Design Ideas for Using PLC Lighting with Decor

LED light use in the home is on the rise. Only 4% of homes utilized LED lighting in 2014. According to the latest statistics, that percentage has increased to nearly 50% of homes today.

That should be no wonder considering all the benefits of LED lighting. LED lights are more energy-efficient, last longer, and emit more natural-looking light. They can also be hooked up to a PLC lighting system.

PLC light systems offer a new way to operate your LED string lights. In this guide, we want to help you understand why. We also want to give you some ideas for using LED PLC light systems in and around your home.

What are PLC lights, and why are they beneficial for your home's decor? We will answer these two questions in this guide to PLC systems, so keep reading for everything you need to know!

What Is PLC Lighting?

PLC stands for powerline communication lighting. Instead of a type of lighting, it is a way of automating lights. You can use PLC lighting mechanisms to automate a cluster of LED lights.

One PLC controller can manage all the lights connected to it. You can even automate lighting in different rooms throughout the home. Imagine the implications for your home decor!

You already know of one use for these systems: PLC Christmas lights. Rope lights, icicle lights, and net lights are all popular choices for decorating the home during the holidays.

What Types of Lights Do PLC Systems Work For?

PLC systems work best with string lights. String lights include net lighting, icicle lighting, and rope lighting. Learn more about each of these lights next.

Net Lighting

Net lights are grids of string lights. You can see them draped over homeowners' bushes, trees, and tree trunks at Christmastime.

Icicle Lighting

Icicle lights feature intermittent clusters of lights that hang down from the main wire. During the holidays, homeowners often hang icicle lights from the edge of the roof to create an icicle-like look.

Rope Lighting

Rope lighting consists of a long cylindrical tube containing a series of LED bulbs. These lights have a variety of uses around the home.

How to Incorporate PLC Lighting in Your Decor

Automated lighting systems are not just useful during the holidays. They are also a great way to lighten up your home's interior and exterior decor. Keep reading for our top PLC lighting decor ideas.

Light Up Your Home's Exterior Walkways

Getting outdoor pathway lights can run you a pretty penny. If you're looking for a more affordable alternative, LED lights are an excellent choice.

You can add rope lights to trace the path to your front door. Or you can add net lights throughout your landscaping to brighten up your whole front yard.

Attaching your exterior lighting to a PLC system can make even more of an impact. You will not have to plug in each light every evening.

Instead, you can control the color, brightness, and lighting effects seamlessly and remotely. Plug in one light and watch them all glow.

Synchronize Under-Cabinet Lighting

If you would like to bring your LED lighting into the home, consider attaching them underneath the cabinets in your kitchen, bathroom, or both.

Under-cabinet lighting is particularly helpful for improving kitchen safety. Shed light on your cutting board to keep your fingers safe from accidental nicks.

Consider adding lights around your bathroom cabinets and mirrors. They cast a softer glow that better resembles natural lighting and is ideal for makeup application.

LED rope lighting is particularly helpful here. You can get rope lights in a variety of colors, including a minimalistic cool or warm white color.

Illuminate Your Backyard and Garden

Don't have lighting for your upcoming backyard barbecue or midnight garden party? No worries, because you can use LED string lights.

As we mentioned earlier, you can use rope lights for pathways. But you can also create strings of icicle lights or add net lighting around your tree trunks.

If you want to get creative, use rope lights to make a DIY rope light pendant. You can hang these lights around your yard or garden for a one-of-a-kind vibe.

Imagine the statement it will make when you attach your party lights to a PLC system. You can turn all the lights on at once, evoking ooh's and ah's from your guests.

Brighten Narrow Stairwells and Hallways

The most common places for falls at home are in the bedroom, the bathroom, and the stairs. Eliminate the risk of falls on stairwells with plug-in LED lights.

You can add LED rope lights or icicle lighting beneath the stair rail. Or you can put them beneath the lip of each step to never miss your step again.

Hallways are also often dark and narrow. Make these spaces more accessible by adding string lights to the ceilings, floors, or around artwork or photographs.

Hook up your stairwell or hallway lights to a PLC system so you can turn on all the lights downstairs before you head up for the night. You can also set up color-chasing lights to "guide" your way to your bedroom.

Where to Get the Best PLC Lighting Online

PLC lighting systems automate the power and features of your LED string lights. Add string lights around your home and yard for better accessibility. Then, hook them up to a PLC operator to customize the look.

Are you searching for the best PLC lights and lighting systems? Bird Dog Distributing is a one-stop shop for all your lighting needs. Check out our new line of PLC LED lights here to amp up your interior and exterior lighting today!