Bright Ideas: The Most Ridiculous Ways People Have Tried to Light Their Homes

Picture of by David Pogue
by David Pogue
Bright Ideas

Their importance in our houses cannot be overstated; they determine the atmosphere, beautify the house, and most importantly, provide visibility. Nevertheless, in some instances, creativity can exceed reasonable limits leading to strange and impractical ways of lighting. This article wants to examine some of the most ridiculous techniques employed by individuals to light their houses. From extreme DIY attempts to odd design decisions, these cases show that sticking to basics is sometimes the most sensible thing to do.

1. The Ceiling Full of Christmas Lights

Who says Christmas lights are just for the holidays? People have taken it to another level by clustering Christmas lights all over the ceiling. Although this may sound like a fantastic, shimmering fairyland, in reality, it is sometimes a snarl of cables and lack of uniform illumination.

In addition to that, the blink of an eye could cause more headaches than anything else. While for example, one might think that such kind of ambient lighting is appealing in the beginning, it soon gets tedious and difficult to manage.

Why It’s Ridiculous: The Christmas lights are intended to be used for a limited period only. When they remain latently installed throughout the year, they appear outlandish and can lead to fire outbreaks.

2. The DIY Lava Lamp Chandelier

In the ’60s and ’70s, lava lamps were all the rage; some people never got tired of nostalgia. But one creative soul decided that one lava lamp wasn’t enough—instead, they crafted an entire chandelier out of multiple lava lamps.

Sounds cool in theory, but the practical application was terrible. The lamps hanging at different heights produced an odd, disconnected effect while slow bubbles of different colors did not generate any comforting effect as such.

Why It’s Ridiculous: Lava lamps are exactly what we need to give it life, they add color and energy. However, when converted into chandeliers, they may be impractical as well as dizzying because of their excessive lighting.

3. The Mason Jar Obsession

Though their modernity and popularity comparatively imply familiarity with them over time, one fact that stands out about any amount of time spent just looking at these jars is how they have become an affordable DIY product as well as decoration in many houses or even offices where such jars are usually more than just food containers.

Such an arrangement might be nice for a single mason jar lamp; however, if you are in for an entire room full of them then brace yourself because it can make your house appear like one such Pinterest board – but a tacky one! The type of light produced by these lamps tends to not only be dim but also uneven thereby making it resemble more of a store room rather than home sweet home.

For those who want a more practical approach, LED lighting for shelves offers a sleek and modern alternative that adds both functionality and style without overwhelming the room.

Why It’s Ridiculous: Using too much of one design feature, for example, mason jars, is likely to start seeming kitschy rather than charming in a flash. A key to proper illumination is ensuring variety.

4. The Minimalist’s Single Bulb

Minimalism encompasses simplicity and utility, but some have pushed it to extremes with their residential lighting designs that consist only of a hanging light bulb from the ceiling. 

The absence of lamps, shades, or decorations highly defines minimalist styles, sometimes leaving those homes looking empty or incomplete. This could be a hallmark of modern architecture; however, this style may appear tacky more often than not. A bare bulb casts unhallowed light; hence it is not flattering at all as there are no decorations to diffuse its glare over the room.

Why It’s Ridiculous: A naked bulb impacts minimally on any decor or relaxation. It would be like placing a mattress directly on the ground and then trying to convince someone that it is a fancy bedroom set.

5. The Overly Themed Light Fixtures

Themed decorations can usually be so much fun, especially for lighting purposes – except that when lighting is concerned, this can easily go out of hand. A good example is the pirate ship chandelier and cacti-shaped floor lamp. While these may be suitable in a themed room or kids’ playroom, it would be inappropriate to use them as primary light sources in the lounge or kitchen.

They become too common too fast, and something that initially appeared funny and original may lose its dignity, making it look childlike and unsuitable.

Instead of going overboard with themed lights, consider something more versatile like shelf lighting. It’s functional and subtle, adding a warm glow to your space without dominating the decor.

Why It’s Ridiculous: Inadequate lighting may appear cheap and ugly, but it is not. The space may look interesting at first glance, but it fails to meet our needs when using it daily.

6. The Bathtub as a Light Source

Absolutely! An individual tried inventing a chandelier from a tub. A glowing and sleek effect was achieved by putting LED lights beneath it disguised with transparent acrylic material. In terms of comfort and romance, think no more as this faux environment makes it hard for anyone to nap.

However, it proved chaotic as illumination was either too low for any increase in brightness or too much light could irritate sensitive skin when taking showers. Additionally, for fear of electrical shocks, one has to provide continuous care for the whole installation to protect the electronic devices from getting wet thereby preventing their breakdowns.

Why It’s Ridiculous: It is never advisable to mix water with electricity. The hazards greatly exceed the advantages, plus the outcome looks like a toy instead of a real illumination method.

7. The Glow-in-the-Dark Paint Craze

Over time, glow-in-the-dark paint has established itself in some special places like kids’ bedrooms and Halloween decorations but other individuals have gone far enough to make this type of color their only light source. Often any application made through painting entire walls or some minor decorations seems generally not impressive.

Nonetheless, an illumination turned out to be very dim when needed and then once the surprise is over one would simply stare at a room that appears strange during the day but has little light at night.

Why It’s Ridiculous: Glow-in-the-dark paint is more like a fun gimmick than a serious lighting option. It cannot produce enough light for use in daily life, and it tends to look weird during the day.

Final Views

The design of a home can never be complete without proper lighting although there are instances when one can get passionate about it, as illustrated by these instances. Creativity is often praised but moderation should accompany it since too much of anything is bad. Consider before entering into any wild lighting project if it would actually enhance your space or just create additional challenges that you do not need. A simpler way leads to comfortability and beauty in the house sometimes like keeping within limits or even normal shapes.

Also Read: Eight Sleep: Transforming Rest with Innovative Sleep Tech

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