When I shared the new wall sconces/lamps in our living room, the thing I was asked most was about turning them on and off. With a deep sofa sitting in front of them, they are a little awkward to reach. You have to do one of those knee-on-the-sofa maneuvers, which can be tricky at times. But, I wasn’t worried about it because I have a trick in the bag that I’ve used with difficult-to-reach lamps before. It’s cheap, it’s easy to install, and it works. It’s a battery-powered light remote.
details about the sofa | curtains | European stag antlers | wall color | lamps
There are available that will tie into a smart lighting system and allow you to turn lights (and other things) on and off with your phone. We had those in our last house and, I must say, I do miss them! But, we haven’t installed any smart switches in our current house yet. I’m bringing those up because they need to be connected to a “base” that is plugged into your router. This is what allows them to be “smart”, but they are more expensive and more involved to install.
The lamps are from Lamps Plus.
What I bought for this room simply plugs into an outlet and allows you to use a remote to turn the lights on and off. The downside is you need another remote and you have to keep track of that remote! The part that plugs into the outlet is also a little bulky, so it’s not great if the outlet is behind a piece of furniture that is pushed tight against the wall. The upside is this remote set is less than $18 and you can plug in and control up to three lights.
I have outlet remotes in the studio for the wall sconces above the hardware cabinet as well and have used them by our bedside (or in the guest room) when the lamps aren’t easily within reach. A remote allows me to put lamps in the best place without having to be concerned about how easy it is to turn them off. THIS is the outlet remote set I have.
In the living room, we keep the outlet remote with our collection of remotes for the TV and use it to control the two sconces above the sofa and one floor lamp to the right of the sofa. Between those lamps and the overhead lights, we have lots of lighting options for the living room. I do feel a little like remote controls are taking over the house with remote-controlled candles and remote-controlled Christmas lights, but there are fates worse than having too many remotes. I still remember the awe of seeing my first TV remote. No more fighting with my brother about who was going to get up to turn the chunky knob. Oh, how the world has changed…
Anyway, outlet remotes are a winner when it comes to putting lights in places where you want light but it might be difficult to reach.
PS – The oil painting behind the sofa is one of my originals, but I just added the print to Society6 HERE. You can also purchase it for your FrameTV HERE.
12 Responses
Wow, I sure didn’t know that kind of thing exists! I’ll have to spread the word.
I have a smart speaker and found lightbulbs that I can use with voice control, because I didn’t want to fool around with the base/outlet configuration. Technology is amazing!
I use Kasa smart plugs. No hub is needed. They run off of an app on your phone or iPad via WiFi. Each was under $20 (even found one for $6 at a Thrift Store). They might be a good solution?
Your brass lighting looks so good against the green walls! Pretty!
I have the smart bulbs, plugs, etc. But I also have a few remote control style ones as well. Mine are the kind that screws into the lamp. Kind of like an adapter for the bulb. I even have one in my China cabinet.
I have two that Alexa controls, voice activated, no remote, jusk ask her to turn them in and off. Technology can be very useful’ 😉
I cannot remember which smart plugs have caused some dogs to exhibit frightened behavior. I love the idea of smart plugs but just be aware should your animals start acting different. Love a smart home!
Before smart plugs I used timers. This solves the accessibility issue. On the down side the lights go on automatic on a schedule and it is a pain to deviate from that. But it’s good to come home and the lights are on without having to do anything.
I second the recommendation for Kasa bluetooth plugs. No remotes to keep track of; just an app on your phone and very easy to set up. Nice because I go to bed later than my husband and we can now keep one small lamp on in the kitchen where it doesn’t bother him, yet gives me light all the way until I get to bed, at which point I can turn it off from there. Safer and convenient!
Marian, thanks for the info on the outlet remotes. This is exactly what we need for the sconces behind the sofa. I am going to order this now.
We use Alexa turn on and off lamps and light fixtures in hard to reach spots or on the outside of the house. We can tell her via voice commands or use our iPhones if we are away.
I use Wyze Smart Plugs. No extra remote necessary. I operate them with my phone. I also have some of them on timers. And they’re not expensive – you can get 3 for less than $30.
Oh, those sound great! I’ll look into them.