. Even better, they use almost 80 percent less electricity than incandescent lights. If one bulb goes out (after about 20 years!), the rest stay lit. The Forever Lights can be hung both indoors and outdoors and are virtually unbreakable.

Cool Idea: Lighting the Dark Garden

CasaSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:00:58 -0800

I've been pretty bummed about the time change, since it's usually dark by the time I get home from work. This means that any outdoor chores, gardening work, or frolicking with the dogs is done in near pitch black, or lit from sharp, glaring porch lights.

Kathy LaLiberte, director of gardening at my favorite gardening store, Gardeners Supply Company, has come up with a pretty solution to combat the darkness. Besides using solar lights along pathways, she's also indulged her inner artist with a cool project.

She writes:

Last Fall we came up with a combination art project/all-season, outdoor lighting solution. We made an orb with two rusted steel bands from an old whiskey barrel planter. They're held together at the top with a rusted-iron hose guide, which fits into a metal pipe that anchors the whole thing to a cedar post. Around the center of the pipe I wove a loose ball of wild grape vines. Then I stuffed the ball with a 24-foot string of small LED lights (these are the warm white ones - I don't like the cool blue lights).

How do you light your yard or garden after the clocks fall back?