Whether you are framing a favorite photograph or an original canvas painting, the use of LED light strips can bring the art within the frame to life.  This guide will share step by step instructions to construct a simple but modern art frame that is complemented by the integration of LED light strips.
 
Before getting started, here is a list of materials needed for this project:

1 x 3 x 8 pine furring strip - $2*
2 x 2 x 8 furring strip - $2*
Brad nails and construction adhesive - $6
LED lighting kit(s) - $46
1/8th in. glass pane - $4 (optional)
 
*quantity of furring strips will vary with size of frame.  This material list is for the construction of one 18” x 24” frame

 Total Cost:   $60

Begin building the frame by cutting down the furring strips to size.  You will want to do this using a miter block and a fine blade hacksaw to make accurate cuts on a 45 degree angle.  If you happen to have your own woodshop, there are a
number of other ways to make these cuts.  Take the 1 x 3 x 8 strip and cut (2) 18 inch strips and (2) 20 inch strips.  Measurements are to be made to the shorter edge of the miter cut.  Cut the 2 x 2 x 8 strip into (2) 17 inch strips and (2) 23 inch strips.  The diagram below will show how to layout these pieces.

Glue each frame together with a few dabs of construction adhesive in the 45 degree joints.

 You will notice that the one frame is slightly smaller than the other.  Place the larger frame with thinner strips directly on top of the smaller frame.  The inner frame should offset 1 inch below.  This is where the photo or canvas frame will sit.  
 
Join the two frames together with a few brad nails and soild bead of construction adhesive.

Now is the best time to install the LED strip lighting kit.  The LED light strips will sit on the outside edge of the 2 x 2 frame, right behind the thinner front frame.  The 1 inch reveal of the outer frame leaves plenty of room to hide mounting hardware and link cables.

Use the provided hardware in your LED lighting kit to mount the strips and connect the links to the power supply.  Ideally you would have an outlet directly behind the art frame.  If this is not the case run the cord straight to the nearest outlet.  You can also consider drilling a small hole in the drywall behind your frame and fishing the power supply cord from the nearest outlet to the frame.

Adding the art to the frame will vary depending on what you are framing. If it is an 18 x 24 art canvas, set the art into the frame and attach with double sided tape.  Reinforce the bond by screwing or nailing from the back furring strip into the wood that the canvas is
wrapped around.

 If mounting an 18 x 24 photograph; lay 18 x 24 piece of cardboard into the frame, followed by the photograph, and an piece of glass cut to size. The piece of glass, cut to size, can be obtained from a hardware store for a small cost.  Secure the glass with a carefully placed bead of silicone, or, for a more professional look, use a think quarter round tack strip painted to match your frame.  This can be obtained from a craft or frame store.

Federal energy initiatives push to inform the public on different lighting options for their homes and businesses.  The recent implementation of the Lighting Facts product label is possibly the epitome of this energy efficient lighting movement, as lawmakers continue to try to outlaw incandescent light bulbs.  One of the most important metrics on the Lighting Facts label is brightness.  Appropriately listed first on the lighting facts label, its purpose is to guide the consumers to making the correct purchase for their home based on sound principles.

For years, homeowners bought light bulbs based on their watt rating; with the understanding that the more watts that the light bulb was rated, the brighter it would be.  The truth is the relationship between watts and brightness of light output is rather indirect.  A watt is a unit of power, or energy consumed by the light source. A watt rating, as indicated on the traditional incandescent light bulb and on the lighting facts label, represents the amount of watts consumed by the light bulb in one hour of use.  If consumers want to buy a light bulb that will emit a certain level of  brightness, then they should buy a light bulb based on its rating of lumens. 

With so many alternative lighting options available today and the anticipated incandescent lighting ban, consumers must become familiar with basing their lighting decisions on lumens. The most common lighting alternatives to traditional incandescent lighting are compact fluorescent light (CFL) and light emitting diode (LED) light bulbs.  These forms of lighting technology actually use fewer watts (power) to produce equivalent amounts of lumens (brightness) as compared to incandescent light bulbs.  This is the lighting watt paradox.  A light bulb that uses fewer watts should be more desirable as long as it produces a sufficient amount of lumens.  This relationship fundamentally describes energy efficient lighting. 
A light bulb that produces more lumens using fewer watts is more energy efficient.  Mathematically, the proportion of lumens to watts consumed is actually an industry standard measurement referred to as a light bulb’s efficacy. 
Many building codes and regulations of energy efficiency have adopted this metric to mandate that homeowners and business owners maintain certain levels of efficacy by their normally operating lights.

Once incandescent lights are no longer on the shelves of America’s favorite retail stores, consumers will be forced to recognize the lighting watt paradox.  This unfortunately popular misunderstanding will then be phased out with the
incandescent lights themselves, and light bulbs will be appropriately compared on the basis of lumens.  Since incandescent lights consistently produce proportional brightness to watts burned, this table can help transition the thought process from watts to lumens.

Building a shadow box wall can be done many different ways.  This guide will share step by step instructions to building the wall from scratch, and embedding the shadow boxes in the structure of the wall for a clean, unobtrusive finish.  If you are modifying an existing wall, supplemental instructions will be included along the way.



Before getting started, here is a list of materials needed for this project:

Total Cost:   $130   (Modifying an existing wall can be done for as little as $69)

                                                                                         
Step 1-(framing the wall)

With basic construction skills, this step is easy enough.  Build the wall on the floor, first, spacing studs on 16 inch centers.  Measure from corner to corner in each direction to ensure the wall is square. Frame out the shadow box with jack studs and sill plates as shown in the picture.  Stand the wall up and secure it to the subfloor and ceiling joists.  

If modifying an existing wall, locate the studs that your shadow box will be mounted between.  Use a drywall handsaw to cut away drywall carefully and ensure that you do not cut any conduit within the wall.  (tip: choose a portion of the wall that is local to an outlet receptacle. It is also recommended to modify interior, uninsulated walls.)

Attach the junction box 16 inches from the ground. This will house the outlet receptacle that will provide power to your LED light strips.
                                                                                                  
Step 2-(electrical)

If unfamiliar with electrical work, it is highly recommended to hire a qualified electrician for this step.  For expert do-it your selfers: splice conduit from the wall you are tying into and feed it to the junction box.  Drill a small hole (~1/2”D) through the
king and jack stud that the junction box is attached to.  

Depending on the LED lighting kit you are doing this portion of the step may vary.

If using an inline low voltage transformer,  make the connection to the conduit and mount the transformer above the junction box on the stud. Run the low voltage wires through the hole you just drilled.  Secure all wires by tacking large staples snug around the insulation.

If using a low voltage adapter that plugs directly into an outlet, simply install an in-wall outlet box to plug the adapter into.  Feed the cord up through the hole and secure.

Step 3-(drywall)

This step is pretty straight forward but crucial for a quality final product.  Make the vertical joint for two pieces of drywall occur in the middle of the shadow box sills.  Although more challenging cuts are required it will prevent cracking from the one corner.  Cover drywall seams with paper tape and joint compound.  Sand and paint as desired.  Also be sure to cover the inside of your framework with drywall for a complete finish. Use corner bead or folded tape with joint compound to hide ugly joints inside the edges of the box.

Designer’s choice: Paint the inside of the shadowbox a darker shade of the actual wall color, or paint it charcoal or black to really accentuate the items in the shadow box when the LED lights are on.

Step 4-(LED lighting)

LED light strips are great because they are sleek and easy to install. Attach the light strips to
the bottom of the top side of the box using the hardware provided in the kit.  The instructions included with your LED lighting kit should provide more specific direction.  Space strips evenly, and connect using the provided link cables to each  strip and back to the power source.  Turn your breaker back on and flip the light switch to ensure everything is working properly.  To avoid any  devastating steps backward it is a good idea to check for functionality before hanging the drywall (step 3).

And finally, the fun part.  Showcase whatever items you would like to pop, and watch all your hardwork come to life. Example items would be modern art or decorative vases.  You can even show off photos or paintings in professional gallery light.

Be creative.  Using similar construction techniques you can build an LED shadow box wall in a variety of different configurations.

While occupancy sensor controls were originally created for use in commercial buildings, their role in residential buildings is becoming more commonplace.  Many lighting companies have introduced automated lighting control product lines specifically for use in residential buildings and homes. These include occupancy sensor switches that have a sleek design that deliver proportional results to commercial counterparts, and cost much less.  While these use the same technology as passive infrared occupancy sensors for commercial buildings, they do not need to be as powerful.  The capacity of the controller does not need to detect occupancy by such an expansive measure because it is employed in rooms that have much lower ceilings and dramatically less square footage.  

In addition to the price tag, the design of these components also benefits as compared to commercial occupancy sensors.  The actual module can pack the required technology in a smaller clamshell that easily fits in a traditional wall switch junction box.  Manufacturers are also taking the initiative to offer decorative faceplates to match the décor in your home.  One company that seems to be doing all of this better than others is Lutron.

The Maestro collection by Lutron is an industry leading line of lighting products for residential use.  Available occupancy sensors of the collection include:

Lutron MS-OPS2-WH Maestro 250 Watt Single Pole

Lutron MS-OP600M-WH Maestro 600 Watt (with Eco-Dim)

Lutron MS-VP600GHW-WH Maestro Vacancy Sensor (with Eco-Dim)

The difference between the MS-OPS2 and the MS-OP600M is slight.  However, for a few extra bucks you can get the extra
feature of dimmable controls with the  MS-OP600M.  Lutron is a huge advocate of dimming lights to save energy, and the math doesn’t lie when portraying this point.  Upgrading to the occupancy sensors with Eco-Dim technology can really be
worth it, and in fact increase your return on investment.   

The difference between the MS-OP600M and MS-VP600GHW is the fairly important.  While each automatic light controller delivers the Eco-Dim function, the first is an occupancy sensor while the second is a vacancy sensor. Understanding the difference between an occupancy sensor and a vacancy sensor is important.  Each has its own preferable applications where it is more suitable than the other. For example, vacancy sensors are popular in the bedroom where you might not want the lights to turn on when you enter if someone else is  sleeping.  However, your children might struggle to remember to turn the lights off when the leave, making a vacancy sensor a more suitable product.  In contrast, laundry rooms and storage areas are great rooms for occupancy sensors,  where flicking the light switch is a struggle when entering with your hands full.

Making a unique, modern LED headboard is a fun  project that can be built and mounted in a weekend for only a few bucks.  This article will cover materials and  products needed to complete the project; as well as a few helpful tips to  guide you along the way.  Here is a list of materials you will need:

First, start with a sheet of melamine.  This will be the primary structure of your headboard.  Melamine is a  building material that has similar properties to a laminate countertop, but is  sold in thinner sheets that are dimensionally similar to plywood and drywall.  Melamine is also commonly used to build cabinets and shelving.   If you prefer to keep this process as simple as possible, purchase a pre-cut shelf that comes in a variety of sizes.  It comes in white but can be painted a desired color to match your bedroom.   Don’t forget to cover the unfinished edges of your headboard with BAND-IT iron on edging for a professional look.

Once you decide on the size of your headboard and prepare the melamine sheet or shelf, it is time to add supports to mount the  headboard on the wall.  On the back  side of your melamine, anchor four 1x 2 furring strips to the back of the
panel.  Space the strips offset 2  inches inside the perimeter of the headboard.  (Tip: use liquid nails or equivalent  construction adhesive and appropriately sized stainless wood screws that won’t  penetrate the outer surface of the headboard…ouch!)   If you have a 1 inch furring strip and ¾ inch sheet of melamine, your  screws should be 1.5 inches long.  Pre drilling the melamine with  1/8th inch pilot holes is  necessary.  The diagram below illustrates the appropriate arrangement of your headboard.

Next using the LED Deluxe 3 panel kit, mount the LED light bars on the bottom furring strip, facing down.  All supplied hardware with the kit should be sufficient.  Before hooking up the cables for the LED light strips, the headboard must be mounted on the wall.  It is recommended to use 3 inch drywall screws to do this.  Find at least 2 studs on the wall and fasten the furring strips to the wall by driving the 3 inch screws at an angle into the studs.  (Tip: it is probably necessary to use an extender on your drill or driver in order to maintain enough clearance from the melamine as you fasten the screws.)  Add as many screws as  sufficient on the top and bottom furring strips.  Having one or two helpers for this step is highly recommended.

Now that your headboard is mounted, connect the included cables and power supply to your LED light strips.  Ideally, an electrical outlet directly behind the headboard would help conceal all cables.  If not run the white power cord behind your bed and plug it in to the closest outlet.  

That completes the install! Light up your headboard and enjoy your  DIY luxury masterpiece.  

An occupancy sensor is an affordable technology that often delivers energy efficiency through convenient lighting control and adds a touch of luxury to the space it is installed in. However, there are several uses of occupancy sensor switches that are often overlooked, and many more that have yet to have been imagined.  After all, a wall switch occupancy sensor is simply a replacement light switch. Simply imagine anything that can be plugged into an outlet that is controlled by a light switch on a circuit; a lamp, for example.  Now consider that lamp being controlled automatically at the convenience of an occupancy sensor.  While this example is still related to lighting controls, it will get you thinking about alternative uses of occupancy sensors the right way.

 Here are three examples of additional uses to get your mind thinking:

A fan or space heater. Fans or space heaters can perhaps use more electricity per usage than lighting.  For this reason they are good components to control using occupancy sensors. In addition these appliances, when left unattended can become hazards.  If they are controlled automatically and turn off in the absence of human occupancy, they will not only save electricity and your money, but also can avoid dangerous events.  Implementing a fan on an occupancy sensor in a room that might get a lot of sun in the summer, will help circulate the air only when needed; which is when someone is occupying the space.

Coffee makers, toasters, and other small kitchen appliances.  Typically these appliances are left plugged in all the time, and depending what you own, they could be consuming power even when not in use, even when you aren’t even
home.  If you have light switch operated outlets on the same circuit as your occupancy sensor controlled lights, these appliances will draw power only when needed; which is a safety feature as well!  You could only possibly be using these appliances when you are in the kitchen and should also only be using them when the lights are on.  This is a smart way to decrease electrical consumption while increasing electrical safety in your home.  Don’t worry; you will never be inconvenienced with lack of power to these appliances.  Since you have to be up on your feet and moving around to use them, a well-positioned occupancy sensor switch will never let you down.  Just make sure that the automatic shut off time on the switch is set for over 10 minutes to make sure your coffee is fully brewed and your toast is fully toasted if you happen to leave the room.  Be aware of placing appliances such as microwave on an occupancy sensor control.  These appliances with clocks may often show false times if they lose power which could be a major
inconvenience.

 So hopefully these examples will get your mind thinking accordingly.  Take a lap around your living space and see that items are plugged in to the wall and then ask yourself, “Does this need to work when the lights are off or if I am not in the room?”  If the answer is yes, then chances are it is a good candidate to be controlled by an occupancy sensor switch.  

There are several reasons why occupancy sensor switches are a great upgrade to traditional light switches.  They are convenient, energy efficient, and can save you money, to name a few.  However, some homeowners find it difficult to justify the initial cost of an occupancy sensor by the continual savings on electricity in a reasonable amount of time.  This is a valid concern for certain applications, and if the convenience isn’t worth paying for only one thing can help justify buying an occupancy sensor: a smaller price tag!

The  Decora PR180-1LW by Leviton is an affordable residential occupancy sensor that packs the same technology as comparable higher end motion sensor switches.  Just because it is less in cost does not mean it lacks in quality.  
This particular Leviton Decora occupancy sensor can be found for less than $16.  When mounted in a standard wall switch junction box it detects motion using passive infrared technology.  It’s field of view is a full 180 degrees along the wall it is mounted on and can see everything in front of it. 

The only occupancy sensor that can do better than this is one that can see through walls.  While occupancy sensors with such technology simply do not exist, there are such occupancy sensors that utilize ultrasonic technology.  These motion activated switches and sensors send waves that disperse throughout a space return back to the switch in a pattern.  Once the pattern is disrupted the switch is activated.  These waves can travel around walls and handle elevation changes that passive infrared occupancy sensors cannot, but they also come at a price tag 3 to 4 times larger than the Leviton Decora PR180-LW. 

For most practical residential uses, the Leviton Decora switches are more than sufficient and provide many benefits to
the homeowner.  In addition to being convenient and saving energy, they look modern and provide a luxurious technology to spice up your home.  They also extend the life of the lights that they control, saving you more money. 

By choosing from affordable selection of Leviton Decora occupancy sensors, you really have nothing to lose.  If installing the occupancy sensor is holding you back, do not fret.  Installation is simple for all levels of DIY homeowners.  Simply follow this simple installation video, and browse our selection of DIY installation tools if necessary.  There is no need to call pricey electricians to take care of this job.

A unique but practical way to cut back on energy consumption is to create an energy budget.  While this may seem inconvenient it is effective and parallels many other methods of cutting back.  We budget the way we spend money, we count calories, and manage our time the same way; so why not budget our energy consumption?

 Just as any of these other methods, a homeowner must first start with a plan, and then must acknowledge and commit to the plan everyday along with anyone else who lives in the home.  This may seem restricting and inconvenient, but often people don't realize how much energy they waste every day without even knowing it.

 For the sake of simplicity, let’s focus this sample energy budget on electricity.  Begin by assessing the amount of electricity consumed by larger electric appliances in your home.  Examples would be refrigerators, microwaves, electric ovens, and heating and cooling units.  This information is available on energy star labels that are provided with your
appliances.  If you do not have the information with your owner’s manual, try looking it up online at energysavers.gov.  The information we are looking for is energy consumption in watts per year.

Using this quantity divide by 52 to find out how many watts it consumes on average per week.  This number is based on a certain usage level; keep that in mind.  Now evaluate each light source in your home by room.  While individual lighting consumption is far less than large appliances, it still accounts for up to 30 percent of daily total electricity consumption.  If  you cannot manage to obtain lighting facts labels that indicate watts per usage, there are other methods to obtain this information.  Kill-a-Watt power consumption meter can be plugged in between an outlet and a light source to determine how much energy is consumed by that source in a day or week.  Performing a simple energy audit with this tool alone can provide you with the information you need to create a weekly energy budget.

 Once necessary information on lighting and appliance energy consumption is acquired, one can set goals with other members of the household.  Cutting back on lighting is the easiest way to reach these goals.  Understanding which rooms account for the most energy consumption by lighting will give you a better idea of where to start.  

By using high efficacy lighting in these spaces, each incandescent bulb in a house can be replaced with an LED light bulb to reduce energy savings by up to 70 percent.  Before replacing the bulbs, see how much power can be saved
just by turning off lights when not in use.  In order to cost effectively transition your light fixtures replace only the most frequently used lights with energy efficient LED lighting.  These will offer the most bang for your buck and increase your return on investment.  

If leaving lights on when not in use is an issue for your household, try installing occupancy and vacancy sensors to eliminate wasted electrical energy consumption.  These automatic light switches will turn on and off automatically as it senses occupancy or vacancy.  For certain circumstances, vacancy sensor switches will only turn on when the switch is turned on manually.

 When used strategically each of these tools can help you to lower energy consumption and meet your energy efficiency goals. 

There are many ways one can lower energy bills.  The key is identifying where a home is most energy inefficient.  This contributing factor could be one of many different deficiencies that are often relatable to a particular region's climate or how certain homes were built at a certain time.  For example, older homes were built with very little or no insulation, making the contributing factor for high energy bills the building envelope.  In older climates where heating systems are in demand for most of the year, well insulated windows walls and doors are often cost effective energy upgrades.  
 
While heating and cooling loads drive up energy costs there are other common energy deficiencies that are often overlooked. A DIY home energy audit can help you determine what these are.  While aspects of an energy audit relating to the building envelope are pretty straight forward, finding sources of inefficient lighting technology is a little less intuitive.  

When examining an electric bill, one will notice that the usage is measured by Kilowatt hours. Calculating usage can be tricky, and in some cases even impossible to do accurately.  However, there is one tool that is sure to measure your electrical usage of individual electrical components in a home.  This tool is the Kill-a-Watt Electricity usage monitor from P3 International.  For fewer than 20 dollars, one can measure the usage of their home appliances and lighting
with this tool.

The benefit of knowing how much energy a light source consumes in a typical day is beneficial because it can be directly translatable to the amount of money owed on an energy bill. Simply multiply the number of kilowatt hours off of the usage meter by the local utility rate.  Right now, utility rates average around $0.11/kilowatt-hour.

 With this knowledge it is very simple to see what lighting consumes the most energy and where to make energy efficient upgrades.  If a homeowner does a DIY energy audit and sees that certain lights are left on more during the day
unnecessarily; they can employ the use of an occupancy sensor or vacancy sensor light switch in order to save more money on their energy bills. Residential occupancy sensor light switches or ceiling mounted occupancy sensors combined with LED lighting are more affordable than many people realize.  Most importantly energy efficient lighting supplies are a very financially smart choice because they never need to be replaced and will provide continually growing energy savings over their lifetime.

In a recent post, we discussed how occupancy sensor switches can be combined with low voltage lighting in a harmonious union of energy efficiency.  Even without the occupancy sensor, low voltage lighting systems are very energy efficient.  It is important to recognize the benefits of using low voltage lighting where practical, and how building codes are starting to adopt energy efficiency initiatives that require low voltage lighting.

Often, low voltage circuits come with dimming switches to decrease energy consumption when full illumination is not required.  They also often include built-in timers with auto on and off functions; this is especially useful for outdoor landscaping lighting and low voltage security lighting.  These applications often demand electricity for longer periods of time compared to indoor artificial light.  For this reason, energy efficiency is important.  The built-in automatic timer will also add to the convenience of the lighting system.

Additional benefits include the energy efficiency of the light sources that low voltage systems supply.  They often join many LED lights or high efficacy light fixtures in series.  Because these sources are so efficient, they allow a low voltage supply to provide enough power to each luminaire.  This moderated supply guarantees that the LED bulbs will live their full life and not need replacement for decades.  Features such as this make low voltage lighting a great choice for aesthetic and design applications.  Examples would be landscape lighting, LED under cabinet lighting, and cabinet
lighting.

In fact, non-essential lighting such as these applications are required to be supplied by high efficacy luminaires by code.  California title 24, section 6 for residential lighting, classifies types of lighting throughout the home and sets requirements as to what percentage must be high efficacy.  For example, 50% of all kitchen lighting must be high efficacy and under cabinet lighting often exceeds this metric if it is not low  voltage lighting.  So by code, homeowners that fall under this applicable ordinance must have low voltage, LED under cabinet lighting.

One of the biggest advantages of low voltage lighting is its ease of installation and maintenance.  This advantage is, in many ways, an evolution of all of the other advantages.  It supplies small, cool burning luminaires such as LEDs, that last forever without replacement.  Their plug and play design often allows the user to connect the transformer to a standard residential outlet receptacle.  Without soldering or running dangerous conduit, connect link cables to fixtures in series and mount fixtures in the desired configuration.