Make Thanksgiving Unforgettable With Smart Lighting November 23, 2016 00:00

Fall is here!

And despite the beautiful weather, the gorgeous foliage, and finally being able to wear sweaters without drawing strange looks from coworkers, all these wonderful things may also instill a deep sense of dread in some of you. Why? Because this year, you’re hosting Thanksgiving…

But don’t worry! Even though you may still be dealing with arguing relatives, annoying second-cousins, and hard-to-please parents for a few days, if you’ve outfitted your home with smart lighting then at least you’ve got the ambiance covered.

Here’s a quick guide to make sure your holiday lighting is one less thing to worry about this Thanksgiving!

Use Sunrise Mode to start your Thanksgiving preparations!

For those of you who have ever had to be the one in charge of creating a delicious and memorable Thanksgiving meal spread, you know that doing so takes time, usually more than you think!

And depending on what time you and your family decide to sit down for the feast, that could mean starting preparations before sunrise. And if you aren’t used functioning in the dark hours of early morning, you’ll need all the help you can get.

What better way to jumpstart your body into wide-awake cooking mode than tricking it into thinking it’s actually day time? With Sunrise Mode, your Flux Smart lights will slowly brighten at a time of your choosing, mimicking the rising of the sun and letting your body adjust to the idea of actually getting out of bed.

If the idea of gently being woken isn’t enough to convince you to toss that harsh, jolting alarm clock, the science behind this method shows that there’s no better way to feel more energized in the morning too.

And after the meal is over and the turkey (and wine) have their sleep-inducing hold on you, wake up from that mid-afternoon slumber feeling more refreshed than ever and ready for seconds with Sunrise Mode.

Create truly memorable decorations this year with smart lighting

If you’re a decoration aficionado, then you’re probably scouring the internet as we speak to find the perfect seasonal décor to leave your guests OO-ing and AH-ing all Thanksgiving long. Well search no more!

The versatility of smart lighting can help turn your run-of-the-mill design scheme into a truly spectacular autumn display. In addition to being able to dim any bulb at a whim, letting you fine tune your accent lighting to create just the mood you’re after, higher end smart bulbs like the Flux Smart Bluetooth and WiFi LEDs let you choose from over 16 million different colors to light your home with!

So while a simple holiday decoration might typically only have one way it can be displayed, when this same decoration is lit with a smart bulb it can literally have 16 million variations! And while you probably won’t want to highlight a seasonal gourd display in neon pink, there are thousands of different hues in red, orange, and yellow!

And if the colors alone didn’t provide you with enough design ideas this year, many high-end smart bulbs let you create custom schedules with transitions for your lighting. Imagine sitting down to dinner as your centerpiece slowly and gradually changes from red to orange and yellow to brown. You might be the first person in the family to have a truly dynamic Thanksgiving decoration!

Don’t forget about applying these features to your outdoor decorations too!

Use the remote lighting and scheduling feature to create the perfect mood

While color changing decorations might liven up your Thanksgiving embellishments, don’t forget to take into consideration the ambient light in your home this year as well.

Nothing ruins the mood of a get together like inadequate or over the top lighting. Too dim? People won’t be able to see each other clearly and the conversation will probably suffer. Too bright? Your guests will gradually start to get more and more annoyed, leading to even more holiday arguments than usual.

The solution is knowing what lighting levels need to go with each activity. The kitchen, for example, is a pretty easy one. With all the sharp utensils and precise chopping, cutting, sautéing, and mashing going on in one place, it’s best to keep your lights shining bright. And once all the food is finally finished, adjust your kitchen’s lighting scheme like so to bring out its best features.

Next is the most important and the most complex: the dining room. There’s a lot of different activities going on in here, as well as a lot of shifting of moods.

At the beginning of the meal it might be a good idea to keep the lights bright, at least until everyone’s situated. If there is a prayer or grace before chowing down, turn the lights down a bit, maybe even use one as a spotlight on whoever is leading.

Once everyone starts to dig in, start bringing the lights down little by little. In fact, with the convenient scheduling feature you can simply set the room’s lights to do this automatically!

And as your guests start putting down their utensils and picking up conversation, create a relaxing, at ease atmosphere by lowering the lights even more. Not too much, just enough to make sure no one starts talking politics!

Finally, as we mentioned before, no Thanksgiving is complete without the mid-afternoon nap! Take the lights down a bit, sit back, and relax knowing you put on another spectacular Thanksgiving!

Let us know what you think!

How have you used smart lighting to liven up your holiday meal? Do you have any decorating tips to make this Thanksgiving especially amazing? Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to feast your eyes on the Flux Smart product line!