In March 2013 REACH traveled to Potrero Platenal, a rural Nicaraguan community to install solar panels and Elemental LED lights in an off-grid school, providing badly needed electricity 24 hours/day and a clean, renewable source of power. This project was in partnership with local nonprofit, Power to the People.

Spring is here and whether you’re into DIY projects big or small, there’s no better time to get started on something than during this season of newness and growth.

Nothing says spring to me more than flowers, and so first I’ll share a large, inspiring public project: a stunning LED light display put together by BWArchitects for the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival.

Not only is the front of the New York City courthouse lit up in color changing LED wall washers, but 1600 LED flowers, made by attaching individual diodes to different lengths of flexible metal wire, are planted on the steps leading up to it. The LED lights are wrapped in thin, translucent paper, and wave in the wind like a real meadow full of blooms.

But even if your house doesn’t have a staircase or foyer as large as the New York City courthouse, you can still create a great spring-themed project to light up you home.

Here are a couple of my favorites:

Turn a cactus or succulent into an outdoor lighting fixture by draping it in flexible waterproof LED strip light and plugging it into a nearby outlet. This particular image is actually a paper mache cactus sculpture lit up in LED string lights, the instructions for which you can get here. But I don’t see why you couldn’t just add lights to an existing cactus if you had one.

If you know how to crochet, why not do so around a length of indoor flexible LED strip light? The rug could be as big or small as you like and plug into the nearest outlet! You could even use it camping if the wattage was low enough and you brought along a battery. What a fun idea! And if you don’t know how to crochet, it’s never too late to learn.

And instead of spending lots of money on illuminated planters, you can highlight your spring garden outside by wrapping the bases of your pots and planters in flexible waterproof LED strip lights. The adhesive backing will affix to nearly any surface, and you can plug them in to the nearest outlet using an LED light bar cable adapter and a 12V DC plug in adapter.

What other spring DIY LED projects can you think of? We’d love to hear about them!

Thanks to The Creator’s Project , Brit Co and Plant Containers Shop for the images.

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Mother’s Day is this Sunday, and I can’t think of anyone more deserving of a little TLC and QT than my mom—or anyone’s mom, for that matter. I’ll be spending the day with mine, going to a museum, a movie and lunch. I’m excited to light up her day the way she’s lit up my life. With that in mind, I’ve found three innovative LED lighting fixtures that symbolize three important parts of my mom’s personality. And if you’re still struggling to find a gift for your mother, I think any of these would make a nice choice.

Fabio Servolo Drip LED Lamp: Because My Mom is a Treehugger

My mom cared about the environment before caring about the environment was even a thing. Living in California, it’s very important to conserve water. That’s one of the first things I learned from her: to turn off the tap when you’re not using it, no matter the inconvenience. And that’s why I love this LED lamp by Fabio Servolo. It’s shaped like a faucet, with a small LED bulb that lights up with the twist of a handle, similar to how you would turn water on and off at the sink. Servolo came up with the idea as a way to remind people that electricity, like water, is a precious resource, and we should conserve both as much as possible. Plus, it makes for a pretty darn cute desk lamp, don’t you think?

Bocci’s Hanging LED Planter Lamps: Because My Mom Has a Green Thumb

If you can’t find my mom, it’s usually because she’s outside, digging in the ground. Go hiking with her, and you’ll be sure to become informed on what nearly every plant along the way is called, and what it might be used for. My mom loves pretty much anything that grows in the ground, and so I can’t imagine her not loving this quirky suspended lighting system, designed by Omer Arbel for Bocci’s Collection 38. Each globe is hand blown from recycled glass and contains several nooks and crannies. Some hold succulents and small plants, others hold LED lighting elements, while copper tubing conceals the wiring. And I’m guessing since LED lights don’t get particularly hot, the plants are safe from heat damage.

Blackbody’s OLED Lamps Because My Mom is an Artist

Finally, my mom is an incredible aesthete. Her eye for color and design, not to mention her artistic prowess in everything from painting to sculpting and mixed media is pretty spectacular. And so these customizable lamps, which premiered at Euroluce during Milan’s Design Week by Blackbody, seem like a good fit. Blackbody uses OLEDs to create a range of light fixtures that are completely unique, not to mention recyclable, personal and customizable. They stand out from the crowd, just like my mom.

Here’s hoping you all have a great day appreciating the one woman we all wouldn’t be here without! Happy Mother’s Day!

Thanks to Inhabitat for the images.

Alright folks, so this is exciting. The Elemental LED Lighten Up Design Contest, run by our lovely partners at Inhabitat.com, received almost 200 incredible submissions. The top 30 finalists have been chosen, and now its time (by Friday, May 10^th) to vote for your favorite submission. Submissions ranged from sleek, modern home lighting projects to interactive commercial art installations. Only two of the 30 finalists can win, and the prize is a $1000 gift certificate to purchase Elemental LED products. Here are a few of my top picks:

Cosmic Quilt by The Principals

Created by NY-based design firm The Principals in conjunction with students from the Art Institute of New York, Cosmic Quilt is an interactive installation that responds to viewers presence and movements, thanks to motion sensors and motors. Flexible LED strip lights embedded into the ceiling installation light it from within, creating an overhead, sky-like environment that is as captivating as the clouds we used to watch roll across the sky as children.

Glow Tables by Michael Carpenter

Simple, elegant and industrial-chic, these tables are understated yet stunning. Embedded with LED accent lights controlled by a 12V dimmer switch, they play two roles: coffee table and mood-enhancing lighting fixture. I especially like these tables because I could envision creating a similar design in my own garage as a fun DIY project!

Studio Swine Bottle Bulbs

And here’s a great repurposing product that’s functional, creative and eco friendly! These bulbs are made by re-blowing glass beer bottles into fun shapes, The ends are then fitted with brass screw bases, which hold a rod wrapped in super bright LED strip light. The resulting light fixtures range from funky hanging chandeliers to single bulbs you can screw into an existing lamp. Another plus is that reblowing the bottles saves more energy than conventional recycling… what a responsible repurposing idea!

Which submissions are your favorites? Be sure to vote by Friday May 10^th, and stay tuned for the 2 winners to be announced shortly after!

Thanks to Inhabitat for the images.

Here’s a great mother’s day gift idea everyone! I don’t care if you’re GI Jane, Jennifer Lopez, or Marilyn Manson, sometimes you just need to get your nails did. But in this economy, it can be tough to justify spending any amount of money on manicures and pedicures. Thankfully, it turns out that with the right tools, you can get salon results in your own home. Sure, you may not enjoy an hour in a massage chair or perusing shelves upon shelves of trashy magazines, but you can rest assured you’ll come away with nails to match your still-full pocketbook. Here’s how:

One thing that makes salon manicures and pedicures so shiny and long lasting are the UV lights used at the end of the process to dry the nails. Low and brief exposure to UV lights helps most nail polishes (including traditional, shellac and gel) to dry quickly, emit unmistakable luster, and harden against chips and damage. With Elemental LED’s Flexible Ultraviolet LED Strip light, you can create your own nail drying station at home in a few easy steps. Under a cabinet in your bathroom might be a good location. Simply affix UV strip to the underside of a cabinet and connect it to a wall outlet using the strip light DC plug connector and 12V adapter. Or if you want to make a portable nail drying station, you can attach your strip light to a length of sanded and painted wood.

Remember the basics of achieving a beautiful manicure. Soak, massage and lotion your hands and nails before trimming, filing and buffing them. Then apply a base coat of clear polish, two coats of colored polish and a top coat to protect and harden the colored polish. Finally, let your nails dry for a few minutes underneath the UV light and you’ll have salon-quality nails without breaking the bank!

Thanks to She Said Beauty and Cinco Diva for the images

Link-n-Hops is a locally owned LA restaurant founded on a delicious concept: gourmet sausages (with plenty of vegetarian options) paired with hand crafted beers from around the world. The menu is relatively simple: you pick your sausage, toppings, order some fries and a brew to match, and you’re pretty much done. With such a simple idea and a struggling restaurant industry, one might think Link-n-Hops is doomed. But on a recent visit there I realized it’s just the opposite. The place is always packed, and for good reason: it’s affordable, tasty and hip without being snobby.

One thing that helps to achieve this aesthetic are the color-changing LED strip lights installed on the wall that holds the beer taps. The lights provide a welcome, contemporary pop of color in an establishment that otherwise boasts an “industrial-chic” vibe: exposed brick, chalkboard paint, and high, distressed wood beam ceilings. “These under cabinet lights have served us really well,” says the owner of Link-n-Hops, Andy Hasroun. “They were easy to install and change color by pressing a button. That comes in handy on big nights when we have a street fair or something going on outside.”

The lights also help to highlight the array of taps behind the bar, emphasizing the restaurant’s simple but effective business model. “They’re low voltage, so they add a lot of pizzazz without being expensive,” adds Hasroun.

“Atwater has changed a lot over the last seven years, and we’re proud to be a part of its revitalization,” Hasroun says of the small, East LA community in which Link-n-Hops, and Hasroun’s other business, 55 Degree Wine, are located. And judging by the public’s response, I’d say they’re pretty happy to have him, too.

If you want to revamp or beautify your small business like Hasroun, be sure to check our Elemental LED’s selection of color changing strip lights.

Thanks to KCET for the second image

Whether you’re a novice rider or a patch holder in the local Mother Club, you can’t deny that LED lights are making waves in the motorcycle industry. Thanks to both technological innovations as well as decorative appeal, designers and DIY enthusiasts alike are adding LEDs to motorcycles in applications ranging from headlights to ground effects. For those of us who live in the United States, we’ve only experienced the tip of the iceberg, since government regulations have kept many LED advances under wraps on American soil. “Some of the brightest new technology for vehicles involves lighting, such as high-intensity LED headlights, but lagging regulatory approval is leaving U.S. drivers in the dark,” says a USA Today article published last month.

But not all is lost. 12V LED lights have never been easier to install, which means you can take matters into your own hands and pimp your ride in a few easy steps. To discuss motorcycle lighting trends, as well as some very interesting developments in the DIY sector, I spoke with Ryan Bone, the central district sales manager for BMW’s motorcycle division.

Aside from a few exceptions, BMW is prohibited from manufacturing stock motorcycles that incorporate LED headlights and turn signals. “BMW just came out with the 2013 R1200 GS water-cooled bike two months ago, which offers an LED headlight option for the first time ever on any motorcycle,” says Bone. “The main reason we can’t sell LEDs on most motorcycles is that the US Department of Transportation has certain stipulations regarding how much surface area a particular headlight needs to have in order to be compliant in the US,” he explains. These regulations also apply to decorative LED lights, and for that reason, Bone asserts that custom lighting applications for motorcycles are a growing DIY trend, especially in the sport bike segment. “The sport bike demographic is very interested in any customization that will set their bike apart from a factory motorcycle: graphics, colors, lighting, wind screens and ground effects to name a few,” says Bone. And when it comes to lighting, Bone finds that the benefits of LED technology far surpass other lighting options.

–“In terms of headlights, LEDs are great because the color spectrum they emit is similar to sunlight, so it’s less tiring on the eyes at night. Riders have better reaction time and increased safety when riding at night with less fatigue on their eyes,” says Bone. “Also, the light is projected through a glass lens, which creates fewer color fringes.”

–“LED lights run forever, while halogens have to be replaced fairly often,” says Bone.

–“LED lights allow for more design capabilities. The standard halogen you can only put in one configuration, while LEDs you can put in any configuration. They allow for more creativity from a manufacturing and design standpoint,” says Bone.

Indeed, Elemental LED’s waterproof, low voltage strip lights allow for all types of decorative lighting effects, and maximum creative freedom. Use the waterproof color-changing LED strip light, a compact RGB color controller and a portable 12V power supply, for instance, to create stunning, high density ground effects underneath your bike in an array of colors. You can use the same fixtures as accent lights, or around your speakers to highlight your sound system. While some DIY lighting installers use the motorcycle’s own 12V battery to power accent lighting, many do not recommend this, as the large surge of power that the engine battery creates might short-circuit the lights. Using a small, portable and rechargeable battery to power your lights is a safer option.

Be sure to check your state laws before installing LED lights on your motorcycle, however. Though many motorcyclists feel that decorative lights actually keep them safer and more visible to other drivers and riders, “Some states argue that these [kinds of] modifications are distracting and lead to accidents. Others are concerned that, depending upon the color and placement of the LEDs, the lights could cause conventional vehicles to be confused with public safety vehicles at night. Most states have laws prohibiting the use of flashing, spinning, or stroboscopic lighting. Some states prohibit the use of specific colors of lights, such as blue, whether they flash or are lit continuously. All states generally prohibit the use of red lights anywhere except the rear of the vehicle.” (Via LED inside.)

Have you already pimped your ride? Be sure to send us pictures and let us know how the project turned out. Until then, happy riding everyone!

Thanks to Kawasaka Ninja and Auto Evolution for the images

It’s Earth Week, so what better time to be reminded of all the fun ways we can reuse common household items to create fun, stylish light fixtures? Following are some of my favorite reuse ideas for DIY lighting projects, and how you might create a similar fixture using Elemental LED products.

Cassette Tape Lamps

Created by Ooomydesign, these retro lamps are made using old cassette tapes: you know you’ve got plenty of them hidden somewhere in your garage, right? You might also have an old lamp post in there. All you would need then is an LED light bulb like Elemental LED’s Tess LED Light Bulb, which screws into a standard E26 base. Then you could create your cassette tape lampshade by firmly tying cassette tapes together to form a cube around the bulb. Maybe you could even use old shoelaces for that part to double up on your recycling power! Even if you decide to try your hand at creating your own version of these lamps, be sure to check out Ooomydesign Studio anyway, as it’s home to lots of cool, custom products.

Cheese Grater Lamp

A little cord, Elemental LED’s Super Bright LED Module Light and that extra cheese grater that’s been taking up space in your cupboards can be combined to create a hanging light fixture, not to mention some really cool shadows on the wall!

Aluminum Can Lantern

And finally, here’s one that’s been done with candles, but might be possible (and more permanent) with Elemental LED’s Super Bright LED Module Lights. Just follow the instructions above, and insert a module light instead of a candle, and then punch a hole in the bottom of the tin to allow the cord to pass through. You could even hang several of these outside, since the module light is water resistant. Just be careful since the aluminum will be sharp when it’s cut!

Happy Earth Week everyone!

Thanks to Ooomydesign, EMA and Pointless Pretty Things for the images.

When you’re having a rough day, sometimes the only thing that will help is a little comfort in the form of sugar, flour and butter. I know you know what I’m talking about.

Luckily, Sweets for the Soul is located only a few blocks from my house in Atwater Village, Los Angeles, so I’m never too far from a pick me up.

Founded by Lilly LaBonge four years ago, these confections definitely nourish the soul, from rich chocolate brownies to my favorite, salted caramel candies.

Though LaBonge admits that it’s not always easy keeping a small business afloat in a tough economy, she says small changes can help. “I create an expensive product because I use organic ingredients and high quality chocolate. I also believe in buying as much USA-made products as possible, so that’s not always cost efficient. But four years into running this business, I also have come to realize that cutting costs where you can is essential for staying open.”

Following are some of LaBonge’s tips for saving money as a small business owner.

 

 

1) Energy Efficient Lighting: LaBonge installed LED lighting in the front of her store similar to Elemental LED’s Super Bright Module Lights “because the City of Los Angeles required low voltage lighting for us to open shop. I thought I would replace it after we opened, but it turns out its bright, stays cool and saves me money. I’m happy with it,” she says.

2) “Energy efficient windows will also help keep costs down because you won’t have to use your air conditioning as much,” says LaBonge.

3) Location, location location! “Make sure you’re in a location with heavy foot traffic; if customers can’t fine you, it doesn’t matter how great your product is,” says LaBonge.

Sweets for the Soul won “Best Brownies” in 2010 for Los Angeles Magazine‘s Best of LA competition; if you’re ever in the area, be sure to stop by and try them out! You won’t be disappointed.